Snohomish County prepares for annual Point-in-Time homeless count
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., December 12, 2023—The Snohomish County Department of Human Services, in collaboration with community and human service providers, is gearing up for the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. This annual initiative remains a cornerstone in Snohomish County’s commitment to understanding and addressing homelessness within the community. “Every year […]
County seeks volunteers to serve on Technical Advisory Committee for Affordable Housing and Community Development
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., November 16, 2023—Snohomish County is recruiting residents to serve on a Technical Advisory Committee to review applications for projects that benefit low-income individuals and neighborhoods in our community through affordable housing and community development programs. Representatives from the following groups are needed: Low-income is defined as follows: These volunteer positions offer residents […]
Applicants sought for $1.1 million to develop affordable multi-unit rental housing projects
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., October 16, 2023 — Snohomish County is announcing that a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is posted, and nonprofit organizations, for-profit developers, and government agencies are encouraged to submit applications to develop affordable multi-unit rental housing projects. An estimated $1.1 million in federal funds under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is […]
Housing Hope celebrates Groundbreaking for new Madrona Highlands in Edmonds
EDMONDS, Wash., May 24, 2023—Well over one hundred residents attended Housing Hope’s groundbreaking ceremony for its new 52-unit affordable housing community, Madrona Highlands, on Tuesday, May 23, in South Edmonds. The $30 million dollar project will be the first of its kind for Housing Hope by working with churches owning “excessive land,” in south Snohomish […]
Volunteers of Lynnwood’s Hygiene Center clean up Gold Park
LYNNWOOD, Wash., May 19, 2023—The Lynnwood Hygiene Center closed early on Thursday, May 18, to allow staff member Amberlee Bell, and nine other volunteers the opportunity to clean up neighboring Gold Park. From 4 p.m. until about 4:45 p.m. the crew collected four large bags of trash before reconvening at the Hygiene Center for a […]
Commerce commits $83.5 million to address homelessness through affordable housing construction
OLYMPIA, Wash., May 11, 2023—The Washington State Department of Commerce announced new funding awards totaling $83.5 million to provide affordable housing construction opportunities in communities across the state. The new Office of Apple Health and Homes and Commerce’s Multifamily Housing Unit awarded $43.7 million to create 484 multifamily housing units. Commerce is reserving 113 units […]
Lynnwood’s Hygiene Center struggles to keep up with staggering numbers
LYNNWOOD, Wash., May 10, 2023—Every Monday through Saturday morning, Amberlee Bell exits her on-site trailer to prepare the Lynnwood Hygiene Center for operation. The site provides access to private showers, restroom facilities, clothes, and food to people who are homeless and living in extreme poverty. Like many of the six volunteers that work at the […]
Annual Homeless Point-in-Time count highest in over 10 years
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., May 4, 2023—The Annual Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) count, designed to provide a snapshot of households experiencing homelessness on a single night, was conducted on January 24, 2023. This survey was supported by the efforts of 247 volunteers, County personnel, and partnering agency staff. The 2023 count identified 1,285 people in 1,028 households […]
Letter-to-Editor: Missing Middle Housing does not make sense for Lynnwood
I am a member of the Lynnwood City Council, and the Snohomish County Tomorrow Steering Committee. My comments below represent my views and are not intended to imply these are the positions of these organizations. The politicians in Olympia are once again pushing a bill intended to destroy the sovereignty and self governing rights of […]
Public comment welcome on Draft Housing and Community Development Plan
Snohomish County, Wash. March 26, 2023—Snohomish County released a draft affordable housing and community development plan for the Snohomish County Urban County Consortium that proposes spending over $6.5 million in federal grant funds to improve housing options and living environments for those in need. The Draft 2023 Annual Action Plan is available for review and […]