Imagine Housing Programs
Housing
Housing is essential for survival and stability. Right now, thousands of people throughout East King County are facing job loss, wage decreases, financial crises and loss of their homes while cost of living continues to rise. Imagine Housing believes that truly thriving communities are rich in diversity and is working hard to ensure that formerly homeless and low-income individuals and families have access to all that the Eastside has to offer by developing and managing affordable and supportive housing communities.
Supportive Services Program
Imagine Housing provides a Supportive Services Program, offering onsite services designed to ensure that residents maintain permanent stability and build their skills and self-sufficiency. For adults and parents, this means access to job skills training, money management classes, ESL workshops and parenting support. Resident children are provided with homework assistance, access to computer labs, support with reading skills, and summer day-camp activities to keep then active and engaged. At our two newest properties, Andrew's Glen and Francis Village, and three of our existing properties in Bellevue and Issaquah, we offer case management services as well to support the formerly homeless veterans, young adults and families that are living there.
Advocacy
Imagine Housing advocates for the support of more affordable housing in East King County. Through Imagine Housing's advocacy efforts, Eastside cities and their citizens are becoming more encouraging of and welcoming to affordable housing. Community members are beginning to understand the benefits of living in a community that provides housing and services to its vulnerable populations.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Imagine Housing has entered an exciting new period of growth in response to the need for service-enriched affordable housing in our community. In 2011, Imagine Housing opened 100 new affordable apartment homes at two new properties. These new homes serve veterans, youth aging out of the foster care system, survivors of domestic violence, those transitioning out of homelessness, and other very low income residents. Imagine Housing is developing an additional 313 homes, including 58 homes as part of the transit-oriented redevelopment of the South Kirkland Park & Ride, 95 homes dedicated to seniors in the Totem Lake area of Kirkland, and 160 homes for working families in Snoqualmie Ridge. We will nearly double the number of homes we provide by 2015, greatly increasing the number of people we can serve on the Eastside.
Looking to expand the services we can provide on-site, we also have grown our Supportive Services Team to eight full-time staff members, giving us greater capacity to provide youth programming, adult classes, intensive case management and care coordination to our residents.
Imagine Housing relies on the generosity and support of individuals and local businesses to sustain this incredibly exciting period of growth while also maintaining existing programs and operations. Individual contributions fund the on-site Supportive Services Program while also supporting the staff time required to continually develop and maintain affordable housing. Your investment in Imagine Housing pays off in concrete ways -- in the communities we build and the lives we transform. Help us move toward our vision of a safe and stable home for every individual in East King County.