Anchoring Lives: Generating Stability in our Communities through Innovative Housing
Author: Aaron Rogers
AHBL offers demonstrated success in residential developments. Since our founding, our engineers and planners have worked together to secure entitlements and guide clients through the permitting and development process, securing 100,000 residential units across the state.
In today’s difficult housing climate, the availability of achievable housing is an issue that impacts every community. While we recognize that our efficient design delivery is impactful to housing affordability, our commitment to achievable housing goes beyond that. Our staff works alongside countless non-profits, including housing authorities across the state, to deliver housing that is more affordable and accessible to all. This is one important way that we contribute to the quality of life of the residents in the communities where we live, work, and play.
An example of this type of project is the Cosecha Court - a seasonal farmworker development, owned and operated by the Yakima Housing Authority. The development provides low-income housing for residents who earn part of their income from farm work. Agriculture is a $51 billion dollar industry in Washington state, contributing to 13% of the state’s yearly economic activity. The Cosecha Court development and others like it are critical to the more than 160,000 seasonal workers who make our food available and affordable, in a state where the median rental price has risen 26% from 2000-2021, adjusted for inflation.1
AHBL provided civil engineering and landscape architecture services, working closely with Yakima Housing Authority staff to create meaningful outdoor spaces and a campus feel to the site. Of utmost importance was a desire that these temporary housing units feel like permanent housing and serve the residents recreational needs with outdoor gathering spaces. The units feature a full kitchen, bathrooms, and communal areas. Together, the six units provide 96 beds of low-income housing for farmworkers from April through November and are utilized for homeless families during the winter months when the need for farmworker housing is diminished.
AHBL has also been involved in another innovative project operated by Kitsap Mental Health Services, Pendleton Place is a “housing first” facility for adults with chronic mental illness and substance use in a permanent supportive housing complex, bringing much-needed stability and opportunities to engage in treatment, healthcare, and employment services. With a mix of 72 one-bedroom and studio apartments, residents also have access to a communal area, computer lab, and on-site medical treatment, as well as substance use treatment services and employment assistance. The facility sits on a steeply sloped 1.66 acres, with 50 vertical feet of elevation change across the site. Our team provided civil engineering and landscape architecture, addressing challenging stormwater control on the steep site. The facility was funded through a combination of low-income housing tax credits, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation award, the Bremerton Housing Authority, and Federal and State funds, grants, and matches.
There is a growing need for creative solutions to meet the housing needs of our communities. AHBL works with both for profit and nonprofit agencies throughout the state to grow our housing inventory so that someday everyone can have a place to call home.
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