Earlier this month I got to visit HopeWorks Station in Everett, Washington. An innovative housing project in Snohomish County, it holds the possibility of a permanent solution for some of the people experiencing homelessness in the area.
A few interesting facts about HopeWorks Station:
-65 affordable housing units from 300-453 square feet
-focused on serving veterans, youth and families
-all units face inward to a common courtyard to encourage creating community
-a building that gives more than it takes… 532 solar panels generate 105% of it’s residential energy use
-social services and job training on site, the goal is to provide permanent housing but with the goal that people can get established, move out and become self-sufficient
-HopeWorks Station is the result of a 30-year effort by visionary leaders and at the core of a 50-block transit driven redevelopment plan
-first development to combine low income, new market and solar energy credits
While the staff of HopeWorks Station was busy taking care of the final construction details and preparing for the ribbon cutting ceremony, I had the chance to meet some of the residents who would be moving in shortly. People who were living in shelters, living in their cars, or living rough on the streets. We spent time listening to the human impact that the place would have. We asked each person, “What is your greatest dream now that you have a home?”
