Low Income Housing Institute
Encyclopedia
The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) develops, owns and operates housing for the benefit of low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in Washington State. It advocates for just housing policies at the local and national levels and administers a range of supportive service programs to assist those we serve in maintaining stable housing and increasing their self-sufficiency.
in 1990. The result of this effort was the development of the 57-unit Aloha Inn, the first self-managed transitional housing program in the country for homeless people. This was followed shortly after by the renovation of Arion Court, which provides 37 units of permanent self-managed housing for homeless people.
The Aloha Inn and Arion Court were, at their inception, revolutionary concepts for implementing democratic decision-making and self-governance among traditionally disenfranchised populations. Principles of mutual housing, or self-management, now guide many of LIHI's properties—equipping residents with opportunities for meaningful decision-making and shared responsibility for the management of their housing.
of the Fremont Public Association, Michael Reichert of Catholic Community Services, and Scott Morrow
of SHARE
. LIHI filled a void in the community for creating self-management and developing innovative housing solutions.
The Fremont Public Association merged its Housing Development Department with LIHI in 1994 to create a dedicated housing development and management organization. LIHI became an affiliated program of FPA, and Sharon Lee was named the Executive Director.
region of Western Washington. LIHI programs serve homeless and low-income people in Snohomish
, King
, Island
, Kitsap
, Pierce
and Thurston Counties. LIHI housing serves communities in Seattle
, Lynnwood
, Lacey
, Olympia
, Tacoma
, Bremerton
, and smaller towns throughout the region.
. Currently, LIHI owns and/or manages 46 properties containing over 1,500 housing units, providing homes for the working poor, low-income families, individuals, seniors, people with disabilities, and women and children at risk. More than 700 of these units house formerly homeless families and individuals. Approximately 200 housing units serve individuals who are disabled or require attention for special needs such as mental illness, alcohol
and drug abuse
, developmental disabilities or HIV/AIDS and related illnesses. 240 units serve senior citizens. 75% of our housing units serve families or individuals earning less than 30 percent of the area median income. The remaining 25% earn between 30% and 60% of the area median income.
Various housing projects have been targeted to specific populations. For example, Cate Apartments in the Greenwood-Phinney neighborhood of Seattle provides transitional housing for homeless families and for the working poor. Greenwood House in Crown Hill is home to adult women transitioning from the street. Arbor Manor in Lacey, WA serves single mothers with young children.
In order to increase the housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency of our residents, LIHI's Support Services Department provides intensive case management and resource coordination for individuals and families living in transitional housing. Case managers
assist clients with accessing needed social service support, healthcare, counseling, education and job training, childcare, and a variety of other services and resources to overcome the barriers they face in securing long-term self-sufficiency.
LIHI also provides short-term resource coordination to families and individuals living in permanent housing to assist with episodic, short-term challenges that may threaten their housing stability. Assistance provided by the RC includes helping residents in accessing rent, utility and food assistance; providing referrals and advocacy for child care, Head Start and Department of Social and Health Services; helping immigrant residents untangle cultural misunderstandings; providing mental health referrals and interim counseling; and providing active intervention in crisis situations.
In addition to these invaluable services, LIHI is developing further strategies for increasing the self-sufficiency of low-income families and individuals. LIHI employs a multifaceted approach toward increasing opportunities and services, including:
History
LIHI is rooted in a commitment to advocacy for low-income and homeless people. LIHI's early emphases were providing advocacy and technical assistance to promote the interests of low-income and homeless people. LIHI worked to support the efforts of homeless individuals who established an emergency shelter in a "bus barn" at the Seattle CenterSeattle Center
Seattle Center is a park and arts and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington. The campus is the site used in 1962 by the Century 21 Exposition. It is located just north of Belltown in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood.-Attractions:...
in 1990. The result of this effort was the development of the 57-unit Aloha Inn, the first self-managed transitional housing program in the country for homeless people. This was followed shortly after by the renovation of Arion Court, which provides 37 units of permanent self-managed housing for homeless people.
The Aloha Inn and Arion Court were, at their inception, revolutionary concepts for implementing democratic decision-making and self-governance among traditionally disenfranchised populations. Principles of mutual housing, or self-management, now guide many of LIHI's properties—equipping residents with opportunities for meaningful decision-making and shared responsibility for the management of their housing.
Incorporation
The incorporation of LIHI as an organization in 1991 resulted from the leadership of three founding board members: Frank ChoppFrank Chopp
Frank Chopp is a Democratic member of the Washington House of Representatives, representing the 43rd district since 1995. He is the current Speaker of the House. His district covers the neighborhoods of Fremont, Wallingford, the University District and Madison Park, all in Seattle.-Biography:Frank...
of the Fremont Public Association, Michael Reichert of Catholic Community Services, and Scott Morrow
Scott Morrow
Scott Morrow is a retired American ice hockey player who played four games in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames in 1994–95. Morrow was drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the 5th round, 95th overall, of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
of SHARE
Share
Share may refer to:to some dume life* To share a resource is to make joint use of it; see sharing.* Share , a man who writes Urdu poetry* Share , a stock or other security such as a mutual fund...
. LIHI filled a void in the community for creating self-management and developing innovative housing solutions.
The Fremont Public Association merged its Housing Development Department with LIHI in 1994 to create a dedicated housing development and management organization. LIHI became an affiliated program of FPA, and Sharon Lee was named the Executive Director.
Service area
The Low Income Housing Institute serves the Puget SoundPuget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
region of Western Washington. LIHI programs serve homeless and low-income people in Snohomish
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
, King
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Island
Island County, Washington
Island County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. In 2010 census, its population was 78,506. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor....
, Kitsap
Kitsap County, Washington
Kitsap County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. As of 2011 state estimate, its population was 253,900. Its county seat is at Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton....
, Pierce
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
and Thurston Counties. LIHI housing serves communities in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Lynnwood
Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,836 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest in Snohomish County and twenty-ninth largest in Washington State. The city is a mix of urban, suburban, small city, crossroads and bedroom community to many...
, Lacey
Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
, Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, and smaller towns throughout the region.
Properties
LIHI has grown to be one of the most productive affordable housing developers in the NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. Currently, LIHI owns and/or manages 46 properties containing over 1,500 housing units, providing homes for the working poor, low-income families, individuals, seniors, people with disabilities, and women and children at risk. More than 700 of these units house formerly homeless families and individuals. Approximately 200 housing units serve individuals who are disabled or require attention for special needs such as mental illness, alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, developmental disabilities or HIV/AIDS and related illnesses. 240 units serve senior citizens. 75% of our housing units serve families or individuals earning less than 30 percent of the area median income. The remaining 25% earn between 30% and 60% of the area median income.
Various housing projects have been targeted to specific populations. For example, Cate Apartments in the Greenwood-Phinney neighborhood of Seattle provides transitional housing for homeless families and for the working poor. Greenwood House in Crown Hill is home to adult women transitioning from the street. Arbor Manor in Lacey, WA serves single mothers with young children.
Support services
LIHI also provides a variety of supportive services to help residents maintain their housing and develop self-sufficiency. Our efforts include providing residents with case management, life skills training, technology access and training, financial literacy training and savings programs, and activities for some of the more than 850 children in LIHI housing.In order to increase the housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency of our residents, LIHI's Support Services Department provides intensive case management and resource coordination for individuals and families living in transitional housing. Case managers
Case management
Case management is a managed care technique within the health care coverage system of the United States.- Case management in health care :The Case Management Society of America, a non-profit association dedicated to the support and development of the profession of case management through...
assist clients with accessing needed social service support, healthcare, counseling, education and job training, childcare, and a variety of other services and resources to overcome the barriers they face in securing long-term self-sufficiency.
LIHI also provides short-term resource coordination to families and individuals living in permanent housing to assist with episodic, short-term challenges that may threaten their housing stability. Assistance provided by the RC includes helping residents in accessing rent, utility and food assistance; providing referrals and advocacy for child care, Head Start and Department of Social and Health Services; helping immigrant residents untangle cultural misunderstandings; providing mental health referrals and interim counseling; and providing active intervention in crisis situations.
In addition to these invaluable services, LIHI is developing further strategies for increasing the self-sufficiency of low-income families and individuals. LIHI employs a multifaceted approach toward increasing opportunities and services, including:
- Offering on-site life skills workshops for homeless and formerly homeless families;
- Bringing youth programs to several housing sites, including after school tutoring, a summer activity day program, children's art and poetry classes, anti-bullying/conflict resolution workshops, and a youth leadership program;
- Presenting financial literacyFinancial literacyFinancial literacy is the ability to understand finance. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions through their understanding of finances...
and asset building workshops, in which families are encouraged to save money and participate in financial education programs; - Increasing access to technology.
Urban Rest Stop
LIHI also runs the Urban Rest Stop (URS), a hygiene facility for homeless individuals and families located in downtown Seattle. The URS is a clean, safe and dignified environment that has 5 private shower rooms, 5 washer and dryer units, and a large men's restroom. Patrons receive free toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, shaving cream, shampoo and soap. The URS is designed to serve a wide range of people including homeless adults, families with children, youth and the elderly. Urban Rest Stop patrons include disabled persons, veterans, non-English-speaking individuals and people of color.Housing Washington
Housing Washington is a statewide newsletter published quarterly and distributed by LIHI. Housing Washington focuses on the politics and events surrounding affordable housing in Washington state. LIHI staff and a wide range of experts write articles on federal, state and local policy, current events and grassroots activities in the affordable housing arena. Housing Washington is distributed to over 5,000 organizations and individuals each quarter and is consistently well received.External links
- Low Income Housing Institute home page
- Urban Rest Stop home page
- Housing Washington Newsletter
- Matthew Kandegas Supports The Low Income Housing InstituteMatthew KandegasPostminimalist Artist Matthew Kingston Kandegas was born December 29, 1960 in a poor section of south Seattle called White Center. Kandegas is a native speaker of Suomi. He formally trained with Seattle art instructors Norman Lundin and Sharon Munger...