Meeting for proposed low income facility

Geeky Swedes Ballard

Wednesday evening is the community meeting for the proposed Low Income Housing Institution (LIHI) facility at 2014 NW 57th St.

The vacant lot at 2014 NW 57th St.

As we reported earlier this month, LIHI is proposing to build an affordable housing facility for families and individuals. The building would include 40 to 60 units made up of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. The annual income of residents would be no more than $51,360 for a four-person household and $41,100 for a two-person household. Twenty-percent of the units would be set aside for homeless families.

“Our priority would be to house the working people in Ballard and we will work with you on reaching out to people who need affordable housing in Ballard,” Sharon Lee, the director of LIHI told the Ballard District Council earlier this month, “We think it’s very important to have people who work in Ballard be able to afford to live in Ballard.”

Along with the housing, LIHI is proposing an “urban rest stop” for homeless people to take a shower, wash clothes and use the bathroom. There will also be other auxiliary services such as nurses and other health educators.

Wednesday’s community meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at Swedish Ballard (5300 Tallman Ave NW) in Conference Room A. Sharon Lee will be speaking as well as Ronni Gilboa from LIHI. Debbie Thiele from the City Office of Housing and Chris Libby from GGLO, architects, will make short presentations. After the presentations, there will be time for questions.

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

95 thoughts to “Meeting for proposed low income facility”

  1. Those of you in Ballard that care about Ballard’s future as a family friendly neighborhood, please come to the meeting tomorrow night. LIHI’s existing Urban Rest Stop services 500-800 people a day and contrary to what Ronni said at the last meeting, that this would be only for the Ballard homeless, she has also been quoted in a Oct. 24, 2007 article in the Seattle PI that “I could put an Urban Rest Stop in every neighborhood in Seattle and within a month we’d be up to capacity.” Ballard is slated to get the 80-unit no-income Compass house filled with the chronically homeless, along with this low income facility for families and some no income but shower and laundry facilities for 500-800 homeless a day, and in light of McGinn’s new idea of turning parks over to the homeless — Ballard will really be a great place to live.

    By the way, LIHI’s other Urban Rest Stop is 1 block from the West Precinct downtown on 9th & Virginia. There is one condo about 2 blocks from the URS but other than that, there are only office buildings and vacant lots. There are no police precincts anywhere near either of these facilities but there are a lot of condos and apartments.

  2. I would think that because of FHA anti-discrimination regs, the proposed homeless units could not be restricted to families, but would have to be available to any homeless, whether individuals or families, male or female.

    I am also very concerned about putting an Urban Rest Stop intended to serve the North Seattle region (drawing hundreds of homeless per day to Ballard) in the middle of a quiet residential street in Ballard. As others have suggested, putting one by the new Food Bank location would be a much better idea.

    In short, low income (not homeless) housing seems to fit with the residential nature of the site. Homeless services should be located by the Food Bank or in the Compass building.

  3. I’m glad to see some affordable housing coming to Ballard. Not everyone makes $100K a year — the people who work at the restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops, the teachers at the local schools and daycares, young adults starting out, retirees on fixed incomes — all need places to live near where they work. I think that some of the MB bloggers seem to put their blinders on and forget where they themselves started from.

    And the rest stop — well, if we want the homeless to work, they need a place to shower, wash clothes, etc — There just isn’t another way around it but to put in showers, washers, and so on.

    It is tough times right now. Just because we worked hard and were lucky doesn’t mean that we get a pass on being human and compassionate.

  4. ” all need places to live near where they work”

    Why? When I worked as a barista I used to take a bus an hour + each way. I didn’t expect the gub’ment to get me a nice apartment near my work.

    Try it some time, it builds character, something sorely lacking in our entitlement society.

  5. BTW their is plenty of affordable housing in White Center, Burien, Federal Way.

    That’s what I did when I was a barista making minimum wage plus tips, lived somewhere I could afford and took the bus.

  7. Sorry oldHippyGirl but you obviously don’t live anywhere near where they are proposing to build this facility. You have no idea what the neighborhood looks like do you. I actually surprised myself when attending the last Ballard District Council meeting and I live in Ballard on 65th Street. The picture posted is very deceptive of the actual location. Why don’t you take a little drive or better yet ride the bus (Route 18 runs 24th and Route 15 runs 15th) and talk a walk down 57th after dark–doesn’t have to be very late, 7:0o p.m. or so., then tell me I’m lucky for having worked hard. The bulk of the so-called clients of the URS are the chronic drunks and drug addicts you step over in parks and alleyways.

    I’m losing my sense of humor (if I ever had one) over the issue of bringing the homeless to the heart of Ballard. Mondoman you’re right about it belonging near the food bank on Leary — this does not belong in the heart of Ballard.

  8. Yup, pretty easy to do when you’re single and childless. Not so easy when you have a couple of kids in daycare, or latchkey, or junior high. (next you’ll tell me they shouldn’t have kids — which is pretty hard to do once you’ve already had them, right? )

  9. yeah, enough is enough. Market St is already crawling with drunks and effed up people. sure, it sounds harsh, but these facilities don’t belong in residential neighborhoods. Ballard deserves better than this dumping of the “unfortunate” in our laps.

    low income , affordable housing is one thing, but the Urban Clean-up and Shower zone is a very bad idea. i feel bad for the people living in that area – its about to be wall to wall bums between the urness place and this (if it goes through).

  10. Within blocks of the downtown urban rest stop these are just the residential places I can think of off the top of my head: Aspira, Olive 8, Cosmopolitan, 2200 Westlake. There are also THREE daycares within a few blocks.

    There are parking lots, but not VACANT lots. There is also a church that provides services, a greyhound station and the bus tunnel close by and I don’t see this hobo apocalypse that you are all predicting. In fact, I was surprised to find that this was the location of the Urban Rest Stop period. I park my bike in a garage nearby and just don’t see what you’re trying to scare people into believing is there.

  11. The more I see here, the more I thing we need Low Income housing in Ballard, Sunset Hill, North Beach, etc. I find the crazy fear of the low-income person to be unbelievable. It’s like some of you have never met a low income person in your lives. They are not all homeless bums. Some you see every day — they work at Picolinos, or Rain City Video, or Starbucks. Or at the doggie day care. Or as your childs nanny. It’s not a crime to be low income. If landlords can offer affordable rent, it’s OK for them to live right amongst us!!! It’s a free country.

  12. i think the major point to consider is that the “clean up station” will by all means bring many “homeless bums” into this neighborhood. sure, its not a pretty description, but there are indeed many “homeless bums” already in ballard, and there will be even more if the hose-down station goes in. the Urness place will already be bringing many career homeless into ballard…

    low income housing is something entirely different.

  13. oHG – it would be great if there were nice cheap housing everywhere, but since there is plenty of affordable housing in parts of Seattle, and even more affordable housing nearby, and buses and light rail and trains to transport even people without cars between the housing and jobs, it doesn’t seem like it should be a priority for government right now.

    Regarding the Rest Stop, I agree it’s important to get the homeless working. Why not have the Rest Stop require that its patrons have a job or show credible evidence of progress toward getting one? That would seem to fit the “hand up rather than handout” philosophy much better.

  14. “I find the crazy fear of the low-income person to be unbelievable. It’s like some of you have never met a low income person in your lives. They are not all homeless bums. Some you see every day — they work at Picolinos, or Rain City Video, or Starbucks. Or at the doggie day care. Or as your childs nanny. ”

    I don’t think those are the folks that’ll be using this proposed ‘urban rest-stop’.

  16. There are few-story condos, townhouses, houses, a church along the proposed development’s side of the street. There are well-screened-by-tall-bushes parking lots (usually empty), a funeral home, and the side of the library on the other side of the street. The street is lined by nice mature trees that shade the sidewalks. Seems like a quiet residential street to me when I walk/bike/drive along it, and I never get the impression that anything on that block is drawing a lot of people.

  18. Well,they might…

    With a shower and clean clothes, who’s to know if your employee or co-worker lives in a mansion or in a car? That’s one of the objectives of the urban rest stops — to allow a person to clean up enough to get a job, sip a coffee, read a book at the library… feel good enough to take the next step.

  19. F-me now they want to put the political circus called Nickelsvillepermanently In interbay. It’s like we’re being carpet bombed with bums.

  20. I keep thinking about this, since I live just down the street, and here’s my thing: I couldn’t care less about them putting in low cost housing. There are many low cost housing buildings around that seem fairly quiet and tame. It’s the urban rest stop that seems really out of place. It also seems to me that if I were a resident of the low cost housing, a hard working normal person as is being described by some on the blog here, I wouldn’t WANT a URS on the ground floor of the building I live in. Particularly if, as has also been mentioned, I had a latch-key kid to think about. I say the low cost housing is alright, but could the URS be somewhere else? Could we compromise on that? There are all those empty used car lots down by the Ballard bridge, for example, where something like this could work better? How are these locations selected anyway?

  21. 57th down around 20th IS a very quiet street, except for the occasional speeding motor cycle and the traffic from the post office which is mainly down around 17th. I’ve lived on 57th in this general area for 4 years now. I’d hardly call it heavily commercial or even noisy. What commercial are you referring to? The frame shop? The 4 little restaurants on 56th? The funeral home?

  24. I am really puzzled by the location….so many schools, daycare and the boys and girls club just a couple blocks. I think a Seattle Police Station needs to be the built next.

  25. Perhaps all you people who are so concerned for our neighborhood would prefer that everyone who offends your sensibilities be shipped off to a camp so you wouldn’t have to look at them. You know, so they’ll be concentrated somewhere else…

  28. But Mondoman, then they’d be taking jobs away from actual human beings! Before long they’d start thinking they’re people too! And we know what kind of trouble THAT can lead to…

  29. Don’t you expect police and fire protection, gas in your car, electricity in your home, food in your pantry, even if the price you pay for them doesn’t cover the actual cost? Do you have a problem with handouts if you’re the one getting them? Some subsidies are just more visible than others…

  30. Just last week I tripped over two drunks as I was leaving The Loft. Of course, that was because they left before me. Getting so there’s hardly a square inch of sidewalk to hurl your Jagermeister onto.

  32. What kind of homeless person would want to get cleaned up, anyway? It ain’t natural! And pretty uppity, if you ask me. Next thing you know they’ll be looking us decent folks right in the eye and I tell you this, we won’t stand for it…

  34. Of course, the gub’ment had nothing to do with building the bus system, or the roads, or providing financing to build the apartment building or tax subsidies to build your place of employment. Nope, you did all that yourself with your own two hands…

  36. And you don’t think your kids are subsidized by the rest of us? You have an exaggerated sense of your own self-sufficiency, my friend.

  37. LA-If you are you talking about things that were built with taxes he paid on earnings from WORK, then … yes. He did it “with his own two hands.”

  42. What a jerk. So I guess people never fall on tough times AFTER they have kids? Divorce, loss of job, huge medical bills, can no longer afford a home let alone a $1,000 apartment … I guess these people don’t exist in your world.

    What is wrong with all of you people???! Ever have a family member run up CRUSHING medical bills – thousands and thousands of dollars in medical bills that aren’t covered by insurance and yet the bills keep coming? So you sell the car. Lose your home because you can no longer make the mortgage payment. One spouse extremely ill while the other spouse is trying to cover all of the bills on minimum wage and take care of the kids? Life takes a huge spiral down the proverbial crapper and there’s little they can do but try to hang on for dear life.

    For crying out loud, not every homeless person is not a chronic drunk who’s never worked in his or her life.

    Really. How DID some of you become so narrow minded and myopic?

  43. why would you ride a bus an hour for a crappy barista job?

    this is what’s wrong with america–people like andy who travel long distances from their home for menial labor. we NEED to create more employment opportunities near where people live.

  44. so did you take the bus an hour from white center to ballard for your coffee job? makes a lot of sense. bet you saved some serious coin..

  49. Care to see our tax bill? Federal, sales and property taxes? Paid nearly $25k last year WITH kids and during a recession with lowered incomes.

  51. $25K means nothing without the other side of the equation (income). What’s your marginal tax rate? Did you get to deduct mortgage interest and property taxes? Did you get deductions for dependents? I have a tax bill, too, and I’ll bet that as a percentage of income it’s much higher than yours.

  53. Yep, me again. Your answer would hold water if we hadn’t so blithely exported all our viable blue-collar jobs, while speculating housing prices through the roof. My first house (in 1975) cost about 2-1/2 times my yearly income, and it was not an expensive house, and I did not have a high salary. Would you live in a house that cost 2=1/2 times what you earn in a year? Could you even find one? Get a clue. Work ain’t what it used to be.

  54. So is the campaign against the disadvantaged. You people are being cold. And not very realistic. Do you really think it couldn’t happen to you?

  55. Spending their money at Ballard Chamber of Commerce member businesses, which hate families. Just can’t win in this town. :-)

    You probably miss the old system of only landowners having votes, don’t you?

  58. Did anyone here attend the informational meeting last night? I wasn’t able to attend and would like to hear what was presented? Thanks.

  59. There are plenty of people living in proximity to the Ballard bridge who prolly don’t want it there either.

    Ask Ballard Industries if they want a URS by their business. They can’t stand cyclists, what make you think they’ll go for the unwashed masses?

  60. I live only a few blocks from the proposed Ballard location. How does that matter when I’m writing to dispute the misinformation Rondi is spreading? The description of downtown is that it’s nothing but vacant lots and empty corporate buildings, when the reality is that it’s a growing and thriving residential area. It’s only a few blocks from all of the SLU development. To hear Rondi tell it it looks like Detroit, which isn’t the case.

  62. but what about those who had children and lost their jobs or lost their savings to unfortunate circumstances. you cannot paint every low income person with the same brush. well, you can, but you’d be wrong.

  65. Wouldn’t low income families who will move into this housing benefit from being close to those places?

    now if you’re talking about the Rest Stop, there are three daycares, a school and a church within blocks of the downtown rest stop. What’s the problem?

    I won’t disagree that we need more cops, but I won’t link that need directly to low income housing. Seattle is woefully under policed.

  69. this will add some much needed vibrancy to an otherwise dull part of town. I look forward to visiting your neighborhood when I need a change of pace.

    Thank you Ballard!

  70. I have been coming to MB a while now and I generally like the forums. This particular forum hasn’t had the opportunity to develop. It is as if some have been tasked with high jacking every thread before they have a chance to grow into a discussion about the facility. This LIHI facility is a complex issue that will have long-term effects on downtown Ballard and its residents. Discussing some of this complexity is a good thing. I wish some of this discussion be allowed to develop more organically rather than jumping in immediately to accuse the poster of wanting to eliminate/kill all homeless persons (clearly, LA you are being referenced here).

  71. Sure, a better, closer job would be great, but not always possible. It sure beats homelessness, though.
    People have choices, and traditionally moving (for a job or for a better living situation) has been a prominent option.

  72. While there certainly are people such as you describe, the majority are not. Given limited resources, I’m for helping the “deserving” homeless first.

  74. I would encourage everyone who is interested to attend the meeting tonight at 6:30pm. Bring your brains and temper your hearts, and let’s have a civil discussion about this important issue.

  76. I’m new in town, but recently registered to vote in Washington. Who are the best elected representatives to contact about this? It appears that LIHI is a non-governmental organization, is that right (their website is not clear)? It sounds like this is an informational meeting, the info posted earlier mentioned “an opportunity for questions.” Assuming that the urban rest stop proposal goes further, can anybody tell me what the avenues for formal public participation would be?

  77. I plead guilty to the charge of hyperbole and exaggeration. But the comments have clearly demonized homeless people as troublesome and offensive, described them as drunk and drug-addicted, and assumed that homelessness is a choice made by those of inferior character. When we refuse to acknowledge the humanity of a group, injustices can and do spin out of control. And the anti-homeless tirade was well established in nearly 40 comments before I made my first post, so don’t accuse me of hijacking the discussion.

  78. In practice, voting for or against the elected officials who provide money and support to LIHI: the mayor of Seattle, the City Council members of Seattle, the King County Council members, our two state legislature representatives and one state senator.
    AFAIK, at least.
    My bet is that contacting City Council members would be the most effective; among the others, in my (personal) experience County Council member Larry Phillips and state Rep Reuven Carlyle have been very good about responding to comments from constituents; Rep Dickerson and Senator Kohl-Welles have not.

  79. In response to Frost – this meeting is early in the process of building this facility. When LIHI files for an application with the Seattle Planning and Permit Department (SPPD) a MUP board will be posted on the property with minimal description of the building and how it will be placed on the lot. At the time this MUP board goes up there will be an application number and person assigned by the City for the project. At that time we can register complaints with the City of Seattle. As with the Compass project, enough people sent in emails or phone calls that the City called a hearing on the project. The hearing on the Compass project was held at Ballard High School. The issue with speaking up now by attending the meeting tonight is that LIHI has not filed its application and now is our chance to fight the Urban Rest Stop portion of the project. I have no issue with the low income housing aspect of this project but I do not feel that the Urban Rest Stop is a good idea for a residential neighborhood.

    Once the City issues its decision on a project, then it must be appealed through the Office of the Hearing Examiner. This takes money and attorneys are usually involved.

    Frost, since you are new to town, I have recently discovered that the City is hell-bent on moving the homeless from downtown Seattle into our neighborhoods. So please, if you are interested, come to the meeting tonight at Swedish-Ballard, Conf. Room A at 6:30 p.m.

    Be prepared to comment as LIHI will bring lots of supporters, employees, etc to the meeting and they all get up and speak and will tell us how awful we are for not wanting this facility in downtown Ballard.

  80. Why are you so hell-bent on making homelessness a permanent and inescapable condition? Do you even understand the mission of this facility?

  82. Can’t make it to the meeting tonight, but I’ve posted some (hopefully!) relevant questions in a comment to the Rest Stop story on the main page. Hope LIHI will see fit to clarify!

  83. this location is a bad choice for the “rest stop” – i think that’s the point many of us terrible, horrible, selfish citizens are trying to get through to you.

    maybe you should organize your neighbors and have your bathrooms available to the homeless? you sound really driven, i think you should really make a statement instead of berating folks for having concerns.

  84. I’m not berating them for having concerns. I’m berating them for acting as if the homeless are not human, not worthy of compassion, and not good enough to be in our sight.

  85. Oh, and you are not terrible, and not horrible. But you are most definitely selfish. And distressingly ignorant of your own vulnerability. It wouldn’t take all that much to put any one of us out on the street. What would 10,000% inflation do to your investments? It’s happened, you know.

  87. heh. no investments here buddy, but i have worked five days a week for the last 15 years. i work hard, and am reliable.

    of course we are all vulnerable. you are purposely missing my point it seems…

    i am selfish for thinking that location is bad? ok then.

  88. CDPenne, you were wearing the orange cap, right? I tried to catch up with you after the meeting but you were jogging down the street. Nice to finally see you in person (I recognized your face after I heard your name).

  89. Yep that was me, I thought you might be there as well. I actually hung aroung outside for a few moments but checked a phone message and spoke with the homeless fellow who was brave enough to speak up at the very end. You should post a picture on your linked in so I know who you are. I’ll come find you at the next meeting.

  91. So I have several thoughts about the meeting tonight-

    My first impression is that my impression of Ballard grows better and brighter every time I attend one of these little get togethers. Kudos to all of you. I was impressed with the civility and clarity of everybody’s comments and that in no way is meant to imply people were’nt speaking their minds.

    Second, I want to state my bias clearly for those who seeemed surprised when I stated I was not “particularly opposed” to the “Low Income Housing” or the “Rest Stop”. Call it a religious, moral or political conviction, or whatever you like, but I believe there should be a “Rest Stop” in every neighborhood. It is too late for Ballard to be the first, but second best isn’t too bad. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ‘I’ll be proud of Ballard when we are fighting to have this facility here before the other neighborhoods.”

    That being said, the people who will be the neighbors of this facility, and bear the burden (BEAR THE BURDEN) of having it next door voiced very real, valid, and pressing concerns which demand OUR attention. Not only the attention of LIHI but those of us in the community that support this facility but don’t live next door.

    How will we answer these questions:

    What do we do about the people who have chosen the homeless lifestyle and flaunt it openly and beligerantly with anti-social behaviors which are both illegal and disturbing. To deny that these peopel are present now and might increase in numbers is foolishness?

    How will we tread the fine line between charity (our moral responsibilty) and enabling destructive and degenerate behavior?

    Is it possible that this initial burden the immediate neighbors will be asked to bear, will (or can) be turned into a boon. Is there a way to improve the odds that clean, well clothed men and women will by sheer presence push out those who would tarnish the neighborhood?

    These are just a few of the questions I left with after trying to listen with an open heart to everybody who attended. I am sure my short list could be added to and I hope that in subesequent meetings some of these will be addressed.

    We are a community after all. We have the luxury of time and a wealth of interest, creative minds, and intelligence to draw from. Is it possible we could create something here the world (or at least the rest of the city) would be in awe of? Just a thought.

  92. So I have several thoughts about the meeting tonight-

    My first impression is that my impression of Ballard grows better and brighter every time I attend one of these little get togethers. Kudos to all of you. I was impressed with the civility and clarity of everybody’s comments and that in no way is meant to imply people were’nt speaking their minds.

    Second, I want to state my bias clearly for those who seeemed surprised when I stated I was not “particularly opposed” to the “Low Income Housing” or the “Rest Stop”. Call it a religious, moral or political conviction, or whatever you like, but I believe there should be a “Rest Stop” in every neighborhood. It is too late for Ballard to be the first, but second best isn’t too bad. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ‘I’ll be proud of Ballard when we are fighting to have this facility here before the other neighborhoods.”

    That being said, the people who will be the neighbors of this facility, and bear the burden (BEAR THE BURDEN) of having it next door voiced very real, valid, and pressing concerns which demand OUR attention. Not only the attention of LIHI but those of us in the community that support this facility but don’t live next door.

    How will we answer these questions:

    What do we do about the people who have chosen the homeless lifestyle and flaunt it openly and beligerantly with anti-social behaviors which are both illegal and disturbing. To deny that these peopel are present now and might increase in numbers is foolishness?

    How will we tread the fine line between charity (our moral responsibilty) and enabling destructive and degenerate behavior?

    Is it possible that this initial burden the immediate neighbors will be asked to bear, will (or can) be turned into a boon. Is there a way to improve the odds that clean, well clothed men and women will by sheer presence push out those who would tarnish the neighborhood?

    These are just a few of the questions I left with after trying to listen with an open heart to everybody who attended. I am sure my short list could be added to and I hope that in subesequent meetings some of these will be addressed.

    We are a community after all. We have the luxury of time and a wealth of interest, creative minds, and intelligence to draw from. Is it possible we could create something here the world (or at least the rest of the city) would be in awe of? Just a thought.

  94. 41 years in the workforce here. And I am not missing your point. People can have concerns without dehumanizing the less fortunate.

    Why is it a bad location? All I’ve heard here is that it’s too close to “decent” people. And you’re the one who trotted out the labels. You should be willing to wear one.

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