Everett Approves City-Wide Zoning For Supportive Housing

June 8, 2016

Everett, Everett Government

supportive housing

The favored site is on Berkshire behind the Peking Duck and Jiffy Lube east of Evergreen Way. neighbors want the city to find a different spot.

Supportive housing, low barrier housing, whatever you’d like to call it, the Everett City Council Wednesday night unanimously approved changes to allow it under Everett’s zoning code.

Before they took their vote the council got an earful from citizens urging them not to locate the first project in the area of Pecks Drive and Evergreen Way. Everett City councilman Jeff Moore clarified that the action the council was taking was about allowing supportive housing in all of Everett, not site specific. He also asked for and received clarification that the City of Everett Chronic Nuisance Law would in fact apply to supportive housing facilities. City Attorney David Hall assured the council that was the case. In addition, residents of a facility can’t deal drugs, create disturbances or openly break the law.

A major complaint from the audience was that there was no advance warning prior to the city announcing on May 10th it had plans for the first low barrier housing project at Pecks and Evergreen.

While the city council’s action opens the door for development of low barrier housing in Everett, the first facility is still a couple of years away. The city has an agreement to negotiate with Catholic Housing Services on financing, building and operating the facility. Any agreement to move forward would have to be approved by the city council.

supportive housing

Patrick Place is a 71 unit facility on Aurora Avenue in Seattle.

MyEverettNews.com took a tour of Patrick Place, one of the facilities operated by CHS in Seattle. It is about the same size as what is being talked about in Everett.. You can click here to see what we found. We asked John Hickman of Catholic Housing Services what one thing he would like people in Everett to know…

“One thing that people don’t appreciate about our work is how we work with local communities and our goal is to improve neighborhoods. Patrick Place was built on the site of the old Thunderbird Motel. It had become quite rundown under ownership that had no investment in the community. The place had become active in drug dealing, prostitution and a vice crime nuisance. It has now been replaced with safe, decent affordable housing for people interested in improving their lives.

We operate the Monte Cristo Apartments in Everett and our sister agency Catholic Community Services manages scattered site housing in Everett. We are part of the Everett Community and will continue to work with the leaders in Everett trying to implement a compassionate and effective solution to the tragedy of homelessness.”

Under the timeline that is currently being proposed…(if a contract were to be approved by the Everett City Council)

Design, Financing and Permitting from now to September 2017
Construction would start in September of 2017
Construction would be completed in October of 2018
Occupancy and lease-up between October 2018 – January 2019

Here is what Catholic Housing Services says they can do in Everett…

Request For Qualifications from Catholic Housing Services

If you’d like to sign up to take a tour and get a first-hand look at supportive housing the City of Everett is making a list of interested people. When they get enough interest they will arrange a bus tour. If you’re interested you can contact Coordinator Julie Frauenholtz by phone at 425-257-7122 or by Email: JFrauenholtz@everettwa.gov for more information.


About My Everett News Staff

My Everett News is a hyperlocal news website featuring news and events in Everett, Washington. We also cover City of Everett information and items of interest to those who live and work in Everett.

View all posts by My Everett News Staff