<< Previous   of   Next >> Contributed  (click to enlarge) This rendering shows what a new, 40-unit senior housing project at Good Shepherd Baptist Church will look like. The view is from the southeast.

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Senior housing on way to Lynnwood

• Churches planning apartment complexes for low-income seniors

By Oscar Halpert
Enterprise editor

With commitments of financial support, a Lynnwood church plans to bring 40 units of subsidized housing for seniors to the city late next year.

Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 6915 196th St. SW, has spent five years planning the three-story complex on church-owned property next door.

It's not the only church with plans to bring subsidized senior housing to the city. Trinity Lutheran Church also wants to build a 40-unit complex on property it owns just west of Highway 99 at 6215 196th St. SW.

The Rev. Christopher Boyer, Good Shepherd's pastor, said there's a great need for housing among adults over age 65 and his congregation's plans are "a drop in the bucket."

"What we're seeing is a huge bubble in the number of retiring folks," he said. "At least we're doing what we can."

Good Shepherd Senior Housing has budgeted $9.7 million for the project, $1.8 million of which will come from the church in the form of donated land. State, county and federal funds account for the remaining $7 million.

Just this month, the church received word from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) that it will receive $400,000 in predevelopment grants, the maximum allowed.

"We're only going to be able to accommodate at most, 80 people," Boyer said, adding that he expects about 60 people to fill the 40-unit complex.

He said the church expects to break ground next March.

"We had initially hoped to break ground this October but our construction contractor advised us we would spend more money trying to get started in the rainy months than we would by waiting until spring," he said.

Funding for the project includes $2 million from the state's Housing Trust Fund, $462,381 from the county, $5 million from HUD and $250,000 from Federal Home Loan Bank, according to documents provided by consultant Beacon Development of Seattle.

Boyer said occupancy will be established by lottery and entry will be based on income.

"We're confident there will be way more than 60 people who apply," he said.

American Baptist Homes of the West, an independent organization, will develop the property as a partner, Boyer said.

"It should be really attractive," he said. "One of the reasons we're working with American Baptist Homes of the West is they're really good at what they do. We're pretty confident we've got the right folks working with us on this."

Meanwhile, Trinity Lutheran Church has been in talks with The Lutheran Alliance about bringing a 40-unit senior complex to property it owns.

Lisa Hunnewell, president of Trinity's congregation, said the church surveyed congregants and they said housing for elderly people is a priority.

She said the idea started when Trinity Lutheran College in 2005 approached church leaders about moving from Issaquah to Lynnwood.

"That's what started us thinking about what are we going to do with all this property," said Hunnewell, who chaired the church's TLC 20/20 task force for three years.

Trinity Lutheran College moved to Everett but the church continued to plan its own remodeling and expansion, including the addition of senior housing, Hunnewell said.

The non-profit Senior Services of Snohomish County runs three subsidized senior housing complexes in Lynnwood: Lynn Woods, at 4705 194th St. SW; Lynn Crest, 4629 194th St. SW; and Scriber Point, 19912 Scriber Lake Rd.