Two new apartment complexes will give 19 homeless families with children a roof above their heads and the services they need.
The complexes, one in Monroe and one in Mountlake Terrace, will officially open their doors at a ceremony this week.
The project’s funding came primarily from county coffers and half of a $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said Christopher Schwarzen, a spokesman for Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.
The units are a step toward the county’s goal of creating more affordable housing and ending homelessness by 2016, he said.
Still there are many challenges left to overcome before that goal can be achieved.
One such challenge is to make sure families who used to be homeless have everything they need to stay in their new homes and get back on track.
“It’s more than just putting a family in a home, it’s providing services for that family,” he said.
The families will receive assistance from the YWCA to help them get back on their feet. These services range from finding a job and getting kids into school to living a healthier lifestyle, said Bob Davis, executive director of the Housing Authority of Snohomish County.
The agency is a key partner in the project and owns the land where the complexes are located.
The Housing Authority owns and manages more than 2,000 subsidized apartments across the county.
Both the Monroe and Mountlake Terrace buildings are adjacent to existing subsidized apartments.
Fairview I Apartments complex in Monroe was built 25 years ago. East Terrace I and East Terrace II in Mountlake Terrace have been around since 1992, Davis said.
Over the years, thousands of families found a much-needed home there, he said.
Most clients leave within three to five years and move on to find unsubsidized housing. But when some tenants qualify based on their income or disability status, they are welcome to stay longer, Davis said.
He said it’s a low-income program where tenants pay a certain percentage of their income, and the rest of the rent is subsidized.
Single mothers with young children make up a large part of the group, Davis said.
He said the new families have moved in over course of the past several weeks, even though the open-house ceremony is this week.
The ceremony for the Fairview II apartments in Monroe is 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The complex is at 14624 179th Ave. SE.
The dedication of the East Terrace III in Mountlake Terrace is 11 a.m. Thursday. That apartment building is at 4209 214th St. SW.
Reporter Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452 or kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
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