ABOUT
HOUSING HOPE
Housing Hope owns and operates 601 affordable units at 24 locations throughout Snohomish County and has helped 328 households attain homeownership through our sweat equity Team HomeBuilding program.
We recognize that it takes a combination of housing and support services to give struggling families opportunities to become self-sufficient. Our programs offer critical support to families at each step of the process.
VISION
Every individual aspiring to self-sufficiency should have access to a safe, secure, affordable home.
MISSION
Housing Hope shall promote and provide affordable housing and tailored services to reduce homelessness and poverty for residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island.
Housing Hope's History:
A Local Response to Community Need
In 1987, Snohomish County emergency shelter providers served 2,649 individuals and turned away another 3,670 for a total of 6,319 homeless people. Existing shelters were not set up to accept families, so many were turned away or split up to meet the requirements of the shelters. Desperate families - embarrassed at their predicament, but hoping to stay together as a family - turned to local churches for solace and assistance. Unfortunately, the churches quickly discovered that one or two nights they could offer in a local motel simply did not address the real need for shelter and a permanent solution – and there were too many families to help everyone.
The North Snohomish County Council of Churches formed a task force in 1987 to look for ways to address the immediate crisis and proposed the formation of a nonprofit agency with the expertise to leverage community resources for real housing solutions. They incorporated Housing Hope on September 30, 1987 and envisioned it as a housing development corporation. The founding Board of directors (Todd Morrow, Mae Stork, Amy Youngstrom, Bruce Eklund, Dr. Jon Witte, and Ed Petersen) recognized that that the provision of housing was not enough in and of itself.
Each family facing homelessness was also facing complex personal, familial and societal issues that would require longer term attention, and so the concept of service enriched housing became integral to the agency mission.
L-R: Todd Morrow, Mae Stork, Amy Youngstrom, Bruce Eklund, Dr. Jon Witte
It was Ed Petersen, Housing Hope's first CEO (serving from 1987 to 2015), who reviewed the events that had brought them together and summarized the first proposed mission statement: to promote and provide housing for Snohomish County residents needing assistance, in order to obtain and maintain safe, decent and affordable housing.
Over the years, Housing Hope has involved the community through volunteerism and in governance of the agency. Housing Hope has been especially blessed by loyal Board members, many whom have served for nine consecutive years or more. Housing Hope recognizes members of its Board Emeritus for their extraordinary commitment.
Ed Peterson, Housing Hope's First CEO
A CONTINUUM OF HOUSING & RELATED SERVICES
Housing Hope offers a full range of housing solutions:
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Emergency shelter for up to 90 days
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Homeless housing with access to voluntary services
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Permanent, affordable rental housing
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Opportunities for home ownership
As well as social support programs:
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Case Management
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Employment Services
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Credit and Homeownership Counseling
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Child Development Program
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Teen Parent Program
“I thought the world gave up on me, but actually it was me giving up on myself. It wasn’t until I got into Housing Hope that I realized that. I’m not looking down anymore, I’m looking up, and I’m keeping that positive attitude every day because of Housing Hope.” - Tom, a resident
Housing Hope works with communities throughout the region so that families remain connected to the local schools, houses of worship, health care, family and friends that ultimately sustain them.
HOUSING HOPE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Families living in our housing receive intensive family support services, attend life skills classes teaching them basic skills towards growing in self-sufficiency and have access to a robust child development program including childcare at Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center.
BETWEEN JULY 2022 AND JUNE 2023, HOUSING HOPE & HOPEWORKS PROVIDED:
Housing Hope’s work is far from done.
If you believe that hope is a result of action that gives others a hand up, we invite you to reach out and make a very real difference in your community through the work of Housing Hope.
