Andrews Glen breaks ground

New supportive housing will help veterans, homeless households

Development of 40 new units of supportive housing for homeless veterans and other low-income and homeless households officially got underway with the ground breaking held Monday, April 5, 2010 for Andrews Glen in the Factoria area of Bellevue. Many of the partners and funders of the project shared in the celebration, including St. Andrews Housing Group, King County, the state of Washington and the City of Bellevue.

Ground breaking ceremony for Andrews Glen

King County Executive Dow Constantine (above, fifth from left) highlighted King County’s involvement in the project, including a contribution of over $3.1 million from several county fund sources: Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds, Regional Affordable Housing Program funds (document recording fees), federal economic stimulus funds (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), and the voter-approved Veterans and Human Services Levy. As co-chair of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County, he stressed the importance of creating affordable housing linked to the supportive services people need to achieve stability in their lives, and thanked the Factoria community for embracing this project. King County Council Chair Bob Ferguson (third from right)  spoke about the benefits to the community provided by the Veterans and Human Services Levy, including dedicating funds to housing projects like Andrews Glen. Also participating was Bellevue Deputy Mayor Conrad Lee (second from right) and Ann Levine, SAHG's Executive Director (third from left).  A ground breaking ceremony concluded the program.

The project is being developed by the St. Andrews Housing Group (SAHG), a nonprofit dedicated to creating affordable housing in East King County. The project is a collaboration with St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church on land previously held by the church. A total of 75 percent of the low-rent units will be dedicated to people transitioning from homelessness, including 20 units set aside for homeless veterans, 10 units for other homeless households, and the remaining 10 units federally subsidized for low-income households. The unit sizes range from studios to two-bedrooms, accommodating both individuals and families, and the site is conveniently located near a shopping mall and public transportation.

In addition to providing affordable housing, Andrew’s Glen will offer a range of onsite supportive services to its residents, including case management, care coordination, life coaching, referrals to community services, and other supports from agencies like Hopelink, Friends of Youth, Eastside Domestic Violence Program, Vets Edge, Sound Mental Health, Public Health - Seattle & King County, the state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and YWCA. Andrew’s Glen will offer community space to enable residents to engage in community building activities together, attend on-site workshops and trainings, use the computer lab, and meet with service providers.