by Cameron Sheppard, Washington State Standard
August 15, 2024
An affordable housing project in Tacoma’s Hilltop Neighborhood is intended to address gentrification by prioritizing affordable housing for those who have been displaced or are at risk of being displaced.
The more than 230 affordable housing units being added by the Housing Hilltop project make it the agency’s largest affordable housing project in 20 years, according to Tacoma Housing Authority spokesperson Nick Tolley.
The Housing Hilltop project will cost about $120 million, according to THA. The project is supported by $1.9 million from the city of Tacoma and $3 million in federal funds, with contributions from Pierce County, Tacoma, Chase Bank, and Amazon Housing Equity Fund.
The South building is accepting applications from prospective residents. It has 94 units, including 30 one-bedroom units, 54 two-bedroom units and 10 three-bedroom units. The building also has 45 parking stalls and 75 secure bike parking stalls.
According to listings from THA, a one-bedroom apartment costs $1,241 per month, a two-bedroom costs $1,486 per month, and a three-bedroom costs $1,704 per month. Eligibility requirements for the units include criteria such as meeting the income threshold which is households earning at or below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI), rental history, and other criteria such as whether or not applicants previously lived in Hilltop.
Tacoma’s AMI per household is $80,784, according to the most recent U.S. Census data from 2022.
The North building, which Tolley said is under construction until the near the end of 2024, will have 137 units, including 50 one-bedroom units and 50 three-bedroom units. The building will have 58 parking stalls and nearly 100 bike parking stalls, according to THA.
The two buildings that comprise the project will have vibrant colors, as each has aesthetics designed by local artists Lourdes Jackson and Jeremy Gregory.
The project is in the center of the Hilltop neighborhood on South 11th and L streets, near the planned Tacoma Link Hilltop light rail station, the existing Martin Luther King commercial district and People’s Park.
The complex was designed with extensive community involvement over three years beginning in 2016. The process invited nonprofits, businesses, housing providers and city officials to workshop and discuss how to align the project with their shared values and goals. It also invited Hilltop’s community and business leaders to discuss specific issues, including history, community needs and economic empowerment.
A plan for the project, published in 2019, acknowledges how the neighborhood has been impacted by historical redlining, disinvestment and the recent decline in affordable housing — causing the displacement of families and residents who had lived there for generations.
“THA’s goal for these four parcels is to create affordable housing and commercial space in a way that will not contribute to the gentrification of the neighborhood,” the plan stated.
“The project team began with thoughtful consideration of the cultural values and narratives surrounding the community. By incorporating these values into the project priorities, the development can improve the overall health and well-being of the existing community members while preserving their culture.”
Housing Hilltop will be a mixed-use project with commercial spaces available for local businesses to lease. According to THA, it will have 13,000 square feet of commercial retail space, including a 10,000-square-foot performing arts and community gathering space.
THA is working with Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (TUPAC) to lease the performing arts space and will prioritize BIPOC businesses to rent the other spaces. Applications for businesses to lease are being accepted, with preference mentioned for businesses owned by “historically marginalized groups,” and current or former Hilltop residents.
Tolley told The News Tribune TUPAC will organize “youth-focused” performances for the community and incubator commercial spaces will be available for small businesses and pop-ups to help “keep the community lively.
Tolley said THA has been focused on marketing the units in the Hilltop area, an effort to make good on its promise to the community.
“For folks that have been displaced, or are at risk of being displaced, we have room for you,” Tolley told The News Tribune.
This article was first published by the Tacoma News Tribune through the Murrow News Fellow program, managed by Washington State University.
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