Homeless Students: A Growing Need in Everett
Last school year, there were 1,266 homeless students in Everett. We can solve this issue. Together.
Updates: January 2020
Neighborhood Advisory Committee
The first Neighborhood Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Sequoia High School, room 102 (the classroom is the small building on the west side of campus near the parking lot).
Comprehensive Plan and Rezone Application
Housing Hope has requested the Comprehensive Plan and Rezone Application (see definition below) submitted in July 2019 be postponed for consideration in the 2020 docketing request. In addition, the Rezone request has been amended to reduce the size and scope for rezoning. Postponing the review until next year will allow Housing Hope and the architect (Designs Northwest) to work closely with the neighborhood in creating a site more conducive to the Port Gardner neighborhood. Click here to for a copy of the re-zone reschedule request.
The application and preliminary site plan is due in January 2020, however will not be a complete plan, allowing time for the Neighborhood Advisory Committee to collaborate with Designs Northwest, residents of Port Gardner Neighborhood and Housing Hope.
Supportive Housing Ordinance
Click here to read the entire Supportive Housing Ordinance, with links for definitions.
Opportunity for Public Input:
Fill out an application for the neighborhood advisory committee. If you are unable to commit to monthly meetings, email us to be included in an opportunity to have your voice heard and to be invited to the committee meetings.
Comprehensive Plan and Rezone Application Definition
In July, Housing Hope applied for a Comprehensive Plan Amendment with a concurrent Rezone Application to develop this property. This application is also referred to as a “docketing” request. This submittal was made due to the moratorium that the city placed on “Supportive Housing.” Under Supportive Housing the site could be approved with the existing zoning and comprehensive plan designation through the city’s Review Process III (Hearing Examiner). The supportive housing ordinance is currently in a six-month review while the Everett City Council clarifies the ordinance. The docketing application that Housing Hope recently submitted can only be done once a year, through the city’s docketing process.
More about this collaboration
The Issue:
In the 2017-2018 school year, there were 1,266 students in the Everett Public Schools experiencing homelessness. Nationwide, the number of homeless students has increased by 100% in the past 10 years. In our own community, these students are living in shelters, cars, or on the streets. This is a statistic that must change. Everett Public Schools and Housing Hope are collaborating to support these vulnerable members of our community with a new property in Everett.
The Solution:
Children born into poverty and those who experience significant traumas are more likely to
raise their own families in the same conditions. Housing Hope has been working for over 31 years to break this cycle using stable housing, supportive services and job training to help get families back on their feet. When a homeless student can live in safe, stable housing, their grades can improve. They can focus on studying and healing instead of where their next meal will come from. Once they graduate, children with high school diplomas are much more likely to earn higher wages and break the cycle of poverty that they were born into.
The Site:
Nearly three acres of vacant land has been identified southwest of Sequoia High School. This land is owned by Everett Public Schools and leased to Housing Hope. Construction would begin late-2021 and would be complete by late-2022, subject to approval of a special property use permit and financing.
The Design:
The new construction will have at least 34 units and will be a safe, stable and supportive place for families experiencing homelessness with students attending Sequoia High School and other schools within Everett Public Schools. The design will be no more than two stories tall and will be reflective of the historic character of the neighborhood. Additionally, the site will include plans for a child development center, a playground for young children and a community garden.
Zoning:
The site is presently zoned R-1, with neighboring properties zoned R-3 and R-4. An application for Special Property Use Permit will be submitted to the City of Everett and a public hearing for community input will follow.
The Approach:
To break the cycle of poverty and homelessness, housing isn’t enough. The hallmarks of
Housing Hope programs include supporting parents by helping them remove barriers to employment and increased income. Children are supported in overcoming trauma and succeeding in school. Our goal is for families to achieve self-sufficiency and thrive.
Housing Hope in your community:
Housing Hope sites are safe, clean and beautiful properties. We operate over 544 units of housing throughout Snohomish County, including 11 properties in Everett.
About Housing Hope: Founded in 1987, we recognize that safe, secure and affordable housing is only the first step in solving poverty for struggling families. The innovative concept to provide a full range of housing with housing-related support services is a hallmark of our mission. Housing Hope combines affordable housing with tailored services such as life-skills training, childcare, case management, and employment services. We also offer homeownership opportunities for low-income individuals of Snohomish County and Camano Island.
Opportunity for input: There will be extensive opportunity to provide input on this project. We will distribute information to the neighborhood, and post information on this website as plans progress. Please check back often, and contact Ed Petersen with any questions at updates@housinghope.org.
More about 19.39.155 Supportive Housing Ordinance:
A. Permanent supportive housing shall comply with the development standards and design guidelines for multiple-family development for the zone in which such housing is located except as specified herein.
1. The allowed density shall be the number of units that can be placed on the site while meeting the dimensional standards and all other required standards of the zone in which the project is located except that in single-family zones, building height shall be determined during the review process based upon compatibility with surrounding uses.
2. Access to transit must be available within five hundred feet of the development.
3. A written management plan shall be provided for the review and approval of the planning director. At a minimum, a management plan shall address the following components:
a. Specify the nature of the supportive housing project and its intended occupants;
b. Identify potential impact(s) on nearby residential uses and proposed methods to mitigate those impacts;
c. Include a neighborhood outreach plan that addresses how the applicant will communicate with and inform the neighborhood before and after project approval;
d. Identify the project management or agency to whom support staff are responsible and who will be available to resolve concerns pertaining to the facility. The plan shall specify procedures for updating any changes in contact information;
e. Identify staffing, supervision and security arrangements appropriate to the facility. A twenty-four-hour on-site manager is required;
f. On-site services shall be for residents of the facility only;
g. The management plan will contain requirements for updating all contact information to the city when changes occur;
h. If the planning director determines at any time there is evidence of fraud in obtaining the permit; concealment or misrepresentation of any material fact on the application or on any subsequent applications or reports; or that the supportive housing project is found to be in violation of the approved plans, conditions of approval, or the terms of the permit or management plan, and the owner has failed to correct the violation after proper notice thereof; then the city may initiate compliance proceedings as provided by Chapter 1.20.
4. A use compliance inspection or report may be required periodically by the city as determined by the planning director. If a permanent supportive housing project is discontinued or abandoned, future use of the property shall be in conformance with the use and development standards of the underlying zone or overlay zone. (Ord. 3500-16 § 8, 2016)
Resources & Media Library
Brown Center Chalk Board, October 2019
Schoolhouse Washington, 2017-2018
Institute for Children Poverty and Homelessness, October 2019
Schoolhouse Washington, September 19, 2019
There's more to the story, July 22, 2019
Trulia Research
Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness
Crosscut
The Tribune, July 17, 2019
The Everett Herald, July 11, 2019
KING 5 News, July 10, 2019
The Tribune, June 19, 2019
The Everett Herald, June 16, 2019
The Everett Herald, June 14, 2019
MyEverettNews, June 11, 2019
KIRO Radio, June 4, 2019
KING 5 News, May 31, 2019
The Tribune, May 29, 2019
KOMO 4 News, May 29, 2019
Q13 News, May 28, 2019
The Everett Herald, May 28, 2019
The Everett Herald, May 24, 2019
