What's Developing at Andrew's Glen
SAHG is excited to announce that we are close to breaking ground on our newest affordable housing community on the Eastside; Andrew's Glen. This SAHG project is a partnership with
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Factoria, and will include a 40-unit property on land shared by the church on Factoria Boulevard.
Andrew’s Glen will align with SAHG’s vision to create more transitional units and services for low income individuals and families. Twenty of the units will target veterans transitioning out of homelessness, offering the only service of this kind on the Eastside. In addition, 10 units will be specifically for supportive housing. Residents in the 20 veteran and 10 service units will be paired with case managers for coordinating one-on-one specific services. Finally, the remaining 10 units will be for families and individuals needing reduced rent.
Construction on this project is set to launch in April 2010 and residents will begin to move in by late 2011. As the need for affordable housing grows on the Eastside, SAHG is pleased to be able to provide individuals and families with a place to call home.
Andrew's Glen Frequently Asked Questions:
How did this project get started?
The idea of developing a portion of the church’s campus as affordable housing was a way to expand on this mission at the same time St. Margaret’s reduced some debt accrued during a recent addition. The parish already had a tradition of serving the homeless. As a founding member of Congregations for the Homeless, St. Margaret’s had been providing food and a temporary home to homeless men one month a year for 17 years. Dedicated parishioners of St. Margaret's contacted St. Andrew’s Housing Group, an experience local affordable developer, and the idea grew from there.
Who will develop and own this new housing?
St. Margaret's Church invited St. Andrew’s Housing Group to develop a portion of their campus. St. Andrew’s Housing Group will own this housing and contract with a property management company for its property management.
What is St. Andrew’s Housing Group (SAHG)?
SAHG is a community based non-profit organization (501(C) (3)) that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with limited income on King County’s Eastside, empowering these families to succeed by providing housing and access to services while strengthening local communities and encouraging diversity.
Does St. Andrew's Housing Group have other properties?
Yes. St. Andrew's Housing Group has developed and now owns ten beautiful communities. These properties are located in Kirkland, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond and are all within established communities, close to good schools, services and jobs. In fact, for 14 years SAHG has operated a community just around the corner from the Andrew’s Glen location. St. Andrew's Housing Group is committed to providing housing that residents and neighbors can be proud of.
Has St. Andrew's Housing Group experienced conflicts with neighbors?
As noted above, SAHG has developed affordable permanent rental housing, including housing for homeless persons, in vibrant Eastside communities. These projects are usually indistinguishable from the very expensive buildings that surround them. We have a community in Klahanie, one in Talus in Issaquah, three in downtown Issaquah, one near Bellevue Community college, one just north of downtown in Kirkland, and one on Mercer Island. For the most part, neighbors are not even aware of the existence of our housing. We have few problems with neighbors.
How many people are currently living in SAHG units?
SAHG owns 325 affordable units that serve 965 individuals, including 347 children and 121 seniors. SAHG also provides 22 units of transitional housing for individuals transitioning out of shelter living.
How tall will this new building be? How many apartments will be built here?
We are proposing to build a three story apartment building above one level of underground parking with 41 apartment units, include one apartment for a live-in resident manager.
Where will this new building be located?
It will be built on what is now a portion of the St. Margaret’s Church parking lot to the north of the church bordering Factoria Boulevard.
Will the new apartment building block views?
No, the three story building will be approximately the same height as the ridge line of the existing Thrift Shop, and screened behind the trees growing along St. Margaret’s east property line.
Who will live in the new housing?
20 of the 41 units will be for Homeless Veterans. 10 of the new units will be for other formerly homeless households, and the remaining 10 will be for other low-income families and individuals and could include Veterans with families transitioning out of homelessness. There will be one unit for on on-site resident manager.
Will the project be a magnet for homeless people already in the area?
No. The goal of this project is to provide stable, secure housing for formerly homeless people. This project will not be a shelter, and it will not be a drop-in center. This project will only serve the individuals and families living in the building and will have controlled access to limit visitors and hold visitors accountable for their behavior. The building will only house individuals and families transitioning from homelessness, not those who are currently homeless. That means caseworks and others will confirm that they are capable of and committed to living responsibly in a residential setting. Services will be offered to residents that include 24 hour staffing on site, case management, skills training and support services from over ten other agencies that are partnering with us on Andrews Glen.
What kind of screening will there be of residents?
All individuals and families will be screened to assure they are ready for independent living. All individuals must be clean and sober if they have had any past problems in this area. Persons with felonies, sex offenses or arson histories will not be allowed.
What happens if there are problems with the residents? Who do we contact?
There will be staff on site 24 hours who can also be contacted by phone. We will make those numbers available when we have them.
Will traffic become worse?
This project should help address the congestion in this area. This project will provide the funds required for St. Margaret's Church to reconfigure the Church’s parking lot so that the Factoria Boulevard entrance is located directly across from the existing, traffic-light-controlled entrance to Newport High School. This implements “TFP-120” of the City of Bellevue’s Transportation Improvement Program for Factoria Boulevard at Newport Way.
Who will pay for this housing?
The project is being made possible through financial support from many local funders, and includes funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Funders include A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) including the city of Bellevue, King County, Washington State Housing Trust Fund, Impact Capital, Washington Community Reinvestment Association (WCRA), and Washington State Housing Finance Commission’s Exchange Program.
When will construction start?
Construction is scheduled to start in May 2010, with the project opening to residents in 2011.
What community outreach involvement has taken place since the inception of the project?
In the summer of 2007, as part of the city’s comprehensive planning process, all neighbors within 500 feet of St. Margaret's were notified. On September 15, 2007, St. Margaret's hosted an open house for interested neighbors and members of its congregation. In July of [year?], the city posted a public notice board inviting public comment, and a hearing was held on July 24, 2008.