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Mayor Durkan Applauds City Council’s Unanimous Passage of Legislation to Authorize Acquisition of Land in South Park for Affordable Housing

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Legislation advances City efforts to achieve community-led equitable development and environmental justice goals 

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan’s legislation authorizing the Office of Housing to acquire two parcels in South Park for affordable housing development was passed unanimously by City Council today. Council Bill 120114 requires the housing developed on these parcels to be affordable to households making at or below 60 percent of area median income (AMI) which is equivalent to $69,400 for a family of four and $48,600 for an individual. Mayor Durkan plans to sign the legislation this week.  

Since 2016 the City has worked closely with community-based organizations in South Park, including Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition (DVAHC) and Duwamish River Clean-Up Coalition (DRCC), to understand the community’s vision for the rapidly changing neighborhood where many residents and businesses are feeling the pressures of displacement. The Duwamish Valley Action Plan, stewarded by the Office of Sustainability and Environment, outlines the community’s anti-displacement and environmental justice goals. 

“Our housing crisis has impacted every neighborhood in our City and we are called to use every tool available to address it with the urgency that this crisis demands,” said Mayor Durkan, “Most importantly, I want to congratulate the tireless South Park advocates who continue to push the City to make their vision of an equitable future a reality. South Park will be changed for generations to come because of the work of our community leaders who have been on the forefront of leading new investments in housing, environmental justice, and infrastructure.”  

“When I consider what this property acquisition will mean for this community it is almost impossible to overstate it,” said Robin Schwartz, member of the Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition. “It means that neighbors new and old can feel cared for, safe, and they can see that our systemic practices match our words.” 

“I am really thankful to Mayor Durkan and the Office of Housing for a bold and responsive action to support this urgent investment in our local vision for housing justice, rooted in racial and environmental justice,” said Paulina López, Executive Director of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. 

In direct response to the community’s stated vision, future development on these parcels will include units with two or more bedrooms to accommodate larger households and utilize Community Preference to support those most impacted by displacement. Plans for the development may also include community-oriented space on the ground floor, with additional goals to incorporate water- and energy-efficient sustainable building practices. Following the property closing, the Office of Housing will continue community outreach and engagement to inform a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select an owner and operator for the affordable housing. 

In addition to this land acquisition for affordable housing development, the following are recent and upcoming major City investments in South Park: 

Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR)

  • Duwamish Waterway Park Improvements: SPR purchased the 1.3-acre site from King County after a community-led process to make the property a permanent neighborhood riverfront park.  
  • South Park Plaza: SPR and the design team are finalizing the design of this site, which includes an open lawn, primary event space, play elements, seating terraces, accessible pathways, bio-swales, irrigation, and landscape improvements. 
  • Marra Farm: Following extensive community engagement to develop a new design for an accessible multi-use park, SPR awarded the construction contract to A1 Landscaping & Construction earlier this year. 

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)

  • Drainage & Street Improvements: SPU and SDOT are partnering to build streets with drainage pipes in the northern industrial area of South Park. Construction will start in September. 
  • South Park Pump Station: To ensure the drainage pipes will function well with the tidal influence of the Duwamish River, SPU is currently constructing a pump station adjacent to the 7th Ave. S street end. 
  • West Seattle Bridge Closure: Residents of the Duwamish Valley have been heavily impacted by the West Seattle Bridge closure because of all the detour traffic moving through the neighborhoods. Community groups have worked closely with the City to identify projects to help mitigate environmental and safety impacts. 

Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD)

  • Community-Supportive Services: OPCD awarded $1M to the Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition to support the identification and acquisition of land to community supportive services.  
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Celebrating the Resilience of Seattle’s Duwamish Valley

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2020 Duwamish Valley Program Update & Progress Report

By Alberto J. Rodríguez (OSE) & David W. Goldberg (OPCD)

Resilient communities have called the Duwamish Valley home since time immemorial — from the fishing and winter campgrounds of the Duwamish Tribe to the first European settlers in the Pacific Northwest, up to the people living in it today. The neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown are close-knit communities, home to nearly 6,000 people and numerous businesses and industries. Yet these communities have experienced inequities for years, and both climate change and COVID-19 have magnified existing health, economic, and environmental disparities. 

Since 2016, the City of Seattle’s Duwamish Valley Program has been working to create real positive change in the Duwamish Valley and build a more equitable and resilient city. Through collaboration with community organizations and residents, we are working to advance a new model for how city policies and programs can address health, equity, and climate change for our residents and businesses in the Duwamish Valley. But, as you might imagine, things got a little complicated in 2020.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to our local government, ranging from budget cuts to staff emergency response redeployment and more. We are extremely proud of the work we did and for our nimble response to ensure Duwamish Valley stakeholders were connected to and benefitted from the City’s COVID‐19 relief and response efforts. Despite encountering many obstacles and delays due to the pandemic, the Duwamish Valley Action Team (DAT) made progress on implementing the Duwamish Valley Action Plan. We would like to highlight the following:

COVID-19 Relief & Response:

In partnership with Villa Comunitaria, Concord PTA, and Georgetown community leaders, we were able to support 34 South Park and Georgetown families and individuals with rental assistance, utility payments, back-to-school expenses, and healthcare costs. In addition, we were able to provide technical assistance and/or four rounds of protective supplies and gear to 17 women- and BIPOC-owned small businesses in Georgetown and South Park.

Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Area:

The Georgetown Flume is a historic site that transported water from the Duwamish River to the Georgetown Steam Plant until it was decommissioned. The City and community partners are working to convert the land into a new community asset. The eastern portion of the site will be developed into a new off-leash area, and the western portion will be developed into a shared use path for those walking, biking, or rolling between Georgetown and South Park. Learn more about project from our colleagues in the Parks department.

8th Ave. S in Georgetown:

New drainage improvements to 8th Ave. S and the street end park have begun! The sidewalk now meets current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, making it easier and safer for people of all ages and abilities to walk to destinations like the Georgetown business district, South Park Community Center, South Park Library, and bus stops. Learn about these great improvements from the Seattle Department of Transportation.

Affordable Housing in South Park:

Working with the Office of Housing and South Park community partners, new affordable homeownership will be developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, the Office of Housing is in the process of purchasing two parcels for the future development of affordable rental housing (a first for the City!).

Supporting the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center

With support from OPCD, we provided financial support to Duwamish Tribal Services to support the improve access to the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center and programs, which will include an expansion of their parking lot.

Climate & Community Resilience Grant:

The Duwamish Valley Program applied for and received $600,000 in funding to continue developing and implementing the Resilience District concept. Funding from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will support the City with developing a Resilience District — a geographic strategy, inspired by global models, focused on adapting to flood risk and other climate change impacts as a key first step towards adapting to a changing climate, while taking a comprehensive approach that fosters community resilience.

And there’s even more!

We would also like to celebrate how the Duwamish Valley Action Team made great progress on all seven priority areas in the Action Plan, including:

In 2021 and 2022, many of these projects will go from planning and design to construction, so you will be seeing on-the-ground improvements. Additionally, in the next couple of months, we will be officially launching our Resilience District work and look forward to co-developing solutions with residents, industries, philanthropy, and other non-City partners that will have a positive effect on our communities’ wellbeing for years to come.

Thanks for your ongoing support. Here’s to a resilient Duwamish Valley!

Alberto and David

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Seattle Receives $600,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Continue Community-Led Health, Equity, and Climate Change Adaptation Work in the Duwamish Valley

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Funding will support the creation of a Resilience District focused on community and climate resilience

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded the City of Seattle a $600,000 grant to work with community partners in the Duwamish Valley on a strategy that will improve health, increase community resilience, and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. This work will specifically deliver on key actions identified in the City-community shared Duwamish Valley Action Plan that was released in 2018.

“This award is a remarkable testament to the excellent foundation of trust and creative solutions the City’s interdisciplinary Duwamish Valley Program and community partners have built over the past few years,” said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “We have seen that COVID-19 has magnified health and economic disparities, especially for communities of color. As we address the COVID-19 crisis and begin to recover, we must build a more equitable and resilient city. Through this collaboration, we can help advance a new model of how to address health, equity, and climate change for our residents and businesses.” 

Funding from RWJF will support the City with developing a Resilience District—a geographic strategy, inspired by global models, focused on adapting to flood risk and other climate change impacts as a key first step towards adapting to a changing climate, while taking a comprehensive approach that fosters community resilience. Specifically, the award will fund detailed scenario planning for a sea level rise adaptation strategy, research of financial models and equitable investment mechanisms, capacity building and partnership development across government institutions and community stakeholders, extensive communication and inclusive engagement, and implementation of “proof of concept” projects. More importantly, the approach will center the participation and decision-making of Duwamish Valley residents and businesses, embed a racial equity approach in each aspect of the project, and identify sustainable funding sources and investment mechanisms that will help prevent the displacement of impacted communities and foster health and equity.

The project team reviewed successful models of community resilience and scenario planning from across the world. Specifically, the team drew inspiration and lessons from successful projects in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand. These projects offer guidance and strategies for sustainable funding mechanisms, tools for equitable distribution of benefits, community and cross-sector collaboration in creating a special planning district, and participatory decision-making in scenario planning—notably in communities that are vulnerable to earthquakes and flooding.

“We join our partners in the City of Seattle to celebrate this great news,” said Paulina López, Executive Director of the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition. “For many years, we have worked together to address health disparities and racial inequities in the Duwamish Valley, centering the voice of community in decision-making, planning, and implementation of projects and investments—on issues that directly impact us. The work of this grant will also offer opportunities for equitable investments that will improve health outcomes and advance anti-displacement strategies, flooding prevention, and adaptation to a changing climate. I am really grateful for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s award and commitment to greatly improve living conditions in our community and for their support to ensure this work becomes a model for others to replicate in Seattle, in the U.S., and around the world.” 

The Office of Sustainability & Environment and the Office of Planning & Community Development lead Seattle’s Duwamish Valley Program, a multi-departmental effort to advance environmental justice and equitable development. The interdisciplinary team of 18 City departments is responsible for the ongoing implementation of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan, including the execution of this grant project. Seattle Public Utilities will also be taking on a leadership role in ensuring the success of the project.

“Since 2018, Seattle Public Utilities has been working with community partners to plan and design drainage and water management infrastructure to help alleviate stormwater-related flooding in South Park and Georgetown,” said Mami Hara, General Manager, Seattle Public Utilities. “However, as sea level rises, we will be challenged by overtopping of the Duwamish River, which will require additional mitigation. We are incredibly grateful for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s support because it will allow us to lead with addressing needs and aspirations of Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Seattle’s lowest lying lands to begin long-term planning to adapt to sea level rise and other projected impacts from a changing climate.”

“Advancing equitable development and environmental equity in South Park and Georgetown has been a priority for the City of Seattle for years,” said Sam Assefa, Director of the Office of Planning & Community Development. “The Foundation’s support will allow us to expand this work by coordinating with industrial stakeholders working on the Seattle’s Maritime & Industrial Strategy. We are looking forward to helping our residential and industrial stakeholders stay and thrive in place despite projected climate change impacts.”

This project is part of a $3 million initiative from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to bring the most impactful ideas from across the globe to U.S. cities to address the intertwined issues of health, equity, and climate change. Through six projects funded through this initiative, RWJF is fostering learning and stimulating action in U.S. cities around smart, effective approaches from abroad that mitigate the unequal health risks posed by climate change.

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Seattle Releases Environmental Justice and Equitable Development Plan for the Duwamish Valley

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Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan released the Duwamish Valley Action Plan, setting forth a series of actions and strategies to expand economic opportunity, make environment progress and increase investments in the South Park and Georgetown communities. The plan is the result of an 18-month process that engaged City staff, residents, workers, and businesses of the Duwamish Valley to create a framework that reflects their priorities. The plan will be used to guide the City’s work and investments for years to come.

“We are taking another important step together toward realizing the community’s vision of a more inclusive, equitable, and vibrant Duwamish Valley. As a City, we are standing together to say we will do more with a plan that brings together the community’s vision for economic opportunity and environmental progress with a plan for making it real,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “From the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund to the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps to the South Park Merchants Association to the Latino Community Fund, the City has committed partners in this effort to ensure real economic empowerment, public safety, and a healthier environment in the Duwamish Valley. In all our actions, we will strive to honor the special importance of healing and preserving the ecosystems on the land and in the waterways to the Native people, including the Duwamish Tribe, which gives the Valley its name.”

By applying an environmental justice and racial equity lens, the actions form an environmental justice, equitable development, and anti-displacement strategy that is focused on seven priority areas: Environment, Parks & Open Spaces, Community Capacity, Mobility & Transportation, Economic Opportunity & Jobs, Affordable Housing, and Public Safety. It includes:

  • 50 near-term (0-2 years) actions the City has already taken in South Park and Georgetown from 2016 through early 2018 to address community priorities, show responsiveness, and build trust;
  • 37 mid-term (2-5 years) opportunities, with specific strategies and actions, that the City will begin implementing in 2018; and
  • 5 long-term (5+ years) strategies with bold and ambitious goals related to Anti-Displacement, Workforce Development, Climate Change, Parks & Open Spaces, and Health.

 

In 2016 and 2017, the City invested approximately $500,000 in actions that advanced or addressed previously identified community priorities. For example, youth capacity building and training related to tree canopy enhancements; de-pave (removing asphalt) and tree planting in industrial areas; and capacity building for an emerging housing and anti-displacement coalition.

[Read more…]

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