The MHU Operations Team keeps us moving

To create and maintain affordable multifamily housing in Washington, the Multifamily Housing Unit (MHU) team relies on the deep knowledge of our subject matter experts on topics such as financing, construction, contracts and compliance. If these knowledgeable team members can be considered encyclopedias, members of the Operations Team can be considered the librarians who help make this knowledge accessible to our applicants, contracted developers and property managers.

Our Operations Team members have excellent attention to detail, patience, resourcefulness and adaptability. They liaise between members of many teams to explain and refine processes, locate resources and ensure MHU remains a positive place to work.

The MHU Operations Team is only three members strong; however the team’s work is felt across the unit. Housing partners experience their impact when they a webinar that runs smoothly, receive clear and concise communications about how to apply for funding, or receive a quick reply from a Commerce Specialist, who is supported by the Operations Team. Directly, end users might interact with the Operations Team if emailing or calling to ask questions about affordable housing or program specifics. Thanks to the support of the Operations Team, we can keep it moving – all for the end goal of creating and maintaining affordable multifamily housing in Washington.

Site event highlights

As we step into spring, more Commerce-funded multifamily housing communities are holding grand openings, ribbon cuttings and groundbreaking. Here are some of the sites we are proud to see come to fruition.

Redondo Heights Grand Opening, Feb. 25

• Where? Federal Way
• Who funded? Commerce via the Housing Trust Fund, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, King County, and Amazon
• Who is served? 334 new households who earn 50-60% AMI or below

Spring District Groundbreaking, Feb. 27

• Where? Bellevue
• Who funded? Commerce via the Housing Trust Fund, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, City of Bellevue, King County, ARCH, and Amazon
• Who is served? 234 households earning less than 60% AMI; 40 of these units will be reserved for individuals with disabilities
• What else? Open Doors for Multicultural Families and Wellspring Family Services will provide supportive services. This affordable housing community is being constructed on land previously owned by Sound Transit and will provide its residents close access to the Spring District Light Rail Station. Spring District is expected to open in November 2026.

YWCA Fifth and Seneca Ribbon Cutting and Re-Opening, March 7

• Where? Seattle
• Who funded? Commerce via the Housing Trust Fund, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, City of Seattle
• Who is served? 114 low-income households, 86 of which will access permanent supportive housing due to experiencing homelessness at entry

Eagle Haven Cottage Village Groundbreaking, March 12

• Where? Bellingham
• Who funded? Commerce via the Housing Trust Fund and Community Projects program, the Lummi Indian Business Council, First Federal Foundation
• Who is served? 24 households, reserved for those experiencing homelessness at entry
• What else? The Lummi Behavioral Health Department will provide supportive service such as case management to residents

Aviva Crossing Groundbreaking, March 19

• Who funded? Commerce via the Housing Trust Fund and National Housing Trust Fund, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Pierce County, Tacoma Redevelopment Authority, Tacoma Housing Authority

• Who is served? 129 households, reserved for families with dependent children, individuals with disabilities, and those who have experienced homelessness

• What else? With proximity to Tacoma Community College, a transit corridor, and an Opportunity Neighborhood, this transit-oriented community will offer residents easy access to services, schools, employment opportunities, and rapid transit connections.

YouthCare Constellation Center Groundbreaking, March 25

• Who funded? Commerce via the Housing Trust Fund, King County

• Who is served? 84 youth who have experienced homelessness
• What else? The YouthCare Constellation Center will be one component of the Broadway Center for Youth, which will provide support to youth to obtain diplomas, GEDs, industry certifications, paid job training, industry instruction and training, for the purpose of building socio-economic stability for those who have faced substantial hardship

Affordable housing stakeholder announcements

• Thanks to those who were able to attend our 2025 New Awardees Orientation on March 5. This orientation highlighted steps and processes necessary to proceed with housing development and shared information about additional funding opportunities available for permanent supportive housing providers. Our slides and webinar recording are available online.
• Homestead Community Land Trust (HCLT) and Parkview Services are hosting a webinar at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 to present lessons learned from using Ultra High Energy Efficient Program (UHEE) funding to achieve net zero energy use at The Southard affordable housing development. Anyone interested in learning more about the Southard development and net zero energy building practices is encouraged to attend. Join the Zoom webinar.
• A note to property managers: Site inspections will happen soon! Refer to HTF Handbook Section 501.4, “On-Site Monitoring” for what to expect. If your project is on the list to be inspected this year, you’ll receive direct communication from the Compliance Asset Management Team.

Do you have ideas for this newsletter? We want to showcase valuable and actionable information relevant to Commerce contractors, perspective developers, property managers, and more! If you have an idea for newsletter content, please email Tim Marshall at Tim.Marshall@Commerce.wa.gov.