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Tag: Housing Inventory

  • Housing Hope: The Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Largest Affordable-Housing Nonprofit and the New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue

    Housing Hope: The Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Largest Affordable-Housing Nonprofit and the New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue

    Quick answer: Housing Hope is Everett’s largest affordable-housing nonprofit. It manages more than 650 affordable rental units across 24 sites in Snohomish County and Camano Island, has helped 328 households become homeowners through its Team HomeBuilding sweat-equity program, and is breaking ground in 2026 on a new 26,700-square-foot Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center at 4526 Federal Avenue in partnership with Compass Health. The organization has a new CEO and is chasing a 1,000-unit goal by 2030.

    Housing Hope: The Complete 2026 Guide to Everett’s Largest Affordable-Housing Nonprofit and the New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue

    Drive past 4526 Federal Avenue right now and you will see survey stakes, fresh fencing, and site-prep equipment on the northeast corner of the Compass Health campus. That is a 26,700-square-foot child development center under construction. It belongs to Housing Hope — and most Everett residents have never heard of the organization that is building it.

    That is unusual. Housing Hope manages more than 650 affordable rental units across 24 sites in Snohomish County. It runs a sweat-equity homeownership program that has produced 328 first-time homeowners. It operates a child development center that has served Everett families for more than thirty years. It is the largest affordable-housing nonprofit in the city. And it is in the middle of its biggest year in a long time.

    This is the complete 2026 guide to Housing Hope: what it does, where it operates, the new Tomorrow’s Hope project at 4526 Federal Avenue, the new CEO at the top, and the 1,000-unit goal driving the next four years.

    What Housing Hope Actually Does

    Housing Hope’s mission is to promote and provide affordable housing and tailored services that reduce homelessness and poverty across Snohomish County and Camano Island. In practice, the organization operates five integrated programs:

    1. Affordable rental housing. More than 650 units across 24 sites. Rents are set on a sliding scale based on household income and family size — not market rate. The portfolio runs from single-room transitional units to family-sized apartments specifically designed for households exiting homelessness.

    2. Team HomeBuilding. A sweat-equity homeownership program where working families help build their own and each other’s homes. The program has produced 328 first-time homeowner households. Participants commit hundreds of hours of construction labor in exchange for a deeply discounted mortgage on a home they helped frame, side, and finish.

    3. Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center. Quality childcare for kids aged four weeks through twelve years, with a sliding-scale fee structure that prioritizes families currently living in Housing Hope properties or recently exited from homelessness. The current facility has operated for more than 30 years and is being replaced by a much larger purpose-built building at 4526 Federal Avenue.

    4. Workforce and family services. Career counseling, financial coaching, and family stability supports embedded inside the housing portfolio. The integration is the point — residents do not have to leave the property to access services.

    5. Development and acquisition. Housing Hope’s real estate development arm acquires sites, secures funding stacks (federal LIHTC, state Housing Trust Fund, county and city contributions), designs new housing, and operates the resulting buildings. The organization has been one of the most consistent affordable-housing developers in Snohomish County for thirty years.

    The New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue

    The signature 2026 project is a new 26,700-square-foot Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center on the Compass Health campus at 4526 Federal Avenue. Several things matter about that project:

    Capacity triples. The current Tomorrow’s Hope serves a fraction of the demand the program receives. The new building expands enrollment dramatically, with classroom space designed for kids from infancy through age twelve.

    The Compass Health partnership is real. Compass is the dominant behavioral-health provider in Snohomish County. Co-locating childcare on the Compass Health campus puts behavioral-health services and childcare in the same place — which matters for families navigating both at once.

    Funding is layered. Affordable-housing-and-services projects of this scale do not get built with one funding source. The financing typically combines state, county, and city contributions with private philanthropy and tax-credit equity. The fact that the project has reached site-prep means that capital stack is closed.

    The 30-year handoff. The existing Tomorrow’s Hope facility has been operating for more than three decades. Replacing it with a purpose-built modern center is the kind of generational handoff few nonprofits successfully execute. Housing Hope is doing it.

    The Leadership Change

    Housing Hope has a new CEO: Kathryn Opina. Leadership transitions at long-running nonprofits are inflection points — they reset strategy, relationships with funders, and operational culture. For an organization the size of Housing Hope at the moment of an active capital project and a 1,000-unit growth target, the timing is significant. Local civic watchers should be paying attention to how the new CEO frames the next four years.

    The 1,000-Unit Goal

    Housing Hope is publicly chasing a 1,000-unit goal by 2030. From the current 650+ portfolio, that is roughly 350 additional units across the remaining four years. At Snohomish County construction costs, that is a multi-hundred-million-dollar development pipeline. The organizations that move that kind of pipeline through approvals, financing, and construction usually sit at the table when local housing policy is debated. Housing Hope sits at that table for Snohomish County.

    Where Housing Hope Operates in Everett

    The 24 sites are spread across Snohomish County and Camano Island, with concentrations in Everett’s lower-income neighborhoods, on Casino Road in South Everett, near downtown, and along the corridors where transit access supports car-light households. Specific properties include transitional housing for families exiting homelessness, permanent supportive housing, family workforce housing, and senior housing — Housing Hope’s portfolio is intentionally diverse so that residents can move within the system as their circumstances change without leaving the network of services.

    Why Housing Hope Matters in 2026

    Three pieces of context make Housing Hope particularly relevant this year:

    Snohomish County’s housing-and-behavioral-health funding wave. The County Council recently approved $23 million for housing and behavioral health programs. Housing Hope is structurally positioned to absorb funding allocations from those streams.

    Everett’s CDBG / HOME / AHTF priority-setting. The city’s Community Development Advisory Committee is holding a May 5 public hearing on 2027 federal housing fund priorities. Housing Hope is both a funder applicant and a major operator of the kind of housing those funds target.

    The 51.8% inventory jump. Snohomish County’s housing inventory rose 51.8% in March 2026. That is a market-rate signal. The affordable-housing tier — which is what Housing Hope operates in — is structurally separate from market-rate inventory, and its tightness is not relieved by a market shift. The need does not move with the inventory chart.

    How Everett Residents Can Engage

    For a household needing housing or services: contact Housing Hope directly to inquire about waitlist availability, eligibility, and program intake. The organization serves residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island.

    For a household wanting to support the work: Housing Hope accepts financial contributions, in-kind donations, and volunteer hours, particularly for the Team HomeBuilding sweat-equity program where construction-skilled volunteers can directly accelerate move-in dates for participating families.

    For Everett residents wanting policy influence: the May 5 CDAC public hearing is one of the more direct levers for shaping how 2027 federal housing dollars get spent locally.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Housing Hope and where is it based?

    Housing Hope is an Everett-headquartered nonprofit that builds and operates affordable rental housing, supports homeownership through sweat-equity construction, and runs childcare and family services across Snohomish County and Camano Island.

    How many units does Housing Hope manage?

    More than 650 affordable rental units across 24 sites in Snohomish County and Camano Island, with a publicly stated goal of 1,000 units by 2030.

    What is the new Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue?

    A new 26,700-square-foot child development center under construction on the Compass Health campus at 4526 Federal Avenue in Everett. It replaces the current Tomorrow’s Hope facility and triples childcare capacity.

    Who is the new CEO of Housing Hope?

    Kathryn Opina is the new CEO of Housing Hope, leading the organization through its current capital expansion and the 1,000-unit growth target.

    What is Team HomeBuilding?

    Team HomeBuilding is Housing Hope’s sweat-equity homeownership program. Participating families commit hundreds of hours of construction labor on each other’s homes in exchange for a deeply discounted mortgage on a finished home they helped build. The program has produced 328 first-time homeowner households.

    How does Housing Hope set rent?

    Rent is set on a sliding scale based on household income and family size, not market rate. That is the structural distinction between affordable housing and market-rate housing.

    How can Everett residents support Housing Hope?

    Through financial contributions, in-kind donations, and volunteer hours, including direct construction labor on Team HomeBuilding projects. Residents seeking housing or services can contact Housing Hope directly to inquire about eligibility.

    Is Housing Hope related to Compass Health?

    Housing Hope and Compass Health are independent organizations. The new Tomorrow’s Hope facility is being built on Compass Health’s campus at 4526 Federal Avenue as a partnership project, co-locating childcare with behavioral-health services.

    Related Exploring Everett coverage:


  • For Everett Residents: A 2026 Guide to Getting Housing, Childcare, or Homeownership Help From Housing Hope

    For Everett Residents: A 2026 Guide to Getting Housing, Childcare, or Homeownership Help From Housing Hope

    Quick answer: Housing Hope is Everett’s largest affordable-housing nonprofit. For Everett residents, it offers three direct points of access: affordable rental housing across more than 650 units at 24 sites in Snohomish County (income-eligible, sliding-scale rent), the Team HomeBuilding sweat-equity homeownership program (328 households served, hundreds of hours of construction labor in exchange for deeply discounted ownership), and Tomorrow’s Hope childcare for kids aged four weeks through twelve years (sliding-scale fees, currently expanding to a new 26,700-square-foot center at 4526 Federal Avenue).

    For Everett Residents: A 2026 Guide to Getting Housing, Childcare, or Homeownership Help From Housing Hope

    If you live in Everett and you have ever wondered whether there is a local nonprofit that can actually help with the three biggest household pressures in this city — rent, childcare, and homeownership — the answer is yes. It is called Housing Hope. It manages more than 650 affordable rental units across 24 sites in Snohomish County. It has helped 328 households become first-time homeowners. And it operates a child development center that is about to triple in size at 4526 Federal Avenue.

    This is the resident’s guide. What Housing Hope does, who it serves, how the eligibility works, and how to actually get help in 2026.

    Who Housing Hope Serves

    Housing Hope serves residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island. The programs are tailored — sliding-scale rents, sliding-scale childcare fees, sweat-equity homeownership — meaning eligibility depends on household income, family size, and current housing situation. Households exiting homelessness, working families struggling with rent burden, families needing childcare to stay employed, and first-time homebuyers who can commit construction hours all map to specific programs.

    The point of Housing Hope’s integrated structure is that residents do not have to leave the system as their circumstances change. A family that starts in transitional housing can move to permanent supportive housing, then to workforce housing, then potentially to Team HomeBuilding ownership — all within the same nonprofit’s portfolio.

    Affordable Rental Housing: The 650-Unit Portfolio

    Housing Hope’s largest program is its 650+ affordable rental units across 24 sites. Rent is set on a sliding scale based on household income and family size, not market rate. That is the structural difference from a regular Everett apartment search.

    The portfolio is intentionally diverse:

    • Transitional housing for households exiting homelessness
    • Permanent supportive housing with on-site case management for residents needing ongoing support
    • Family workforce housing for working households earning below market rates
    • Senior housing for older residents on fixed incomes

    What that means practically: if you are an Everett resident facing rent stress, the right next step is to contact Housing Hope directly to find out which program you would qualify for and what waitlist looks like. The organization does not advertise availability on Craigslist or Zillow because affordable units do not work that way — placement is income-verified and program-matched.

    Team HomeBuilding: The Sweat-Equity Path to Ownership

    Team HomeBuilding is the program that has produced 328 first-time homeowners. The structure is unusual and worth understanding carefully:

    Working families are accepted into the program based on income and ability to commit construction labor hours. Once accepted, they help build their own home and the homes of other participating families — framing, siding, finishing, the whole process. In exchange for hundreds of hours of construction labor, participants receive a deeply discounted mortgage on the home they helped build.

    The numbers behind this matter. A family that contributes hundreds of hours of construction labor effectively replaces tens of thousands of dollars of contractor cost. That cost reduction shows up as a lower mortgage. Families who would not qualify for a market-rate mortgage in Everett often do qualify for the Team HomeBuilding mortgage because the underlying loan is smaller.

    The 328-household track record means this is not a theoretical program. It is one of the more effective first-time-homeowner pipelines in Snohomish County for families that can commit the hours.

    Tomorrow’s Hope Childcare: The 4526 Federal Avenue Expansion

    Tomorrow’s Hope is Housing Hope’s child development center. It serves kids aged four weeks through twelve years. The fee structure is sliding-scale and prioritizes families currently living in Housing Hope properties or recently exited from homelessness.

    The current facility has operated for more than 30 years. It is being replaced by a new 26,700-square-foot purpose-built center at 4526 Federal Avenue on the Compass Health campus. That is a roughly threefold capacity increase. Site-prep is active in 2026; the new facility will significantly expand the number of Everett families who can access Tomorrow’s Hope childcare.

    For Everett families: childcare cost is one of the largest household expenses, and licensed-quality childcare slots in Snohomish County are routinely waitlisted. A Housing Hope-affiliated family with a Tomorrow’s Hope slot is paying a fraction of market rates for licensed care. That is meaningful household-budget math.

    How to Actually Apply

    Housing Hope is a single-point-of-entry organization for residents seeking help. The standard path is:

    1. Contact Housing Hope directly to describe your household situation
    2. An intake conversation determines which program(s) match your needs
    3. Income and household documentation is verified
    4. You are placed on the appropriate waitlist or matched directly with a current opening
    5. If services are time-sensitive (immediate housing need, active homelessness), the conversation prioritizes accordingly

    Waitlists are real. Affordable housing in Everett has demand that outruns supply. The 1,000-unit Housing Hope expansion goal by 2030 exists because the current 650 units do not meet the need. That said, getting on the right waitlist matters — many residents do not realize Housing Hope exists, which means the waitlists are shorter than they would be if every income-qualified Everett resident applied.

    What Else Housing Hope Connects To

    Housing Hope sits inside a larger Snohomish County safety net that includes Volunteers of America Western Washington, Cocoon House (youth homelessness), Compass Health (behavioral health, partnering on the new Tomorrow’s Hope), and the Snohomish County Council’s recently approved $23 million in housing-and-behavioral-health funding. Residents in crisis often need more than one of these organizations. Housing Hope’s case management is structured to make those handoffs work.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do I apply for Housing Hope rental housing in Everett?

    Contact Housing Hope directly. The organization’s intake process determines which of its 24 sites and program types you qualify for, then places you on the appropriate waitlist. Affordable housing is income-verified and program-matched, not advertised through standard rental listings.

    Who qualifies for Team HomeBuilding?

    Working families with incomes that meet program guidelines and the ability to commit hundreds of hours of construction labor on their own and other participants’ homes. The program has produced 328 first-time homeowner households across its history.

    How much does Tomorrow’s Hope childcare cost?

    Tomorrow’s Hope uses a sliding-scale fee structure based on household income and family size. Priority is given to families currently in Housing Hope properties or recently exited from homelessness. Residents should contact Housing Hope directly for current fee information and availability.

    Where is Housing Hope’s office in Everett?

    Housing Hope is headquartered in Everett. Specific office addresses, including the new 26,700-square-foot Tomorrow’s Hope facility at 4526 Federal Avenue, are listed on the organization’s official site.

    Can I volunteer with Housing Hope without being a program participant?

    Yes. Housing Hope accepts volunteer construction labor on Team HomeBuilding projects, financial contributions, in-kind donations, and other support roles. Construction-skilled volunteers can directly accelerate move-in dates for participating families.

    How is Housing Hope different from Volunteers of America Western Washington?

    Both are Snohomish County nonprofits, but Housing Hope is primarily a housing developer and operator, while VOAWW operates a broader portfolio that includes food banks, crisis services, and family services across Western Washington. Many residents end up working with both.

    Does Housing Hope only serve people experiencing homelessness?

    No. Housing Hope serves a wide spectrum: households exiting homelessness, working families needing affordable rent, families seeking childcare, and aspiring first-time homeowners. The program structure spans the full range from crisis to homeownership.

    Related Exploring Everett coverage:


  • Everett Asks Residents What 2027 Federal Housing Dollars Should Pay For — Public Hearing Is Tuesday at 5

    Everett Asks Residents What 2027 Federal Housing Dollars Should Pay For — Public Hearing Is Tuesday at 5

    If you have ever wondered who decides how Everett spends its federal housing and community development money — and how a regular resident gets a vote in that conversation — Tuesday, May 5 is your answer.

    The Community Development Advisory Committee, the citizen body that recommends how the city spends Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Program, and 2060 Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) dollars, is holding a public hearing at 5 p.m. on May 5 to set the priority needs for the 2027 program year. The hearing is hybrid — in person at the Everett Municipal Building (2930 Wetmore Avenue) or virtual — and written comments are accepted any time before then at communitygrants@everettwa.gov.

    For most Everett residents, this is the most direct line into how millions of federal pass-through dollars get aimed at the city’s biggest housing and neighborhood needs each year. The committee uses what it hears Tuesday to write the priorities that will determine which projects, programs, and nonprofits get funded twelve to eighteen months from now.

    What the CDAC Actually Does

    The Community Development Advisory Committee is a volunteer body of Everett residents appointed to recommend how the city distributes a specific group of housing and community-development funding sources. The dollars flow from three main pots:

    The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is a federal HUD formula grant that has funded local affordable housing, homeless services, neighborhood infrastructure, and small-business assistance since 1974. Cities the size of Everett receive CDBG annually as an entitlement community.

    The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is a separate HUD funding stream specifically for affordable housing — acquisition, rehab, new construction, and tenant-based rental assistance.

    The 2060 Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) is a state-authorized local fund supported by document recording fees collected by Snohomish County. It pays for affordable housing projects inside Everett city limits and is one of the few flexible local sources for housing that serves people earning under 50% of area median income.

    Municipal funding may also be added to the mix in any given cycle, depending on the council’s budget decisions.

    CDAC does not write checks. It writes the priorities. City staff then issue requests for proposals to nonprofits, housing developers, and service providers, who apply for funding that lines up with whatever the committee identified as a priority. That is why the May 5 hearing matters: the priorities decided in this room shape who gets funded a year from now.

    What Tuesday’s Hearing Is For

    The agenda has two pieces. The first and bigger one is identifying the community priority needs for 2027. CDAC is asking residents to tell them what they see as the most pressing community-development issues in Everett right now — affordable housing, homelessness response, infrastructure in lower-income neighborhoods, services for seniors or people with disabilities, microenterprise development, anything that fits inside the federal CDBG eligibility framework.

    The second item is a review of updates to the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), the document that governs how CDAC engages the public on these decisions. The CPP is technical, but it matters: it sets the rules for how hearings are publicized, how public comment is collected, and how the committee responds to feedback. Updates to the CPP every few years bring it in line with current HUD requirements and the city’s changing communications channels.

    Why This One Is Worth Showing Up For

    Federal CDBG and HOME funds have been under sustained pressure at the national level for years. Every cycle, the local conversation about what to prioritize gets a little harder because the formula allocations have not kept pace with cost inflation in housing, services, or infrastructure. That makes the priority-setting decision more consequential, not less. Fewer dollars chasing more needs means the priorities the committee writes down really do determine which neighborhoods, populations, and project types get served — and which get told to wait another year.

    This is also a moment when Everett is making bigger housing decisions on parallel tracks. The Snohomish County Council voted unanimously on April 24 to award $23 million in Housing & Behavioral Health Capital Fund money to six projects, three of them inside Everett — the EGM 172-bed shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue, Helping Hands Broadway 33 at 2410 and 2412 Broadway, and the Everett Station District Alliance 58-unit transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith. Those were county dollars. The CDBG, HOME, and AHTF priorities the city sets May 5 are a different pipeline — and they fund a different layer of the housing system, often the smaller, more locally specific projects that do not pencil at the scale a $5 million county capital award requires.

    How to Participate

    There are four ways to weigh in:

    Attend in person. Arrive at the Everett Municipal Building, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, by 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5. City staff will escort attendees to the meeting room. Public comment is taken during the hearing portion of the agenda.

    Attend virtually. A virtual attendance option is available. Instructions for joining remotely are posted on the Community Development Advisory Committee page at everettwa.gov.

    Email written comments. Send to communitygrants@everettwa.gov any time before or after the hearing. Written comments become part of the official record.

    Mail written comments. Send to 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 8A, Everett, WA 98201.

    If you need translation services, ASL interpretation, or any other accommodation to participate, contact communitygrants@everettwa.gov or call (425) 257-7185 in advance so the city can make arrangements. Spanish-language information about the hearing is published on the same news flash on the city’s website.

    What Comes After May 5

    Once CDAC adopts the 2027 priorities — typically at a meeting following the public input hearing — city staff translate those priorities into a request-for-proposals timeline. Nonprofits, housing developers, and service providers will apply against those priorities later in 2026. CDAC reviews the applications and recommends an allocation to the City Council. Council takes the final vote, usually as part of the broader 2027 budget adoption in late 2026.

    In other words, what happens Tuesday night is the front end of a process that ends with line items in next year’s budget. The closer to that front end residents weigh in, the more influence they have over what eventually gets funded.

    What to Do Next

    • Read the agenda and the Citizen Participation Plan update at the Community Development Advisory Committee page on everettwa.gov.
    • Submit written comments to communitygrants@everettwa.gov before or after the hearing.
    • Show up Tuesday, May 5 at 4:50 p.m. at the Everett Municipal Building, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, if you want to give in-person testimony.
    • Request accommodations at communitygrants@everettwa.gov or (425) 257-7185 if you need translation, interpretation, or accessibility help.
    • Track the funding cycle by following the Community Development Block Grant page on the city’s website to see what gets recommended after this hearing.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is CDAC and what does it decide? The Community Development Advisory Committee is a citizen body that recommends how Everett spends federal CDBG and HOME funds, the state’s 2060 Affordable Housing Trust Fund dollars, and any municipal funding added to the mix. It does not allocate dollars directly — it writes the priorities and reviews applications, then recommends to the City Council.

    When and where is the public hearing? Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 5 p.m. The hearing is hybrid: in person at the Everett Municipal Building, 2930 Wetmore Avenue (arrive by 4:50 p.m.), or virtual. Virtual instructions are on the CDAC page at everettwa.gov.

    What funding sources are CDAC’s priorities for 2027 going to shape? Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Program, 2060 Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF), and any municipal funding added to the cycle.

    Can I submit comments without attending the hearing? Yes. Email communitygrants@everettwa.gov or mail to 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 8A, Everett, WA 98201. Written comments are part of the official record.

    Is this related to the $23M county housing vote on April 24? No — those are separate pots. The April 24 vote was Snohomish County’s Housing & Behavioral Health Capital Fund, awarded to six projects (three inside Everett). The CDAC priorities being set May 5 govern a different funding stream — the city’s CDBG, HOME, and AHTF dollars — and typically fund a different layer of projects.

    Who can request accommodations? Anyone. Translation, ASL interpretation, accessibility help, and other accommodations can be arranged by contacting communitygrants@everettwa.gov or calling (425) 257-7185 in advance of the hearing.

    Is information available in Spanish? Yes. The official city news flash about the hearing includes a full Spanish-language version, and Spanish-language assistance can be requested through the same email and phone number.

  • Housing Hope Is Building a New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue — The Quiet Powerhouse Behind Everett’s Affordable Housing

    Housing Hope Is Building a New Tomorrow’s Hope at 4526 Federal Avenue — The Quiet Powerhouse Behind Everett’s Affordable Housing

    Q: What is Housing Hope and what does it do in Everett?

    A: Housing Hope is an Everett-headquartered nonprofit that builds and operates affordable rental housing, supports homeownership through sweat-equity construction, and runs childcare and workforce-training programs for families exiting homelessness or poverty across Snohomish County and Camano Island. It manages more than 650 affordable units across 24 sites, has helped 328 households become homeowners through its Team HomeBuilding program, and is building a new 26,700-square-foot Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center at 4526 Federal Avenue in partnership with Compass Health.

    Housing Hope is the quietest big nonprofit in Everett — and 2026 is its biggest year in a long time

    If you have driven past the Compass Health campus at 4526 Federal Avenue lately, you have probably noticed survey stakes and site-prep work on the northeast corner. That is a 26,700-square-foot child development center that has been thirty years in the making. It belongs to Housing Hope — Everett’s largest affordable-housing nonprofit and probably the most consequential community organization in town that most residents could not pick out of a lineup.

    That is changing in 2026. Housing Hope has a new CEO. It is breaking ground on a new childcare facility that triples the capacity of its current Tomorrow’s Hope program. It manages more than 650 affordable units across 24 sites in Snohomish County. And it is doing all of this while quietly chasing a 1,000-unit goal by 2030. Here is what every Everett resident should know about the organization that is rewriting what affordable housing looks like in this corner of Puget Sound.

    What Housing Hope actually does

    Housing Hope’s mission is to promote and provide affordable housing and tailored services that reduce homelessness and poverty for residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island. That single sentence covers a lot of ground. In practice, the organization runs five integrated programs:

    Affordable rental housing. More than 650 units across 24 sites. Rents are set on a sliding scale based on household income and family size — not market rate. Housing Hope’s portfolio includes everything from single-room transitional units to family-sized apartments designed for households exiting homelessness.

    Team HomeBuilding. A sweat-equity homeownership program in which working families help build their own and each other’s homes. The program has produced 328 first-time homeowner households. Participants commit hundreds of hours of construction labor in exchange for a deeply discounted mortgage on a home they helped frame, side, and finish.

    Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center. Quality childcare for kids aged four weeks through twelve years, with a sliding-scale fee structure that prioritizes families currently living in Housing Hope properties or recently exited from homelessness. The current facility has operated for more than 30 years out of a former Sizzler restaurant building. The new building changes that.

    College of Hope. Workforce training, financial coaching, life-skills classes, and case management built directly into the housing-and-childcare model. Residents do not have to drive across town to access employment services — those services are delivered on-site.

    HopeWorks. A separate but affiliated social-enterprise nonprofit that runs job-training businesses (catering, landscaping, building trades) where Housing Hope residents and other low-income community members earn paychecks while building career skills. HopeWorks shares leadership with Housing Hope.

    Kathryn Opina takes over as CEO

    The Housing Hope Executive Board appointed Kathryn Opina as Chief Executive Officer for both Housing Hope and HopeWorks effective September 1, 2025. The announcement followed the departure of previous CEO Donna Moulton in early 2025 for family reasons. The leadership transition was reported by My Everett News and confirmed on the organization’s leadership page.

    Opina inherits an organization in the middle of one of its most ambitious capital phases in years — the new Tomorrow’s Hope facility, ongoing portfolio growth toward the 1,000-unit 2030 goal, and a continued role as the lead nonprofit voice in Snohomish County’s affordable-housing conversation.

    The new Tomorrow’s Hope is the headline project of 2026

    The current Tomorrow’s Hope center serves about 130 children. It has, in fact, outgrown the old Sizzler building it occupies. The new facility — sited at the northeast corner of Compass Health’s Federal Avenue Campus at 4526 Federal Avenue — solves three problems at once.

    First, capacity. The 26,700-square-foot building is designed to substantially increase enrollment beyond the current 130-child level. Second, integrated services. The new building includes on-site showers, laundry, a pantry, and computer stations — features that recognize many of the families using Tomorrow’s Hope are working through housing instability and need wraparound support to stay in childcare. Third, the partnership. Compass Health, Snohomish County’s largest behavioral-health provider, is leasing the corner to Housing Hope as a continuation of a 35-year partnership between the two nonprofits. Both organizations serve overlapping populations. Co-locating the new childcare center on Compass’s campus means a parent receiving behavioral-health support can drop their child off in the same parking lot.

    The site is in central Everett, walkable from several Housing Hope properties and on a Community Transit route. Construction is starting this year.

    Why Housing Hope matters for Everett specifically

    Snohomish County’s affordable-housing math is brutal. The 51.8% inventory jump that lit up the headlines in 2026 was concentrated in the market-rate single-family segment, not in the income-restricted units that working families actually qualify for. Housing Hope is the largest single producer of those income-restricted units in the county, and the bulk of its portfolio sits inside Everett city limits.

    That portfolio is also unusually integrated. Most affordable-housing developers build the building and walk away. Housing Hope builds the building, runs the childcare center next door, employs residents through HopeWorks, trains them through College of Hope, and has built sweat-equity homeowners out of dozens of its own former tenants. The model is not new — Housing Hope has been doing it since 1987 — but the scale (650+ units, 24 sites, 35-year partnerships with major institutions) is.

    For Casino Road residents, Boulevard Bluffs renters, and Twin Creeks families pricing out of Snohomish County’s higher-rent neighborhoods, Housing Hope is often the answer to “where do we go next.” The organization’s waitlists are long — as is the case for every affordable-housing operator in the region — but the units exist, and they keep getting built.

    How to engage with Housing Hope

    Housing Hope’s main offices are at 5830 Evergreen Way in Everett. The organization’s housing application process and waitlist information are available on housinghope.org, along with a current property list. For families seeking childcare, Tomorrow’s Hope information lives at tomorrowshopechildcare.com — and the new Federal Avenue location will list its enrollment process there once the building opens.

    For neighbors who want to support the work, Housing Hope accepts both donations and volunteer hours through Team HomeBuilding (no construction experience required for many roles). HopeWorks’s social-enterprise businesses also welcome contracts for catering, landscaping, and small construction projects. The organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits; gifts are tax-deductible.

    The bigger picture

    The story of Everett’s housing crisis usually focuses on what the market and the city are not doing — the stalled stadium financing, the utility-tax debate, the Sound Transit timeline that keeps slipping. Housing Hope’s story is the inverse. It is a nonprofit that has been quietly stacking units, training workforce, and feeding children for nearly four decades while the broader debate has gone sideways. The new Tomorrow’s Hope center, the new CEO, and the unbroken march toward 1,000 units by 2030 are the same story Housing Hope has been telling all along — just with a bigger building, a new face at the top, and an unmistakable signal that 2026 is when the organization plans to be louder about it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Housing Hope located in Everett?

    Housing Hope’s main administrative offices are at 5830 Evergreen Way in Everett. The organization manages more than 24 housing sites across Snohomish County and Camano Island. The new Tomorrow’s Hope Child Development Center is being built at 4526 Federal Avenue on Compass Health’s campus.

    Who is the CEO of Housing Hope in 2026?

    Kathryn Opina has served as Chief Executive Officer of both Housing Hope and HopeWorks since September 1, 2025. She succeeded former CEO Donna Moulton, who departed in early 2025.

    How many affordable housing units does Housing Hope operate?

    More than 650 affordable rental units across 24 sites in Snohomish County and Camano Island, with a stated goal of 1,000 units by 2030. The organization has also helped 328 households achieve homeownership through its Team HomeBuilding sweat-equity program.

    What is Tomorrow’s Hope?

    Tomorrow’s Hope is Housing Hope’s child development center. The current facility serves roughly 130 children aged four weeks to 12 years out of a former Sizzler restaurant building in Everett. A new 26,700-square-foot facility is under construction at 4526 Federal Avenue with significantly expanded capacity and on-site family services including showers, laundry, a pantry, and computer stations.

    How can I apply for Housing Hope housing?

    Housing applications and waitlist information are available at housinghope.org. Demand exceeds supply at every Housing Hope property, and waitlists can be long. The organization’s leasing staff can advise on which properties have the shortest current waitlists and what documentation is required.

    How can I support Housing Hope?

    Donations are accepted through housinghope.org and are tax-deductible. Team HomeBuilding accepts volunteer construction labor. HopeWorks’s catering, landscaping, and trades businesses welcome contracts from neighbors and local employers. Both organizations also publish event calendars on their respective websites.

    Is Housing Hope related to Volunteers of America Western Washington or Cocoon House?

    They are separate organizations with overlapping missions. Housing Hope focuses on long-term affordable housing and homeownership for families. Volunteers of America Western Washington runs the regional food bank and broader social-services portfolio. Cocoon House serves youth experiencing homelessness. All three are major Everett nonprofits and frequently collaborate through Snohomish County’s housing and homelessness coalitions.

    Deeper coverage on this story:

  • For Boeing and Paine Field Workers: What Everett’s 51.8% Housing Inventory Jump Means for Your 2026 Buy-or-Rent Decision

    For Boeing and Paine Field Workers: What Everett’s 51.8% Housing Inventory Jump Means for Your 2026 Buy-or-Rent Decision

    For Boeing and Paine Field workers: Snohomish County’s housing inventory jumped 51.8% year-over-year in March 2026. For workers starting, transferring to, or continuing on the Everett 737 North Line or Paine Field campus, this is the best buying and renting window in three years — more options, less frenzy, and two new studio apartment projects opening in south Everett before year-end. Here is how to read the market from where you sit.

    What the 51.8% Inventory Jump Means for Aerospace Workers

    For workers who arrived in Everett in 2022–2024 and watched every rental unit disappear and every home sale go to a cash buyer with no contingencies, the March 2026 data represents a meaningful shift. Snohomish County now has approximately 2.8 months of housing supply — still a seller’s market, but far more navigable than the sub-1.5-month environment that was the norm during peak frenzy.

    What this means practically: you can take an extra day before making an offer. You can write an inspection contingency without automatically losing. You have more than three listings to choose from in any given price bracket. For new hires relocating from outside the Puget Sound area — workers coming in for the 737 MAX 10 North Line ramp, which opens midsummer 2026 with over 1,200 airline orders — this is the entry window. You are not walking into the 2022 market.

    Where Aerospace Workers Are Actually Buying and Renting

    Paine Field sits in south Everett / north Mukilteo, which means the commute catchment for North Line workers spans Silver Lake, Cascade View, south Everett neighborhoods along Highway 99, Mukilteo proper, and the I-5 corridor communities. In order of proximity to the Paine Field gate area:

    Silver Lake (98204): Closest residential zone to Paine Field with Highway 99 access. The former Econo Lodge at 9602 19th Street SE is being converted to 124 studio apartments by Sage Investment Group, with Phase 1 leasing opening August 2026. Market-rate, no income restrictions — the first new dedicated workforce rental product to hit south Everett’s 98204 zip code in several years.

    Cascade View (98204): Stable mid-century neighborhood directly south of Paine Field. Quieter than Casino Road, lower price points than north Mukilteo. Strong for first-time buyers looking in the $550,000–$700,000 range where the inventory increase has been most pronounced.

    Mukilteo: Premium location with waterfront access and ferry connection. Prices run higher (typically $750,000+), but commute to Paine Field is 5–10 minutes. For workers with dual incomes or buying rather than renting, Mukilteo remains competitive relative to comparable Seattle neighborhoods.

    North Mukilteo / Harbour Pointe: New construction and attached housing available. Longer-term upside tied to the Paine Field passenger terminal and the Everett Link Extension SW Everett Industrial Center station.

    Buying vs. Renting in 2026 for North Line Workers

    At 6.38% mortgage rates and a $738,000 county median, a conventional 20%-down purchase requires a $147,600 down payment and produces a principal-and-interest payment of approximately $3,850/month before taxes and insurance. For a single income in the $85,000–$100,000 range typical of experienced 737 North Line assembly workers, that payment is within range but not comfortable without a second income or a lower price point.

    The 51.8% inventory jump creates opportunity in the $500,000–$650,000 range — attached homes, condos, and smaller single-family properties in south Everett and Mukilteo where the supply increase has been sharpest. Workers willing to buy below the county median can find payments more manageable, and the employment-anchor demand from Boeing, NAVSTA, and healthcare employers provides some floor under Snohomish County prices even in a rising-rate environment.

    For workers newer to the North Line or not yet sure about long-term Everett plans, the rental option is cleaner in 2026 than it has been since 2021. The Sage Silver Lake studio project, existing Community Transit-accessible apartments along Casino Road, and the general inventory increase in the rental market all point to a more renter-friendly environment than workers faced during the post-COVID frenzy years.

    The Light Rail Variable

    The Sound Transit board votes June 30 on the revised ST3 System Plan. The SW Everett Industrial Center station — explicitly designed to serve the Paine Field employment cluster — is in the corridor covered even by a truncated extension scenario. For North Line workers buying near Paine Field with a 10-year hold horizon, the light rail calculus is favorable regardless of how the truncation debate resolves. The SW Everett Industrial Center station is not in dispute the way the downtown Everett Station terminus is.

    Frequently Asked Questions for Boeing and Paine Field Workers

    What neighborhoods are closest to Paine Field for Boeing workers in Everett?

    Silver Lake (98204), Cascade View (98204), Mukilteo, and north Mukilteo / Harbour Pointe are the closest residential zones to the Paine Field gate area. Silver Lake and Cascade View offer the most affordable price points. Mukilteo carries a premium for waterfront access and ferry convenience.

    Is the Everett housing market better for Boeing workers in 2026 than 2024?

    Yes. Active inventory is up 51.8% year-over-year with 2.8 months of supply — more options and less bidding-war pressure than 2022–2024. The median is still $738,000 and rates are 6.38%, but the frenzied market that forced workers to waive all contingencies has eased meaningfully.

    Are there any new rental apartments opening near Paine Field in 2026?

    Yes. Sage Investment Group is converting the former Econo Lodge at 9602 19th Street SE in Silver Lake into 124 studio apartments. Phase 1 leasing opens August 2026. Market-rate, no income restrictions, in the south Everett 98204 zip code approximately 15–20 minutes from the Paine Field gate.

    Will there be light rail to Paine Field?

    The Sound Transit Everett Link Extension includes a SW Everett Industrial Center station serving the Paine Field cluster. The June 30, 2026 ST board vote will confirm the timeline. The SW Everett Industrial Center station is less at risk in truncation scenarios than the downtown Everett Station terminus.

    What is a realistic home price for a Boeing worker buying near Paine Field?

    The county median is $738,000 but south Everett and attached housing in the 98204 zip code offers entry points in the $500,000–$650,000 range where the inventory jump has been most pronounced. At 6.38% rates, a $550,000 purchase with 20% down produces P&I of approximately $2,890/month.

    Related: Complete 2026 Housing Market Guide | Boeing North Line Workers Housing Guide | Sage Silver Lake Apartments

  • Snohomish County Housing Inventory Jumped 51.8% in 2026: The Complete Everett Buyer and Seller Guide

    Snohomish County Housing Inventory Jumped 51.8% in 2026: The Complete Everett Buyer and Seller Guide

    Quick Answer: Snohomish County active home listings surged 51.8% year-over-year in March 2026 — one of the five largest inventory increases in the entire NWMLS territory. Despite the supply jump, the median home price held at $738,000 and homes are still selling at 99.9% of asking in an average of 35 days. Rising mortgage rates (6.38% by late March) are stalling buyer momentum without collapsing prices. For Everett buyers and sellers, the window has shifted — but it has not swung fully to buyers yet.

    The March 2026 Numbers: What Changed

    The Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s March 2026 market snapshot showed 1,900 active residential listings across Snohomish County — a 51.8% year-over-year increase and one of the sharpest single-year inventory jumps in recent county history. That works out to approximately 2.8 months of supply, up sharply from the sub-1.5-month lows that defined the pandemic-era seller’s market.

    For context: real estate economists generally describe 4–6 months of supply as a balanced market. At 2.8 months, Snohomish County is still clearly a seller’s market — but the trajectory is meaningful. Buyers who spent 2022–2024 losing bidding wars on every offer now have more listings to choose from, more time to make decisions, and occasionally — not always — some negotiating room on price.

    The median home price held at $738,000 in March 2026. Homes are still selling at 99.9% of asking price in an average of 35 days. Those metrics do not reflect a market in distress — they reflect a market that has paused rather than reversed. The buyers who have stepped back are rate-sensitive; the sellers who remain active are not discounting.

    Why Inventory Jumped — and Why Prices Haven’t

    The inventory increase is being driven by two converging forces. First, sellers who held off listing during 2023–2024 (reluctant to give up historically low mortgage rates on their existing homes) are gradually re-entering the market as life events — job changes, family transitions, retirement — force the decision. Second, new construction deliveries — particularly multifamily and attached-housing units — are adding to active supply in south Everett and the Everett fringe suburbs.

    Prices are not collapsing because demand has not collapsed. Snohomish County’s employment base — Boeing’s expanding 737 North Line, NAVSTA Everett, Providence Regional Medical Center, and a dense cluster of aerospace and logistics employers — creates persistent housing demand from workers who need to live close to their job sites. That employment anchor is Snohomish County’s buffer against the kind of inventory-driven price correction that markets without a major employment base would experience.

    What This Means for Everett Buyers

    More listings mean more options — and for the first time in several years, buyers can take a breath before making an offer. The days of waiving all contingencies on sight-unseen properties are largely over in the current rate environment. Buyers who can qualify at 6.38% and are not competing for the same handful of best-in-class properties in the most desirable neighborhoods will find the market more navigable than it was in 2022.

    The Everett-specific buyer dynamic in 2026 involves several overlapping pools: Boeing 737 North Line workers relocating from Renton, Navy families PCSing to NAVSTA Everett, and Seattle-area renters making the rent-versus-buy calculation for the first time. All three groups are making decisions based on Snohomish County’s relative affordability versus King County — a spread that has narrowed but not closed.

    The motel-to-apartment conversion pipeline in south Everett — including the Sage Investment Econo Lodge project at 9602 19th Street SE opening August 2026 — adds rental supply that may absorb some demand that would otherwise convert to buyer activity. Workers who can rent a studio near their job site for a year while they watch the market are more likely to do so when inventory is rising and rate direction is uncertain.

    What This Means for Everett Sellers

    The 51.8% inventory jump does not mean sellers are in trouble — it means sellers need to price correctly. Properties at 99.9% of asking in 35 days are properties that were priced to the market. Properties that are not are sitting longer. The days of pricing 10% above comparables and relying on the frenzy to cover it are over. Sellers who price accurately, prepare the property well, and list with strong marketing are still transacting in a historically fast timeframe.

    The June 30 Sound Transit board vote on the Everett Link Extension is a latent catalyst for the seller side. If full delivery is confirmed, demand for properties in station-area neighborhoods — particularly downtown Everett and the Mariner corridor — could accelerate. If the extension is truncated, demand in those specific neighborhoods may soften relative to south Everett, where the SW Everett Industrial Center station coverage is less in dispute.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Snohomish County housing market doing in 2026?

    Active listings surged 51.8% year-over-year in March 2026 to approximately 1,900 listings (2.8 months of supply). The median home price held at $738,000. Homes sell at 99.9% of asking in an average of 35 days. Mortgage rates are 6.38%. Still a seller’s market, but meaningfully more inventory than 2022–2024.

    Is it a good time to buy a home in Everett in 2026?

    More inventory and slower frenzy pace mean buyers have more options and more time than they did in 2022–2024. Prices remain high ($738K median) and rates at 6.38% are a significant monthly payment factor. For buyers who can qualify and plan to hold for 5+ years, Everett’s employment base provides demand support.

    Why did Snohomish County housing inventory jump 51.8%?

    Sellers who held off during 2023–2024 (to preserve low locked-in mortgage rates) are re-entering the market as life events force decisions. New construction deliveries — particularly attached housing and multifamily in south Everett — are also adding to active supply.

    What is the median home price in Snohomish County in 2026?

    $738,000 as of March 2026, according to NWMLS data. Homes are selling at 99.9% of asking price in an average of 35 days. Current mortgage rates are approximately 6.38%.

    How does Everett’s housing market compare to Seattle?

    Snohomish County’s $738,000 median is significantly below King County’s comparable. The spread between Snohomish and King County has narrowed from its historical range but remains meaningful for buyers who can work remotely or commute to south Snohomish County employment rather than central Seattle.

    Related Exploring Everett coverage: Snohomish County Housing Inventory Jumped 51.8% | Everett Housing Market Three Submarkets Guide | Sage Silver Lake Apartments Complete Guide

  • Snohomish County’s Housing Inventory Just Jumped 51.8% — What That Means for Everett Buyers and Sellers Right Now

    Snohomish County’s Housing Inventory Just Jumped 51.8% — What That Means for Everett Buyers and Sellers Right Now

    What is happening with the Snohomish County housing market in 2026? Snohomish County’s active home listings surged 51.8% year over year in March 2026, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service data — one of the five largest inventory increases in the entire NWMLS territory. Despite the supply jump, the median home price held at $738,000 and homes are still selling at 99.9% of asking price in an average of 35 days, as rising mortgage rates (back up to 6.38% by late March) stall buyer momentum without collapsing prices.

    For years, the Snohomish County housing market operated in a single gear: not enough homes, too many buyers, prices up. What we’re seeing in the spring of 2026 is a gear shift — and if you’re buying or selling in Everett right now, the numbers look meaningfully different than they did twelve months ago.

    The Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s March 2026 market snapshot showed 1,900 active residential listings across Snohomish County, representing 2.8 months of supply — up sharply from the sub-1.5-month lows that defined the pandemic-era seller’s market. The county posted a 51.8% year-over-year increase in total active listings, putting it among the top five counties in NWMLS’s 27-county territory for inventory gains. And yet: median sold price held at $738,000. Homes are still closing at 99.9% of list price. More than half of all listings — 54.9% — went pending within the first 30 days.

    What’s happening is a collision between supply recovery and rate pressure, and the outcome is a market that is neither the frenzy of 2021 nor the freeze of late 2023. It’s something more complicated — and more nuanced by price band, neighborhood, and property type than any single headline can capture.

    What the Inventory Surge Actually Means

    A 51.8% jump in active listings sounds dramatic, and in some ways it is. At the depth of the supply crisis in 2021 and 2022, buyers in Snohomish County were competing for a fraction of the homes that are now on the market. The correction is real: there are more options, more time to think, and less risk of getting swept into a bidding war on a property you’ll regret.

    But context matters. Nationally, economists generally define a balanced market as 4–6 months of supply. At 2.8 months, Snohomish County is still solidly in seller’s territory by that standard. What’s changed isn’t the fundamental balance of power — it’s the intensity. Sellers are no longer in a position to list at any price and watch offers pile up. Buyers have time to inspect, to negotiate, to walk away if something doesn’t feel right.

    The data shows that distinction clearly. Average showings per listing dropped to 4.8, meaning buyers are doing fewer casual tours and more intentional ones. The average number of showings before a home went pending was 11 — a number that would have seemed impossibly high during the 3–4 showing average of peak seller’s market years, but reflects a market where buyers are being deliberate rather than desperate.

    What Rising Mortgage Rates Are Doing to the Market

    The inventory increase isn’t happening in isolation. Mortgage rates are doing their part to put a lid on activity. Rates briefly dipped below 6% in February 2026, which triggered a small rush of buyers who had been waiting on the sidelines. By late March, rates climbed back to 6.38%, and that pop of demand faded. Closed sales in March across the NWMLS territory came in at 5,417, up just 0.2% year over year — essentially flat despite the inventory recovery that, in theory, should have enabled more transactions.

    For Everett specifically, the rate environment is pushing buyers into decisions that a lower-rate market would make obvious. At 6.38%, a $577,000 Everett home (approximately the city’s early-2026 median) requires a monthly principal and interest payment of roughly $3,100 on a 20%-down conventional loan — before taxes, insurance, and HOA. At the 30% of income affordability threshold, that requires a household income of approximately $124,000 annually. The Everett area median household income in 2026 sits well below that threshold, which is why first-time buyers are stretched, why rental demand at buildings like Waterfront Place’s Sawyer and Carling remains strong despite a soft rental market, and why conversion projects like the Econo Lodge-to-apartments project in Silver Lake are filling a real need.

    By Property Type: Three Very Different Stories

    The Snohomish County housing market in early 2026 is not one market — it’s three, layered by property type, and each is behaving differently.

    Residential Resale: Competitive But Not Frenzied

    For existing single-family homes, the market is still tilted toward sellers, but the tilt is gentler. Inventory sits at approximately 2.0 months for resale properties, and homes are closing at 99.8% of list price on average. Days on market has lengthened modestly. The $738,000 median price is up 1.2% year over year — still appreciating, but at a rate that buyers can factor into a plan rather than a rate that makes them feel like they’re chasing a moving target.

    The practical implication for Everett buyers: you have time to make an offer you feel good about. You’re unlikely to win at list price on a well-priced home in a good neighborhood, but the days of writing five offers before getting accepted at 15% over asking are gone for most price ranges.

    Condos: The Strongest Performer in the County

    Condominiums are the counterintuitive winner in the current market. The average condo price in Snohomish County rose 4.4% year over year to $586,261 — outperforming single-family appreciation by more than three percentage points. Inventory expanded to 2.7 months, giving buyers meaningful choice without triggering price softness. In Everett specifically, condos were moving in a 22-day median with sellers achieving 99% of list price as of early 2026.

    This pattern reflects the affordability ceiling at work. At a $586,000 average, condos give entry-level buyers a path into Snohomish County ownership that single-family homes at $738,000 median no longer provide at 6.38% rates. For investors, the combination of relative affordability, strong occupancy rates at waterfront rental properties, and rising condo values makes the sub-$600K condo segment worth watching closely through the rest of 2026.

    New Construction: The Buyer’s Opportunity

    New construction is where the current market most favors buyers. The average new construction price in Snohomish County came in at $923,988 in early 2026 — down 2.3% year over year — while closed new construction sales dropped 34.3%. Builders are sitting on inventory they need to move, and that creates leverage for buyers who are flexible on timing and location.

    Builders are actively offering incentives: rate buy-downs, closing cost contributions, and in some cases price adjustments on standing inventory. For a buyer who doesn’t need to be in a specific neighborhood and can wait for a completed unit, the new construction segment in Snohomish County in 2026 offers some of the best negotiating conditions in years.

    What This Means for Everett Specifically

    The county-level numbers describe a broad trend, but Everett’s submarket has its own dynamics. Downtown Everett and the waterfront corridor saw stronger appreciation earlier in 2026 — roughly 11.4% year over year — compared to the -7.5% softness in the 98208 zip code (south and east Everett). Northwest Everett, driven by new infrastructure investment including the recently opened Edgewater Bridge and ongoing waterfront development, posted the strongest appreciation in the city at approximately 22.1%.

    The macro picture for Everett: the city’s development fundamentals remain strong. The Port of Everett waterfront is attracting tenants and investment. The downtown stadium received its $10.6M design authorization. The Millwright District Phase 2 is building out. Boeing’s North Line is ramping. Snohomish County’s industrial market is the most affordable in Puget Sound, drawing logistics users. These are demand generators, and demand generators support home values even when rates are working against them.

    Playbook for Buyers and Sellers in This Market

    If You’re Buying

    You have more time and more leverage than you did 18 months ago, but you’re not in a buyer’s market by any traditional definition. Get pre-approved — sellers still want certainty. For resale homes, coming in slightly below list on properties that have been sitting more than 21 days is reasonable. For new construction, ask about rate buy-downs before accepting the sticker price; builders have flexibility they didn’t have in 2023. If condos fit your lifestyle, the 4.4% appreciation and relative affordability make them worth serious consideration as a first purchase.

    If You’re Selling

    Price accurately from day one. The 54.9% of listings going pending in the first 30 days tells you that well-priced homes are still moving fast. The homes that are sitting are overpriced relative to condition and location. Sellers who price to the market will sell. Sellers who price to last year’s comparable sales will find themselves doing a price reduction they could have avoided. With 1,900 active listings, buyers have enough alternatives to walk away from wishful pricing.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the median home price in Snohomish County in 2026?

    The median sold price for homes in Snohomish County was $738,000 in March 2026, up 1.2% year over year, according to NWMLS data.

    How much did Snohomish County housing inventory increase?

    Active listings in Snohomish County increased 51.8% year over year as of March 2026, one of the five largest inventory gains in the 27-county NWMLS territory.

    What are current mortgage rates for Snohomish County buyers?

    Mortgage rates returned to approximately 6.38% by late March 2026 after briefly dipping below 6% in February, which stalled some buyer activity despite improved inventory.

    How long are homes sitting on the market in Snohomish County?

    Homes in Snohomish County are selling in an average of 35 days as of early 2026, with 54.9% of listings going pending within the first 30 days.

    Is the Snohomish County housing market a buyer’s or seller’s market in 2026?

    With 2.8 months of inventory, the market is technically still a seller’s market (balanced typically requires 4–6 months), but conditions are significantly more favorable for buyers than 2021–2022, with more options, more negotiating room, and less bidding war pressure.

    What is happening with condo prices in Snohomish County?

    Condominiums are outperforming single-family homes, with the average condo price rising 4.4% year over year to $586,261. In Everett specifically, condos are selling in a 22-day median at 99% of list price.


  • How $23 Million in Housing Money Moved Without a Tax Vote: A 2026 Civic Watcher’s Guide to Snohomish County’s April 24 Award

    How $23 Million in Housing Money Moved Without a Tax Vote: A 2026 Civic Watcher’s Guide to Snohomish County’s April 24 Award

    Featured Snippet

    **How did the Snohomish County Council move $23 million for housing on April 24, 2026 without raising taxes?**

    The funding flowed out of the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, which is fed by two voter-authorized sales taxes specifically earmarked for affordable and supportive housing. The Human Services Department screened applications, recommended a slate of six projects, and the Council voted unanimously to allocate the money. No tax rate change, no new fee — voter-authorized revenue moved into specific capital projects.

    For civic watchers — neighborhood association members, council-meeting attendees, and Everett residents tracking how local government decisions actually get made — Snohomish County’s April 24, 2026 housing award is a case study in how voter-authorized revenue moves into specific projects without a tax vote.

    This is the civic mechanism explained.

    The Funding Stream — Two Voter-Authorized Sales Taxes

    Washington state law allows counties to levy two specific dedicated sales taxes for housing:

    • The 0.1% sales tax for affordable housing — authorized at the local level under state law and dedicated to construction or operation of affordable housing
    • The behavioral health and treatment sales tax — authorized at the local level under state law and dedicated to chemical dependency, mental health treatment, and the housing-and-services that support those populations

    In Snohomish County, voters authorized both taxes. The revenue flows continuously into the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund. That fund accumulates between capital allocations.

    The April 24 vote was the allocation step — the Council deciding which specific projects receive money the fund had already collected.

    The Application and Screening Process

    The Council does not pick projects directly. The county’s Human Services Department runs a competitive application process:

    1. Eligible nonprofits and developers submit applications for capital funding

    2. Human Services Department staff screen applications against statutory eligibility (project type, populations served, AMI tiers, geographic location, financing readiness)

    3. Staff produce a recommended slate of projects ranked or grouped by category

    4. The Council reviews the slate and votes

    In April 2026, that process produced a recommended slate of six projects totaling roughly $23 million. The Council adopted the slate unanimously.

    For civic watchers, that’s the procedural anchor: a unanimous vote on a staff-recommended slate is a signal that the Council and Human Services Department had aligned on screening criteria before the vote. Material disagreement at the council table on a fund of this size would have shown up in split votes or amendments.

    The Six Projects — Three In Everett, Three Elsewhere

    The April 24 award allocated:

    • $5.8 million to the Everett Gospel Mission — 172-bed shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue, total project ~$30M, October/November 2026 construction start
    • $4.2 million to Helping Hands Project — 28-unit Broadway 33 affordable apartments at 2410 and 2412 Broadway, completion February 2028
    • A grant to Everett Station District Alliance — 58-unit transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith Avenue, with 15 units at 30% AMI
    • Three additional grants to projects outside Everett city limits but inside Snohomish County, totaling roughly $13 million

    The geographic split — three Everett, three other-county — reflects two facts: Everett is the largest city in the county and houses the largest concentration of homeless services demand, but the regional shelter and behavioral health network depends on capacity in Lynnwood, Marysville, and other county jurisdictions.

    Why The Vote Was Unanimous

    Three procedural conditions tend to produce unanimous capital allocation votes in Washington counties:

    1. Pre-screened applicant slate. The Human Services Department’s recommendation reduces project-selection contention at the council table.

    2. Dedicated fund. Because the money is voter-authorized for housing, the council is not deciding “housing vs. some other county priority.” It is deciding “which housing projects.”

    3. Geographic balance. Three Everett, three other-county. Council members representing different districts each saw projects funded inside or near their constituencies.

    When all three conditions are present, the political math at the dais is straightforward.

    The Stack-Up With Other Local Capital

    The county’s $5.8 million to the Mission stacks on top of:

    • City of Everett funding — committed earlier
    • Prior philanthropic giving — to the Mission directly
    • A state legislative allocation approved earlier in 2026

    Total project cost roughly $30 million. The county grant covers about 19% of that capital stack. The pattern matters: large supportive housing capital projects in this state typically require three to five public and philanthropic funding sources to assemble. The county’s award is a piece, not the whole.

    What’s Next on the Civic Calendar

    Civic watchers tracking the project pipeline should expect:

    • City of Everett land use and design review — for each of the three Everett-located projects, before permits issue
    • Construction notice and impact mitigation — published by the city as schedules firm
    • Annual capital fund reporting — the Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund publishes annual reports on revenue collected, project balances, and pipeline

    For council attendees and neighborhood association members, the months between the April 24 allocation and the construction start (October/November 2026 for the Mission) is the window for any neighborhood-level engagement on design review, traffic, and operational expectations.

    How This Connects to Stations Unidos and the NR-MHC Conversation

    The April 24 vote does not stand alone. In the same county and city, three other anti-displacement and affordable-housing initiatives are moving in parallel:

    • Stations Unidos — rebranded community development corporation with anti-displacement mandate covering the Station District and Casino Road
    • The proposed NR-MHC zone — protects seven manufactured home parks against redevelopment; public hearing May 6, 2026
    • The 2027 budget conversation — which includes housing-related discretionary spending choices not covered by the dedicated capital fund

    For civic watchers, the four together (April 24 award, Stations Unidos, NR-MHC zone, 2027 budget) describe a city and county actively allocating against affordability pressure on multiple instruments at once.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: Did the Council raise taxes on April 24?

    A: No. The Council voted to allocate roughly $23 million from the Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund — money already collected from two voter-authorized sales taxes. There was no tax rate change.

    Q: What two sales taxes fund the Capital Fund?

    A: The 0.1% sales tax for affordable housing and the behavioral health and treatment sales tax — both authorized under Washington state law and approved by Snohomish County voters.

    Q: Who screens applications for the housing capital fund?

    A: The Snohomish County Human Services Department screens applications, ranks or groups them, and produces a recommended slate of projects for Council consideration.

    Q: Why was the April 24 vote unanimous?

    A: Three procedural conditions were aligned: a pre-screened applicant slate from Human Services, a dedicated voter-authorized funding stream, and geographic balance across the recommended projects (three in Everett, three elsewhere in the county).

    Q: How much of the Everett Gospel Mission’s $30M project is the county grant?

    A: $5.8 million — about 19% of the project’s total capital stack. The remaining ~$24M comes from City of Everett funding, philanthropic giving, and a 2026 state legislative allocation.

    Q: When can Everett residents engage with the design and construction process?

    A: At the city’s land use and design review stages for each of the three Everett-located projects. The City of Everett’s planning portal publishes hearing notices and comment windows. Construction notification is separate, published as schedules firm.

    Q: How does this vote connect to other Everett-area housing initiatives?

    A: It runs parallel to Stations Unidos (anti-displacement CDC), the proposed NR-MHC mobile home park zone (May 6, 2026 hearing), and the city’s 2027 budget conversation. Together these are the four active Everett-area instruments addressing affordability and displacement pressure in 2026.


  • What Snohomish County’s $23M Housing Award Means If You Live in Everett: A 2026 Resident’s Guide to the Three New Projects on Your Streets

    What Snohomish County’s $23M Housing Award Means If You Live in Everett: A 2026 Resident’s Guide to the Three New Projects on Your Streets

    Featured Snippet

    **What is changing in Everett because of the April 24 2026 Snohomish County housing vote?**

    Three buildings funded by the $23M county vote are now on the calendar inside Everett city limits: a 172-bed Everett Gospel Mission shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue (construction October–November 2026, first phase open for the 2027 cold-weather season), a 28-unit Helping Hands affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway (Broadway 33, completion February 2028), and a 58-unit Everett Station District Alliance transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith Avenue. Together: 172 new shelter beds plus 86 deed-restricted housing units, all in central Everett.

    If you live in Everett, the Snohomish County Council’s April 24, 2026 housing vote is going to show up on three specific streets in your city over the next 18–22 months.

    This is the resident’s read: which corridors, what gets built, when construction trucks show up, and what changes for the people who live around the sites.

    Smith Avenue Will See the Biggest Visible Change

    Two of the three Everett-located projects are on Smith Avenue — within a few blocks of each other.

    At 3530 Smith Avenue, the Everett Gospel Mission’s existing shelter is getting a 172-bed expansion. The current building stays open while construction is underway. CEO Sylvia Anderson has said construction starts October or November 2026. The first phase is supposed to be open for the 2027 cold-weather season — meaning by November 2027, residents on Smith Avenue will see a building that is roughly three times the size of the existing shelter.

    The expanded building will include separate spaces for men and women, on-site staff 24 hours a day, a small store, kennels and a wash station for residents’ pets, and a craft room. The 24-hour on-site staffing is the operational note worth knowing.

    At 3102 Smith Avenue, a few blocks away, the Everett Station District Alliance is building a 58-unit, low-income mixed-use transit-oriented building. ESDA’s filings describe a unit mix that starts with 15 units at 30 percent of area median income — the deepest affordability tier the county awards — and stacks higher AMI tiers up through 60 percent.

    North Broadway Gets Broadway 33

    The third Everett-located project is on Broadway, in the North Broadway corridor. At 2410 and 2412 Broadway, the Helping Hands Project is building a 28-unit affordable apartment building under the working name Broadway 33.

    Completion target: February 2028.

    For neighbors on the corridor, the practical experience over the next 22 months is two parcels currently fronting Broadway moving from their current condition into a permitted, occupied apartment building. The county describes the future tenant base as “those who are disadvantaged or have special needs.”

    What Changes for the Streets — A Practical Read

    Construction window

    • Smith Avenue (Mission) — heaviest construction activity from late 2026 through 2027; expect staging, deliveries, and trade-truck traffic
    • Smith Avenue (ESDA) — timeline depends on full-stack financing close; construction window not yet confirmed
    • Broadway — construction window through 2027 toward February 2028 completion

    Traffic and parking

    The three sites do not appear to require sustained street closures. Standard urban infill construction means temporary lane impacts during deliveries, dumpster placement during demolition, and trade traffic from sub-contractors. None of the projects are highway or major-corridor arterials.

    What you’ll see when they open

    • 172 new shelter beds (Mission)
    • 28 new permanent affordable apartments (Broadway 33)
    • 58 new mixed-income transit-oriented apartments (ESDA Smith Avenue)

    That is concentrated capacity, in central Everett, on three sites within walking distance of one another and of Everett Station.

    Why This Round Was Big — and Quiet

    The April 24 vote was unanimous. There was no tax change, no fee increase, no new line on your county property tax bill. The mechanism: the Council moved roughly $23 million already collected under two voter-authorized sales taxes (specifically earmarked for affordable and supportive housing) into six approved capital projects. Three of those six are in Everett.

    For Everett residents, that means: this isn’t money the county is “spending” in the abstract. It’s voter-authorized housing-dedicated revenue, screened by the county’s Human Services Department, allocated to specific addresses inside the city.

    How These Projects Fit Around What’s Already Coming

    Two existing-or-already-funded efforts shape the same neighborhoods:

    • Stations Unidos (rebranded from ESDA in February 2026) is the new community development corporation with an explicit anti-displacement mandate covering the Station District and Casino Road. The 58-unit ESDA project at 3102 Smith Avenue sits inside the Station District service area and adds deed-restricted inventory near transit.
    • The Mission’s existing operations — the largest emergency shelter in Snohomish County — keep running through construction. The 172-bed expansion adds capacity rather than relocating it.

    In other words: these three projects do not introduce new institutional uses to neighborhoods. They scale up what’s already there.

    What Residents Can Do Next

    If you live near one of the three sites:

    • Public meetings — Each project will move through the city’s permit and design review processes. Public comment windows will be advertised on the City of Everett’s planning portal.
    • Construction notifications — Sign up for the city’s construction-impact email list once project schedules are posted; this is how you’ll get advance notice of staging and traffic changes.
    • Mission expansion specifically — The Mission has a long history of community communication around its operations; calling 425-740-2670 reaches its main line for non-emergency questions about the expansion.
    • Tenant inquiries — If you or a family member would qualify for one of the affordable units, applications open closer to completion (Broadway 33 February 2028; ESDA timeline to follow). Helping Hands and ESDA both maintain interest lists ahead of lease-up.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: Will the April 24 vote raise my Everett property taxes or sales tax?

    A: No. The vote did not raise a tax or create a new fee. It moved $23 million already collected from two voter-authorized sales taxes earmarked specifically for affordable and supportive housing into six approved capital projects.

    Q: When does construction start at the Everett Gospel Mission?

    A: CEO Sylvia Anderson has said construction is targeted for October or November 2026. The first phase is intended to be open for the 2027 cold-weather season.

    Q: Where exactly is Broadway 33 being built?

    A: At 2410 and 2412 Broadway in north Everett. The 28-unit affordable apartment building’s completion is targeted for February 2028.

    Q: Will the Everett Gospel Mission shelter close during construction?

    A: No. The current shelter keeps operating throughout construction.

    Q: How many new shelter beds and affordable apartments are coming to Everett from this round?

    A: 172 new shelter beds at the Mission expansion plus 86 deed-restricted permanent affordable units (28 at Broadway 33, 58 at ESDA Smith Avenue) — a total of 258 new shelter beds and apartments in central Everett.

    Q: Are these projects connected to Stations Unidos?

    A: The 58-unit ESDA project at 3102 Smith Avenue is in the Station District service area now formally covered by the rebranded Stations Unidos community development corporation. The other two are funded under the same county capital round but are run by separate organizations (Everett Gospel Mission and Helping Hands).

    Q: How can residents stay informed about construction impacts?

    A: Watch the City of Everett’s planning portal for permit milestones, sign up for the city’s construction-impact email lists once project schedules are posted, and call the Everett Gospel Mission at 425-740-2670 for non-emergency questions specifically about the Mission expansion.


  • Snohomish County’s $23M Housing and Behavioral Health Award: A Complete 2026 Guide to the Three Everett Projects, the Funding Mechanism, and the Two-Year Build-Out

    Snohomish County’s $23M Housing and Behavioral Health Award: A Complete 2026 Guide to the Three Everett Projects, the Funding Mechanism, and the Two-Year Build-Out

    Featured Snippet

    **What did Snohomish County’s $23 million housing and behavioral health vote on April 24, 2026 actually fund in Everett?**

    The unanimous April 24 vote awarded approximately $23 million across six capital projects, three of them in Everett: $5.8 million to the Everett Gospel Mission for a 172-bed shelter expansion at 3530 Smith Avenue (tripling the current footprint, ~$30M total project, October–November 2026 construction start, first phase open for the 2027 cold-weather season); $4.2 million to the Helping Hands Project for a 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway (Broadway 33, completion targeted February 2028); and a grant to the Everett Station District Alliance for a 58-unit transit-oriented building at 3102 Smith Avenue. The funding source is two voter-authorized sales taxes earmarked for affordable and supportive housing — no tax change, no new fee.

    On Wednesday, April 24, 2026, the Snohomish County Council voted unanimously to award roughly $23 million in capital grants to six affordable-housing and behavioral-health projects across the county. Three of the funded projects are inside Everett city limits.

    For Everett residents, this is the single largest piece of capital funding to land for housing in the city this year. For neighbors of the three project sites, the next 18–22 months will turn that money into permitted, occupied buildings.

    This is the complete guide to what each project gets, what it builds, when residents will see results, and where the money came from.

    The Funding Mechanism — How $23 Million Got Approved Without Raising a Tax

    The vote did not change a tax rate or raise a fee. The money flowed out of the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, which is fed by two voter-authorized sales taxes specifically earmarked for affordable and supportive housing.

    The Council’s Human Services Department screened applications and recommended a slate of six projects for funding. The April 24 vote moved that slate into capital allocation.

    That mechanism matters: it’s the difference between a county “spending more on housing” and a county “moving already-collected dedicated revenue into specific projects.” This was the latter. The funding stream existed; the vote chose where to direct it.

    Project One — Everett Gospel Mission: $5.8 Million for 172 Beds

    The Mission’s award was the largest of the six, at $5.8 million. The grant goes toward a 172-bed expansion of the Mission’s existing shelter at 3530 Smith Avenue — roughly tripling the current building’s footprint.

    Total project budget: approximately $30 million. The county’s $5.8 million stacks on top of money already committed by the City of Everett, prior philanthropic giving, and a state legislative allocation approved earlier in 2026.

    CEO Sylvia Anderson has said construction is targeted for an October or November 2026 start. The first phase is intended to be open for the 2027 cold-weather season.

    The expanded building will have:

    • Separate spaces for men and women
    • 24-hour on-site staff
    • A small store for residents to access necessities
    • Kennels and a wash station for residents’ pets
    • A craft room

    The current shelter keeps operating throughout construction.

    For Everett residents, the Mission’s expansion is the closest thing to a measurable change in the city’s homeless-response capacity over the next 18 months. The Mission already runs the largest emergency shelter in Snohomish County. After the expansion, it will be larger by roughly a factor of three.

    Project Two — Helping Hands at Broadway 33: $4.2 Million for 28 Apartments

    The second-largest Everett-bound award was $4.2 million to the Helping Hands Project for a 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway, in the city’s North Broadway corridor.

    According to the county, the building will serve “those who are disadvantaged or have special needs.” The Helping Hands Project, a Snohomish County nonprofit, has been moving the project forward under the working name Broadway 33. Project completion is currently targeted for February 2028.

    For neighbors on North Broadway, the practical effect is two parcels currently fronting the corridor moving from their current condition into a permitted, occupied apartment building over the next 22 months. For the city’s affordable-housing inventory, it is 28 deed-restricted units that did not exist before.

    Project Three — Everett Station District Alliance: 58 Units on Smith Avenue

    The third Everett-located award went to the Everett Station District Alliance, the nonprofit working to redevelop the area around Everett Station into a transit-oriented neighborhood. ESDA’s planned project at 3102 Smith Avenue is a 58-unit, low-income mixed-use building.

    According to ESDA’s own filings, the unit mix breaks down as 15 units at 30 percent of area median income (the deepest affordability tier in the county’s stack), with the remaining units at higher AMI tiers up through 60 percent.

    For the Station District redevelopment plan — which has been in motion for years and is now formally a service area for the rebranded Stations Unidos community development corporation — a 58-unit affordable building at this location is a meaningful piece of the deed-restricted inventory near transit. The project complements rather than competes with the Stations Unidos anti-displacement mandate covering the same neighborhood.

    What Everett Will Look Like When These Three Projects Are Done

    Add the numbers:

    • Mission expansion: 172 beds (shelter)
    • Helping Hands Broadway 33: 28 apartments (affordable housing)
    • ESDA Smith Avenue: 58 units (mixed-income, transit-oriented affordable)

    Total addition: 172 shelter beds plus 86 deed-restricted housing units in two buildings, on three sites within walking distance of central Everett.

    Three of the four named locations — 3530 Smith Avenue, 3102 Smith Avenue, and 2410-2412 Broadway — sit inside the central Everett corridor that touches both the Station District and the North Broadway corridor. That is geographic concentration of supportive and affordable housing capital, not scattering.

    For the city, the stack-up is: existing emergency-shelter capacity, plus 172 new shelter beds, plus 86 new permanent affordable units, plus the existing affordable inventory (including the Stations Unidos service area and the 28-unit Helping Hands project), all coming online in roughly the same window.

    Why The Other Three Projects Matter to Everett Residents Too

    The remaining $13 million of the $23 million round funded three projects outside Everett city limits but inside Snohomish County. These projects will not be Everett addresses, but they affect the regional shelter and behavioral health network that Everett residents access.

    The county’s regional system means a tight Everett shelter sends people to Lynnwood; a tight Lynnwood shelter sends people to Marysville; capacity expansion in any of those cities relieves pressure across the whole. The April 24 award was a regional capacity move, not three isolated Everett wins.

    Timeline — When Residents See Concrete Change

    Working backwards from openings:

    • Mission first phase — open for the 2027 cold-weather season; construction start October–November 2026
    • Broadway 33 — completion targeted February 2028
    • ESDA Smith Avenue — completion timeline depends on full-stack financing close (the county grant is part, not all, of the project capital)

    For Everett residents tracking the city’s homelessness and affordability response, that means visible change starts on Smith Avenue late in 2026, with measurable bed and unit additions through 2027 and into early 2028.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How much did Snohomish County award in the April 24 2026 housing vote, and what funded it?

    A: The Council unanimously approved approximately $23 million across six projects. The funding came from the county’s Housing and Behavioral Health Capital Fund, fed by two voter-authorized sales taxes earmarked for affordable and supportive housing. The vote did not change a tax rate or raise a fee.

    Q: How much did the Everett Gospel Mission receive, and what does it build?

    A: $5.8 million toward a 172-bed expansion of the existing shelter at 3530 Smith Avenue — roughly tripling the building’s footprint. Total project cost is approximately $30 million; the grant stacks with earlier City of Everett, philanthropic, and state legislative funding.

    Q: When will the Everett Gospel Mission expansion open?

    A: Construction is targeted to start October or November 2026. The first phase is intended to be open in time for the 2027 cold-weather season.

    Q: What is Broadway 33?

    A: Broadway 33 is the working name for the Helping Hands Project’s 28-unit affordable apartment building at 2410 and 2412 Broadway in north Everett, funded in part by the $4.2 million county grant. Completion is targeted for February 2028. The building will serve disadvantaged residents and those with special needs.

    Q: What is ESDA building at 3102 Smith Avenue?

    A: A 58-unit, low-income mixed-use transit-oriented development. The unit mix begins with 15 units at 30 percent of area median income — the deepest affordability tier — with remaining units at higher AMI tiers through 60 percent.

    Q: How many new shelter beds and affordable units will land in Everett from this round?

    A: 172 new shelter beds (Mission expansion) plus 86 deed-restricted permanent affordable housing units (28 at Broadway 33, 58 at ESDA Smith Avenue), across three sites in central Everett.

    Q: How does this round connect to Stations Unidos?

    A: The ESDA project is in the Station District service area now formally covered by the rebranded Stations Unidos community development corporation. The 58-unit affordable building complements the Stations Unidos anti-displacement mandate and adds deed-restricted inventory near transit.

    Q: Did the April 24 vote raise property or sales taxes in Snohomish County?

    A: No. The vote moved already-collected revenue from two voter-authorized sales taxes (earmarked for affordable and supportive housing) into specific capital projects. There was no tax rate change or new fee created by the vote.