On Nov. 19, City Councilmember Kshama Sawant gathered with tenants of the Rainier Court Apartments to pressure the landlord to commit to not increasing rent in 2022 and to fixing problematic living conditions — two demands of Sawant’s larger plan to implement rent control citywide, ahead of an impending recall election.
Tenants living in the Dakota and Courtland Place buildings of the Rainier Court Apartments, who spoke at the rally, said that their standard of living has been lowered by mold, long maintenance wait times, and questionable security.
Michael Seiwerath thrives at the intersection of affordable housing and the arts.
For more than a decade, Seiwerath oversaw fund development, governmental relations, and communications for Community Roots Housing, formerly Capitol Hill Housing, where he was vice president of advancement and external affairs. He was also the founding executive director of Community Roots Housing Foundation, an independent nonprofit which helped fund Community Roots.
In August, Columbia City and Hillman City received an historic honor: a prestigious Arts & Cultural District designation from Mayor Jenny Durkan. Now forever linked—and not just by Rainier Avenue—the two diverse, multicultural neighborhoods, which are comprised of about 13,000 people, can further showcase their dozens of art and music venues—from the Columbia City Theater to the Royal Room and the soon-to-be-opened Black and Tan Hall. To get a sense of what this new arts and culture designation means for the area exactly, the South Seattle Emerald reached out to Kathy Fowells, Director of SEEDArts, which was one of the many organizations responsible for getting the initiative to the Mayor’s office. Fowells discussed what the future holds for the neighborhoods, what an arts app might look for them and much more.
With a serious housing crisis looming over us like a dark cloud, the Lake Washington Apartments provide shelter from the storm. As you arrive, you immediately notice the gate and guard house, but on closer inspection you see children playing tag, kicking soccer balls, and mingling with other kids that don’t necessarily look like them. This was the scene at the community gathering held last Thursday to celebrate the recently completed rehabilitation of the Lake Washington Apartments. Continue reading Renovated Apartment Complex a Boon for Affordable Housing→
SouthEast Effective Development (SEED) and Artspace are partnering with Sound Transit to present “Connect the Dots,” a free neighborhood art event — celebrating community, culture, entertainment and sustainable transportation. Connect the Dots will take place on Saturday, June 28th from 11am to 3pm starting at the Mt. Baker Light Rail Station Plaza (2415 South McClellan Street, Seattle, WA 98144), where many of Artspace Mt. Baker Loft’s commercial spaces will be open to the public (2915 Rainier Avenue S., Seattle, WA, 98144). Also—street food, live music, and skateboarding demonstrations by Skate Like A Girl can be found in the Plaza.
LQ Lion Dance will make an appearance and at 12:00pm, the Chaotic Noise Marching Band will lead the way in the “Connect the Dots” parade, followed by Boys and Girls Scout Troops heading south on Rainier Ave towards Walden Avenue and then to the Claremont Apartments (3333 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle WA 98144) for more activities. OneSevenNine, a local artist who focuses on color, folklore, imagination, and fairytales, will be teaching art classes in one of the Claremont storefronts. There will also be a pop-up arts and crafts fair showcasing local designers, record collectors, vintage clothing outfitters, handmade goods, and more. DJ Wizdumb will be spinning records in the Plaza while specially selected food trucks from the SouthEnd serve up some fine eats!
SEED is a non-profit community development corporation with the mission to improve the quality of life in Southeast Seattle by creating partnerships and inspiring investments in housing, arts and economic development – with a special focus on residents with fewer opportunities and resources. In 2011, SEED developed the Claremont Apartments, a new mixed use project on Rainier Avenue South — offering affordable living units and commercial space.
Artspace is a non-profit real estate developer whose mission is to create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists and art organizations. Artspace Mt. Baker Lofts opens in June, and includes 57 units of affordable apartments for artists and their families and a commercial ground floor of community-focused businesses.
Together SEED and Artspace, along with Sound Transit will start the transformation of Rainier Avenue South into an “urban village” where friends, family, commuters and community members can easily indulge in an affordable, safe, and sustainable lifestyle.
Amplifying the Authentic Narratives of South Seattle
