“I think there's great opportunity for Housing Connector to expand across King County, across Washington state, and across the nation,” said Rutherford. “This partnership has meant a lot because there is such a need for affordable housing.”īoth Thomas and Rutherford are excited for the program’s future. “I’m very passionate about affordable housing and being able to provide homes for people in need and having that reform and the chance to get back on their feet,” said Thomas. Of the 242 apartments, there are currently 32 units occupied by Housing Connector participants. The community was constructed in 2021 and began leasing up in 2022. Lea Thomas is a regional portfolio manager for FPI and one of her properties is Capella at Esterra Park in Redmond’s Overlake Village. Housing Connector can also step in to assist with rent up to three times over the two-year period, assist with move in costs, and help with up to $5,000 of property damage if needed. The second year Housing Connector takes over the responsibility as the case manager and provides an additional year of support. 'There is such a need for affordable housing.' If you never reach out, you're going to continue to slip through the cracks and things are going to look more and more hopeless.” The sooner you reach out, the sooner you can get help. When asked what he’d say to others who are experiencing homelessness in the area, he said, “Reach out. It’s a lot of stuff that you need to function at a basic level.” Also, it gives me easy access to Internet and got me out of the weather. It's hard to do that in public sometimes. “Somewhere where you can just sit in silence or process your emotions. “Housing provides me security and privacy,” said Munro. Now in his new home, Munro appreciates some basics that many take for granted – running water, hot water, a refrigerator, and a door. She found the apartment, handled the leasing process, and I just needed to sit down, sign, and initial.” “I honestly had some serious doubt to begin with because most people can't do much for your scenario,” said Munro. With Rutherford’s help, Munro was able to secure a home this past summer. 'Housing provides me security and privacy.' “I was working at the time and really it was just getting into an apartment, which seemed almost impossible,” he said. I don't need a rehab program or job training,” Munro told Rutherford. He had narrowed down his needs to just housing. “I sent Tisza an email, she got back to me, and then we sat down, and I explained my situation and what I needed assistance with,” said Munro.

One individual who contacted her and was a good fit was Nicholas Munro. “If an individual seems responsible and that they would be fairly easy to move into housing, but just have some barriers, then I know that they would be a good fit.”Īt any given time, Rutherford has 25 to 30 clients that she thinks, based on her screening questions and experience, would be a good match for the program. “If an individual comes to me and they are looking for a home, I will typically find out their housing history and some general screening questions about employment, income, and credit history,” she said. Housing Connector partners with landlords around King County, Pierce County, and Denver, Colorado, to reduce screening criteria to help individuals get into homes where they might have had barriers getting into traditional housing before, explained Rutherford. This partnership is one of the numerous ways that the City is providing housing choices for all. In Redmond’s first six months of contracting with Housing Connector, a program committed to lowering barriers to housing and increasing the region’s affordable housing capacity, 18 households have found homes through the program. Tisza Rutherford, Redmond's Homeless Outreach Administrator Tisza Rutherford, Redmond’s Homeless Outreach AdministratorĮnhancing Livability with Housing Connections This program is launching people into housing much faster and sets them up for success.” Without this opportunity with Housing Connector, they would probably be continuing to do that, while whittling away at their credit and paying off past debt. “I work with individuals who could have moved into housing years ago - many of them living in their cars, while also working.

Housing connector