For Thomas Ii, music has always been part of who he is. Growing up in Hawaiʻi, on the west side of O’ahu island, he learned to play by listening as family members filled the house with songs on the guitar and ukulele.
“I learned it by ear,” he said. “The singing just came natural.”
Today, his music once again fills a room—this time at Sheila Stanton Place, where he often plays during community dinners with neighbors and local faith leaders.
Having a home again has made that possible.
A home that makes healing possible
Thomas moved to Kirkland years ago to be close to his daughter after she was diagnosed with cancer.
“I said, ‘I’m retired. I’m coming.'”
As his own health declined, he found himself living in his van.
“I call it houseless, not homeless,” Thomas said. “I have a home back home in Hawaiʻi.”
When City of Kirkland Homeless Outreach Coordinator Meli Paulo first met him, they immediately connected through their shared Pacific Islander roots.
“I realized he was Polynesian,” Meli said. “That’s when we clicked right away.”
For her, the next step was clear. “What Thomas needed first was housing.”
Earlier this year, Thomas moved into Sheila Stanton Place, a permanent supportive housing community developed through King County’s Health Through Housing initiative and operated by Plymouth Housing. It is the first community of its kind in Kirkland and the second Health Through Housing location on the Eastside, joining Haven Heights in Redmond.
“I knew things would start getting better,” Thomas said. “And they did.”
A legacy of compassion
The building is named in honor of Sheila Stanton, a beloved Kirkland community leader who dedicated her life to serving neighbors experiencing homelessness. Through community meals, outreach, and quiet acts of compassion, she helped countless people feel seen, valued, and supported.
For Thomas, Sheila Stanton Place carries special meaning. Years before moving into Sheila Stanton Place, he met Sheila Stanton while volunteering alongside her at a community dinner in Kirkland. Today, he lives in a community that carries forward her legacy of compassion.
“Sheila believed in people,” said Thomas. “Living here feels like her kindness is still with us.”
More than housing
Permanent supportive housing combines affordable homes with on-site services that help people maintain stability, improve their health, and rebuild their lives.
For Thomas, it meant finally being able to focus on his health instead of simply surviving.
“I cannot do it by myself,” he said. “Here, there are services. One day at a time.”
Meli has watched that transformation firsthand.
“Since Thomas has moved into Sheila Stanton Place, his health has gotten so much better,” she said. “Now that he’s housed, he can focus on his health and continue moving forward.”
Across King County’s Health Through Housing communities, the approach is delivering measurable results. Ninety-three percent of permanent supportive housing residents remain stably housed. Residents also experience fewer hospitalizations, fewer emergency room visits, and reduced involvement with crisis systems.
Sharing aloha
For Thomas, stability has also meant rediscovering something deeply personal.
“Music is the language of having something good in your life,” he said. “It puts me in a place where I belong.”
At community dinners hosted by local faith leaders, Thomas now shares songs—and a piece of home—with neighbors. “It’s about sharing the aloha,” he said. “It’s sharing my culture. It’s sharing me.”
Thomas hopes people see residents at Sheila Stanton Place for who they are. “We’re all here trying to get better. We all have a story.”
Hope lives here
Sheila Stanton Place provides 101 permanent supportive housing homes for adults exiting homelessness on the Eastside. Developed in partnership with Plymouth Housing and the City of Kirkland, Sheila Stanton Place reflects what is possible when local governments, service providers, and communities work together to address homelessness with compassion and proven solutions.
For Thomas, the impact is simple. “My God is not done with me yet,” he said. “I still have work to do—helping people, sharing my manaʻo (knowledge), and sharing hope.”
Then he smiled.
“This is our home.”