For years, Abdi Farah worried about losing the home where his family lived.
The two-bedroom apartment they rented was in poor condition. Repairs were often delayed, and the family was charged unexpected maintenance fees on top of rent. Afraid of eviction, Abdi paid the bills even when the charges didn’t seem right.
That changed after he attended a Know Your Rights training hosted by African Community Housing & Development (ACHD). There, Abdi learned that some of the fees he had been paying were illegal—including costs for building repairs that were the landlord’s responsibility.
“Stories like Abdi’s are common,” said Hamdi Abdulle, President and CEO of ACHD.
“Some landlords know they are exploiting people,” Abdulle said. “Because of language barriers, immigrant families are more vulnerable to evictions, poor maintenance, and being treated unfairly.”
For years, ACHD has helped low-income families navigate housing challenges, fight evictions, and advocate for safe living conditions. Through that work, community members voiced a larger concern: They wanted affordable housing where families could stay rooted in the communities they helped build.
“We organized a series of conversations and listening sessions with residents, business owners, and advocates,” Abdulle said. “Those conversations identified the need for more family-sized affordable housing, cultural gathering spaces, and economic opportunities.”
Now, ACHD, in partnership with Mercy Housing, is developing the African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village, a mixed-use community in SeaTac with affordable three- and four-bedroom homes for larger families, services for immigrant and refugee households, youth programs, and community gathering space.
The development reflects something community members have long advocated for: not simply development in their neighborhoods, but development shaped by the people who live there.
Helping communities stay rooted as housing costs skyrocket
The African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village is one of three affordable housing projects supported by the Department of Community & Human Services’ (DCHS) new King County Equitable Development Initiative (EDI).
King County EDI is a community-designed initiative to reduce displacement by investing in community-led and community-owned real estate projects—giving communities most affected by displacement greater power to shape and own the future of their neighborhoods.
Displacement is about more than having to move. When rising housing and business costs push people from their neighborhoods, communities can also lose cultural institutions, small businesses, gathering places, relationships, and a sense of belonging built over generations.
The pressures are particularly acute in South King County. King County data shows communities including Skyway-West Hill, Renton, Kent, Tukwila, SeaTac, and East Federal Way have some of the county’s highest rates of eviction and households spend more than half their income on housing.
These pressures are connected to decades of disinvestment and inequitable access to land, housing, and economic opportunity, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.
In 2022, the King County Equitable Development Initiative Coalition—a coalition of grassroots organizations led by and serving communities of color—worked with the King County Council to establish a countywide equitable development initiative in response to rising displacement.
Community leadership continues to shape the initiative. King County EDI is guided by an Interim Advisory Board (IAB) representing communities most impacted by displacement.
“Participating in the advisory board and the funding award process has been a powerful way to be involved,” said Dimitri Groce, an IAB member and White Center resident. “Housing and community development shapes our region’s diversity and culture, and when we invest in community-based organizations that can best represent the needs of our community, we also strengthen the civic fabric for a more inclusive and equitable King County.”
In January, following recommendations from a panel of community advisors, King County EDI awarded more than $9 million and leveraged more than $5 million in additional funding for three community-led housing developments:
- African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village: African Community Housing & Development will create 138 affordable homes in SeaTac, including larger family-sized homes for households earning 30% to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI), along with space for early learning, youth programs, community businesses, and cultural gatherings.
- Little Sài Gòn Landmark Project: Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority will create 70 affordable homes for households earning 30% to 50% of AMI, along with community and cultural space operated by Friends of Little Sài Gòn to support cultural preservation and economic opportunity.
- Rainier Beach Empowerment Center: East African Community Services will create 60 affordable homes, including larger family-sized homes, serving households earning 30% to 60% of AMI. The development will also include homes for young adults diverted from incarceration and families that include a person with a disability, along with community space and programs for youth and immigrant families.
Together, the developments show what equitable development can look like when communities most affected by displacement have a meaningful role in deciding what gets built, who it serves, and how investment can strengthen existing communities.
“Programs like King County EDI are critical to addressing racial and economic disparities in land and housing,” said Jelani Jackson, acting director of DCHS’ Housing and Community Development Division. “King County EDI is investing in development projects that strengthen communities and exemplify King County’s vision that every community be safe, connected, and housed.”
For Abdi, the African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village represents more than new housing. It represents the possibility that families like his can remain in the communities they call home—and live in places where their cultures, families, and experiences are reflected and welcomed.
For ACHD, the investment also recognizes years of community organizing and advocacy.
“Receiving an award from King County EDI represents hope that we can finally get the support our community needs to thrive,” Abdulle said.
Building community power for what comes next
King County EDI is also investing in community organizations and emerging developers so they can build the capacity to develop and own affordable housing and other community assets.
These investments help address a longstanding barrier: community organizations often know what their neighborhoods need but may lack the capital, staffing, or technical resources to compete in the traditional development system.
By investing in that capacity, King County EDI is helping more community-led projects move from vision to reality—and giving communities greater ownership and decision-making power over development in their neighborhoods.
Later this year, King County EDI will release additional funding opportunities for projects that promote cultural vibrancy and non-housing community development.
To learn more and stay up to date on funding opportunities, visit the King County EDI webpage and DCHS Funding Opportunities webpage.
To receive King County EDI news and updates by email, contact KC.EDI@kingcounty.gov to join the King County EDI email list.