Ten Years Of Mixed-Income Housing In Seattle

A look at the NewHolly HOPE VI public housing development, complete with successes and failures.

1 minute read

July 15, 2005, 9:00 AM PDT

By David Gest


"NewHolly, the mixed income redevelopment in Southeast Seattle sprung from the public-housing project Holly Park" with help from a HOPE VI grant. The Seattle Housing Authority is finally "[o]n the verge of completing the 118-acre, 1,451-unit redevelopment after more than a decade of planning and building...What NewHolly has revealed is that the presence of public-housing residents doesn't matter a damn to home buyers in Seattle's crazy real-estate bubble." The increased density of NewHolly makes it relatively unique among HOPE VI projects, although "Housing Authority officials say that 25 percent of its homes are 'affordable,' but that's affordable to lower-middle-class folks making 80 percent of the area's median income (and even then it's a stretch), not public-housing residents who earn less than 30 percent of the median." Has the project improved the neighborhood, and the lives of original residents?

Thanks to David Gest

Wednesday, July 13, 2005 in Seattle Weekly

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

April 24 - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 24 - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent