Completed this year, the development earned a four-star Built Green certification while taking advantage of improved property close to public transit and bike trails, shopping, restaurants, and some of Seattle’s most popular parks. Families living in the development will be within walking distance of public, charter, and private schools. Habitat’s mission is to assure that everyone has a decent and affordable place to live. In Seattle and King County, Habitat is committed to balancing that mission with environmental concerns.

By acquiring the Capitol Hill property, Habitat assured that the development would be transit oriented. The multi-story condominium construction allows for affordable density on a relatively small footprint in a vital neighborhood. Habitat continually nurtures relationships with architects, manufacturers, and suppliers to reuse green designs and techniques that work, holding costs down for the future Homeowner.

For this project, Habitat was able to install hybrid heat pump water heaters and ductless electric space heating throughout the development, earning it high points for energy efficiency. The project mitigated 95% of the stormwater runoff from the roof and site to improve function and minimize local water and groundwater pollution. The units’ interior materials used low VOC paints and flooring materials as well as assuring proper ventilation for maximum interior air quality. The use of locally sourced and recycled-content materials and achieving a 90% landfill diversion rate of new construction waste helped to minimize the project’s environmental impact.

Qualifying homebuyers for the Capitol Hill condos must finance their purchase with a mortgage. Habitat helps to cover any portion of the projected purchase price not covered by the mortgage, cash down payment, or other down payment help. Habitat SKC inaugurated a black homeownership initiative (BHI) in 2022 in partnership with several Seattle civic organizations that includes a pilot debt remediation program to improve loan eligibility for BIPOC families to start building toward generational wealth. Eleven of the 13 available units on Capitol Hill are already purchased with 5 going to BIPOC homebuyers.

Habitat works with homebuyers to assure the mortgage payments do not exceed 35% of their gross income. Monthly payments for the one, two and three-bedroom Capitol Hill condos range from $1,050 to $2,500. Homebuyers also receive ongoing budget management training in free Habitat classes. Habitat’s formula for affordable homeownership includes sweat equity in the form of volunteer hours. Due to the complexity of the multi-story building, Capitol Hill homebuyers have donated their time to other projects as well as to supporting Habitat’s Re-Stores. Ultimately, the property will be placed in a land trust providing permanent affordability for future generations.

The combination of green construction, close transit, shopping, and schools with affordable homeownership make Habitat for Humanity’s Capitol Hill 11th Avenue condominium homes a formidable prototype for addressing the area’s housing crisis. Habitat, in partnership with GreenCanopy Node, will soon break ground on another project – 17 units in six stories just South of Capitol Hill --that is also planning to achieve a Built Green 4-Star certification.