Seahawks Owner Paul Allen Partners With City Of Seattle To Provide $35M Plan To Support Homeless Families

Paul Allen furthered his commitment to ending Washington state’s homelessness crisis on Wednesday, announcing a partnership with the City of Seattle that will put a total of $35 million toward the cause. The Seahawks owner’s Paul G. Allen Foundation will provide $30 million to develop permanent supportive housing and onsite community services for families with children experiencing homelessness in the Seattle-area, while the city itself will commit $5 million in capital as well as additional funds to support, operate, and maintain the center. "This money will be focused on building permanent housing for homeless families and children so that we can reach our commitment in the next 18 months that there are no children and their families on our streets,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said Wednesday morning at a press conference announcing the partnership. “Paul Allen understands the homelessness crisis requires everyone in our community, particularly our business leaders, to help,” Murray added. “This partnership with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation will build permanent supportive housing for vulnerable homeless families with children and help the City leverage our affordable housing funds 6-to-1."Mercy Housing Northwest, a non-profit developer of affordable housing that operates 48 properties in the state of Washington, will oversee the development, ownership, and operation of the multi-family complex, with other non-profit providers expected to partner with Mercy Housing to provide community services for children and their families. “This remarkable partnership between Paul Allen and the City of Seattle will make lasting opportunities for families most in need,” said Bill Rumpf, President of Mercy Housing Northwest. “We are grateful for the opportunity to create affordable apartments and a family service center where parents and children can get out of homelessness, regain resilience and dignity, and pursue economic mobility.” Wednesday’s announcement adds to a series of actions Allen has taken in an effort to end the cycle of homelessness in the Seattle-area. Last December, Allen teamed with Cocoon House — a non-profit that provides services for homeless and at-risk families — and the Seahawks to help raise a total of $280,874 for vulnerable youth in the Pacific Northwest, and according to Vulcan Inc. CEO Bill Hilf, just last year Allen provided $3 million in housing for homeless services for non-profits such as Compass Housing Alliance, YouthCare, and Low Income Housing Institute. "This commitment is an example of the incredible difference our philanthropic and business leaders can make in our community, as I called on others to do during my State of the City speech this year,” Murray said. "Thank you to Paul Allen, his family, and the foundation for making this incredibly generous investment to address this crisis.” According to the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation’s website, details on the housing center’s design, location, and target opening date will be released in the coming months.

Seahawks Owner Paul Allen Partners With City Of Seattle To Provide $35M Plan To Support Homeless Families

Seahawks owner Paul Allen will provide $30 million toward the development of permanent housing and community services for Seattle-area homeless.