SEATTLE – The city of Seattle's oldest low-income housing project, Yesler Terrace, continues its multi-year overhaul.
The Seattle Housing Authority opened the Raven Terrace last Friday near downtown Seattle. It's an 83-unit apartment building that's open to current or returning Yesler Terrace residents.
The SHA says the 561 World War II-era units are aging so the Seattle Housing Authority is redeveloping this whole area.
In 2011, amidst talk of the plans, some Yesler Terrace residents worried that the city would wipe out the housing project. Others feared gentrification. That's because the SHA has sold some land nearby to private developers who plan mostly market-rate housing with 25% low-income units set aside. SHA claims everyone who had to be relocated will get to move back into one of the new buildings.
Sue Van is one of Raven Terrace's newest residents. She officially moves in Friday. She moved from Vietnam 25 years ago and is taking a lot of pride in her new space.
"I really love it," she beamed Thursday. "First time in my life I have a new house. You know, I'm low income. That's why I cannot have a good house, but now I've got it!"
It will be at least a decade before this overhaul is completed.
SHA says it will more than triple the number of affordable housing units in the neighborhood to about 1,800. Altogether, there will be about 5,000 new units once the mixed-unit overhaul is done.
