Your Gift Shelters Families

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded $1 million to United Way of Pierce County to help solve the affordable housing crisis in Pierce County. Especially for the many Pierce County families making less than $40,000 a year, housing of any kind is becoming almost impossible to find and afford.

United Way partnered with the City of Tacoma by combining the Gates’ award with $500,000 from the Tacoma Community Redevelopment Authority (TCRA) to create the Housing Trust Fund Demonstration Project. This collaboration provides a leveraging opportunity for local developers to access foundation and grant monies that will increase the potential for building affordable housing units.

The Fund made its first award of $200,000 to Habitat for Humanity for their Reynolds Park and Larabee Terrace affordable housing projects. While the total cost of these projects is over $4 million, this demonstration of local support will allow the leveraging of critical state monies. These projects will make home ownership a reality for 28 families making 25-50% of the Area Median Income. These families will put in more than 500 hours of labor each in helping to build their own homes and the homes of their neighbors.

Both Reynolds Park and Larabee Terrace will use a family friendly cul-de-sac design with street lights, sidewalks and a playground.

You LIVE UNITED by sheltering families.