We’re thrilled to be opening the doors at Corvidae Co-op, a new cohousing community in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Our first Development Lab project, Corvidae is a major milestone for us and for everyone who believes in better, more equitable housing.

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With Allied8 as architects and co-developers, along with the collaboration of co-op residents and our partners at Green Canopy NODE and Urban Black, we transformed an empty lot zoned for single-family housing into a beautiful, cooperatively-owned community of 10 homes.

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Our shared ownership model has allowed for small down payments from $8k to $30k, making homes affordable to households earning 50-120% AMI. Subsidies and down payment assistance from the Seattle Office of Housing, HomeSight , and Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County brought down payments even lower for a handful of residents. This project and the others that follow will help build a bridge to homeownership for generational renters, allowing them to build equity, stability, and stronger community.

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Thank you to our lenders: 1st Security Bank of Washington, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund, LEAF (Local Enterprise Assistance Fund) , Verity Credit Union, and National Cooperative Bank. Without your leadership and vision, this dream would never have been possible. It was no easy feat, but the lessons learned and tools created in the past few years will pave the way for many more communities like Corvidae!

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Photos by Rafael Soldi and Netra Nei.