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Rhonda Rosenberg, Director of Communications, 206-574-1185
April 9, 2010
Community celebration to be held on April 15
The Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority (SWHA) Board of Commissioners and King County Housing Authority staff will gather with residents of Hillsview on April 15 to celebrate the recent completion of more than $189,000 in improvements to this 60-unit public housing complex. The renovation improved the safety and reduced energy consumption for Hillsview’s 64 elderly and disabled residents.
Funding for the project was awarded to SWHA in April 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The money is part of a $4 billion boost for housing authorities nationwide to preserve and enhance the country’s public housing stock.
“This initiative helped stimulate our local economy and improved the safety and comfort of affordable housing for our most vulnerable residents,” said Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority Board Chair Kacy Johnson.
Upgrades to Hillsview included the installation of energy-efficient lighting for and upgrades to interior hallways, lobby areas, and the elevator, and uneven floors were replaced with new plywood and carpeting to assist mobility-impaired residents. All fire and apartment entry doors were replaced. Environmentally-responsible products including low-VOC paints and carpet made from recycled material were used. In compliance with the requirements of the ARRA legislation, all fixtures and other purchased items were manufactured in the United States.
Hillsview resident Joan Mason is pleased with the result. “Hillsview has always been a delightful place to live and the remodel has made it even better,” said Mason. “The improvements to the lobby, the elevator, and the hallways make the building much more hospitality oriented. It makes you proud to come into your building and invite your friends in.”
The King County Housing Authority is under contract to oversee the daily operations of SWHA. “One of our top priorities is to maintain the highest possible standards of safety and well-being for the community’s seniors and persons with disabilities,” said Stephen Norman, executive director of KCHA and secretary to SWHA. “These enhancements ensure the longevity of this much-needed public resource. It also means lower utility bills for residents, putting more money back into the pockets of our poorest citizens.” Without ARRA funds, these upgrades would have had to be tackled over the course of three to four years, as funding permitted.
The project helped offset declining investment in the region due to the recession. A recent study by the Econsult Corporation measured the economic impact of public housing. It showed that every dollar in public housing construction generates $2.12 in economic return through job creation, spending by vendors and suppliers, purchases of goods and services and increased consumer demand. Of the $3 billion provided in formula grants to public housing authorities nationally, 99.9 percent was under contract and underway by last month’s deadline.
Michael Strom, owner of Old World Construction, the general contractor for the project, experienced this firsthand. “This project was a boon to our business,” said Strom. “Not only did I not have to lay off any workers between October 2009 and January 2010, I ended up hiring six new crew members from the Skagit County area for the duration of the project.”
Architectural services were provided by ORB Architects. BCE Engineers, Inc. was the mechanical and electrical engineering firm. The electrical contractor was Standard Wire Company, and the mechanical contractor was Emerald Aire. About 15–20 workers from a variety of trades were employed on the project. Old World Construction, which is located in Des Moines, Wash., rented quarters in Sedro-Woolley for two of its workers, who lived there for three months while the project was underway. Work was completed in January.
The Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority owns 80 units of public housing.