SCIP executive board recommends $4.1 million for four South King County housing projects; Auburn asked to authorize $161,487

Claire Goodwin, executive manager for the South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SCIP), presented the SCIP Executive Board’s 2024 recommendations for the SCIP Housing Capital Fund to the Auburn City Council during the Feb. 24 study session and asked the council to authorize allocation of funds from Auburn’s annual contributions.

SCIP’s executive board recommended funding four projects across South King County with a combined allocation of $4,100,000, drawn from pooled local contributions and state programs. Goodwin described SCIP as “your sub regional affordable housing consortium made up of 11 South King County cities, your city included, plus King County,” and explained that SCIP pools funds from Substitute House Bill 1406, House Bill 1590 and participating cities’ general funds to finance construction and preservation of affordable housing.

The four projects recommended by the SCIP Executive Board are: - Mercy Housing NW — Burien Family Housing (Burien): a 91‑unit new construction multifamily rental development; SCIP recommended adding $2,000,000 to a prior award for this project. - TWG’s (Star Lake project) — a 251‑unit multifamily mixed‑use rental adjacent to the Kent Star Lake Link station; SCIP recommended $770,000 (adds to a prior award). - MultiService Center — White River Apartments (Auburn): a 24‑unit rehabilitation and preservation project supporting households at 30–60% AMI; SCIP recommended $775,000 toward the project. - Habitat for Humanity — Burien Miller Creek (Burien): a 40‑unit affordable homeownership project (20 units average 50% AMI; 20 units up to 80% AMI); SCIP recommended $555,000 (adds to a prior award).

Goodwin said the SCIP funding process seeks geographic diversity among funded projects and that Auburn’s annual contribution to the SCIP Housing Capital Fund would be applied as follows under the executive board recommendation: $121,507 for the MultiService Center White River Apartments rehabilitation in Auburn and $39,980 toward the Habitat for Humanity Burien Miller Creek homeownership project, for a total of $161,487 from Auburn. Goodwin noted that use of pooled funds requires each participating city’s concurrence under SCIP’s interlocal agreement and that the council’s authorization is the final step before SCIP issues award letters.

Council members welcomed Auburn’s proposed share of funding for the White River Apartments. Council member Tracy Taylor asked how the city could be sure pooled funds would return as projects in Auburn; Goodwin said SCIP has an adopted priority to seek geographic diversity and that the program is still early in its third funding round, noting that Auburn’s White River Apartments award would be the first SCIP project located in Auburn to date.

No formal vote on a resolution was taken during the study session; Goodwin asked for the council’s concurrence and indicated SCIP would return with award letters after jurisdictions authorize allocations consistent with the interlocal agreement.

The council did not act on the authorization at the Feb. 24 study session; SCIP staff left the recommended funding breakdown for council consideration and said they would return for formal concurrence or as part of the council’s upcoming agenda items.