Plymouth plans to build 800 permanent homes for people experiencing homelessness

Tuesday, Plymouth Housing Group announced an initiative to build 800 units of permanent, supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. The organization also announced that its capital campaign for the projects, called Proof, is already more than half-funded, with $48.8 million from businesses and private donors already secured out of a $75 million goal. The projects, said Plymouth, will nearly double the amount of households served by the group.

Money from the campaign would also establish an endowment to bolster support services and a fund to maintain five downtown buildings already operated by Plymouth.

Plymouth operates on a “housing first” model—aptly, an approach that provides housing while people receive whatever support they need, like medical attention or counseling. Studies have shown that the method is effective at preventing homelessness, and that being proactive (e.g., providing ongoing shelter and care) instead of reactive (e.g., emergency room visits) costs less than other methods. Plymouth reports their own success rate at keeping people housed long-term at 94 percent.

It’s just a matter of having the money to get started. Multifamily housing costs a lot of money to build in Seattle, whether it’s market rate or affordable—one developer claimed to the Seattle Times that costs rose 35 percent the first half of this decade. Bellwether Housing, another local affordable housing provider, said last year that the typical cost per unit is $300,000.

https://seattle.curbed.com/2019/6/12/18663464/housing-first-seattle-homeless-plymouth