King County Journal: September 9, 2005

Harrison House's face-lift

'Out of a score of 10, I give it an 11'

By Mike Archbold
Journal Reporter

KENT -- Harrison House -- the new and improved model -- is finally back together.

Three years of renovation and remodeling and $3.9 million have turned the 13-year-old low-income senior housing project into a modern-looking apartment building.

The big beige box on the corner of Fourth and Meeker is now a pleasant gold and green.

Best of all, it is no longer sick.

The dry rot and mold from a stucco finish that failed is gone.

The rot was so bad that the siding, balconies, windows and decks had to be replaced.

A new roof was needed.

The common areas and some of the 94 units needed work.

The construction ended in December, but the new furniture didn't arrive until July.

Now, it's time to celebrate, said Rhonda Rosenberg, communications director for the King County Housing Authority, which owns and manages the facilty.

The Housing Authority and its partner in Harrison House, the National Equity Fund, and the city of Kent are hosting an open house today in the dining room at Harrison House, 615 W. Harrison St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

With a bond issue approved by the voters, Kent built Harrison House and turned it over to the Housing Authority in 1992. The need for senior housing in Kent was an easy sell.

Rosenberg said the challenge in 2002 when the dry rot appeared was how to fix such an expensive problem and still keep the housing affordable.

The average income of residents at Harrison House, most of whom are 80 years or older, is $16,100 per year.

The Housing Authority wanted to keep its service coordinator at the site as well as continue to serve meals in a common dining area.

The answer was National Equity Fund, Inc., a private nonprofit organization that sells low-income housing credits to corporations seeking tax benefits.

NEF has directed nearly $4.4 billion in private money to 1,300 projects in 250 cities and towns since 1987.

King Counyty loaned the project $750,000, but the rest came from the NEF investment.

Dan Watson, deputy director for the Housing Authority, explained that the Housing Authority and the NEF are public/private partners in the project.

After 15 years, the Housing Authority will take sole control of the property.

"Our goal is trying to get renovation without burdening city taxpayers," he said.

Financing aside, residents like what they got.

"Out of a score of 10, I give it an 11," Bill Kehr, a resident at Harrison House since 1988, told the Housing Authority. "The outside is more appealing, with the different colors involved. And with the new carpeting and paint inside, it was like coming back to a brand new apartment."

Mike Archbold can be reached at mike.archbold@kingcountyjournal.com or at 253-872-6647.