Key Facts
KCHA is a municipal corporation established in 1939 by the State of Washington to provide affordable housing and related services. KCHA's primary area of operations is King County outside of the cities of Seattle and Renton. KCHA also owns and manages a public housing complex in Olympia and administers 80 units of public housing under contract to the Sedro-Woolley Housing Authority.
Organization
KCHA has an annual consolidated budget (including tax credit partnerships) of approximately $137.6 million. Authority operations are directed from an Administrative Office and Section 8 office, both located in Tukwila. Area and site offices scattered throughout the county support field operations. KCHA has 309 full-time employees.
Housing Inventory
KCHA owns or controls 115 residential complexes with 8,468 units. KCHA's inventory can be divided into two primary categories: HUD-Subsidized Programs and Local Programs.
HUD-Subsidized Programs |
63 Sites |
3,459 Units |
Public Housing (families) |
32 Sites |
1,275 Units |
Public Housing (senior/disabled) |
19 Sites |
1,223 Units |
Public Housing (permanent supportive) |
1 Site |
32 Units |
Section 8 Properties |
11 Sites |
929 Units |
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| Local Programs |
52 Sites |
5,009 Units |
Tax Credit Partnerships |
17 Sites |
1,953 Units |
Bond-Financed Housing |
16 Sites |
2,461 Units |
Nonprofit Partnerships |
11 Sites |
136 Units |
Miscellaneous |
4 Sites |
29 Units |
Manufactured Housing |
4 Sites |
430 Units |
Programs include both permanent and transitional housing for families, elderly households and "special needs" individuals.
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Laurelwood Gardens in Federal Way |
KCHA uses a mixture of in-house maintenance and management staff and private management firms to oversee these properties. Our asset base is valued at roughly $393 million. Approximately $14 million in capital improvements are scheduled each year.
Rental Assistance
KCHA also provides tenant-based rental assistance in the form of Housing Choice vouchers to almost 9,800 households living in privately owned housing. More than 2,500 vouchers are reserved for specific populations including disabled households and homeless families. KCHA contracts with approximately 3,200 local property owners under this program.
Resident Services
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Head Start at Birch Creek Apartments |
KCHA spends more than $4 million each year in support of resident services. Programs are provided both directly through the Authority's support service coordinators, who work with seniors and younger disabled households in the federally assisted housing programs, and through outside contracts with a wide range of nonprofit agencies.
Housing Repair and Weatherization
KCHA coordinates and administers approximately $5 million in low-income home repair and weatherization activities annually. Funding is provided by the federal government, various utility companies, the State of Washington, King County and the City of Bellevue. About 900 privately owned multifamily, single family and mobile homes are upgraded each year.
Development Activities
KCHA has maintained an active pipeline of property acquisitions and new construction over the past decade. Projects are primarily funded by combining federal, state, and local assistance with tax-exempt bonds and/or Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Since 1990, KCHA has issued more than $350 million in housing bonds to fund development activities. A total of 20 of KCHA's projects have also utilized tax credits, with KCHA serving as sole general partner for the tax credit partnership.
Demographics
Public Housing
In January 2010, 2,482 households lived in KCHA public housing or 5,431 individuals. Of these households, 31 percent are families; 42 percent are elderly; and 27 percent are disabled or live with a person with a disability.
Average incomes for these three household types are as follows:
Family |
$22,889 |
Elderly |
$11,755 |
Disabled |
$11,969 |
About 70 percent of families living in KCHA public housing receive some income from employment. Eighteen percent of families receive income from TANF. Social Security provides income for 65 percent of elderly and disabled households; SSI provides income for 39 percent of elderly and disabled households.
A full 83 percent of households living in public housing earn 30 percent of the area median income or less.
Of current public housing households, 59 percent are white; 19 percent are black or African-American; 1 percent are Native American; 13 percent are Asian; 1 percent are Pacific Islander; and 7 percent identified as multi-racial. In addition, 5 percent are Latino.
Housing Choice (Section 8)
In January 2010, 9,805 households or 25,676 individuals lived in housing leased with Housing Choice (Section 8) vouchers. Of these households, 49 percent were families; 17 percent were elderly; and 34 percent were disabled or lived with a person with a disability.
Average incomes for these three household types were:
Family |
$14,814 |
Elderly |
$11,919 |
Disabled |
$11,830 |
Forty-three percent of families in the Housing Choice program get income from employment. Twenty-eight percent of families receive income from TANF. Social Security and/or SSI provides income for 85 percent of elderly and disabled households.
A full 86 percent of households with Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers earn less than 30 percent of the area median income.
Of current Housing Choice households, 48 percent are white; 36 percent are black or African-American; 2 percent are Native American; 6 percent are Asian; and 2 percent are Pacific Islander. In addition, 5 percent are Latino.