Seattle– With its tiki carvings, the former Kona Village apartments were a touch of the Big Island in Bellevue. More importantly, they were affordable apartments in a prime high-tech employment corridor, almost as rare as Maui parrotbills in Western hemlock trees.

When the private owners decided to sell in 1999, Kona Village was a likely candidate for purchase by profit-motivated investors who would significantly increase rents. That’s when the King County Housing Authority stepped in and bought the property with the help of ARCH, A Regional Coalition for Housing. Additional financing assistance was provided by the state and by Columbia Housing, an equity investment partner. After completing $3.8 million in improvements, including the renovation of building interiors and exteriors and the conversion of 36 one-bedroom units to 18 three-bedroom units, the complex, now known as Somerset Gardens, has become a permanent affordable housing resource for the Eastside and for working families.

Bellevue Mayor Chuck Mosher will celebrate the partnership responsible for the preservation and improvement of Somerset Gardens, a 198-unit multifamily rental complex, at an open house on Friday, April 27 at 11 a.m. The event will be held in the Somerset Gardens community room at 14700 Northeast 29th Pl. in Bellevue.

Other featured speakers at the event include King County Executive Ron Sims, King County Housing Authority Commissioner Doreen Cato and Washington State Housing Finance Commission Deputy Director Paul Edwards. Special recognition for the project will be given on behalf of King County Councilmember Jane Hague.

"There is a critical need for affordable apartments in Bellevue, especially for larger families," said Mayor Mosher. "We have all seen the loss of affordable units in Crossroads and other neighborhoods. Where will teachers, clerks and service workers live? As a result of the acquisition and refurbishment of Somerset Gardens by the King County Housing Authority, we now have a beautiful community that will remain affordable to lower-income working families on the Eastside."

"Escalating costs have made it increasingly difficult for working people, especially those with large families to find a suitable place to live," said Ms. Cato. "With the conversion of one-bedroom units to three-bedroom units, Somerset Gardens offers large families a good option: an affordable rental community they can feel proud to call home."

KCHA administers a range of quality affordable rental and homeownership programs for residents of King County. The Authority serves more than 12,000 households, including families, the elderly and disabled.