In September, Mercy Housing Northwest and Mary’s Place officially broke ground on an innovative campus of co-located shelter and affordable housing that will serve as a model for how our region addresses family homelessness. The Burien Campus brings emergency shelter and affordable housing together in one location, helping residents move from crisis toward stability.

A four-story, high-efficiency building will house a new Mary’s Place family shelter serving 200 family members each night alongside 90 permanent affordable apartment homes developed by Mercy Housing. Of those apartments, 34 will be available for no or very low-income families transitioning from shelter to permanent housing, helping families maintain connections to schools, healthcare providers, and community support networks.

“Solving the family homelessness crisis requires bold, innovative partnerships like this one,” said Governor Bob Ferguson. “This project represents the kind of comprehensive approach Washington needs – bringing together emergency services and permanent housing solutions to help families move from crisis to stability. This is what happens when a community comes together to solve complex problems like homelessness. I’m proud to support this groundbreaking model that puts families first.”

From experiencing homelessness to stable housing

The project, located in South King County where the need for housing and services is particularly acute, represents a collaboration between two industry leaders with deep expertise in their respective fields. Mary’s Place has successfully helped families with children to move from homelessness to stability for more than a decade using a proven three-pronged approach that includes emergency shelter with onsite resident services and housing resources, alongside mobile outreach teams working with unsheltered families and homelessness prevention and services to keep families in their homes.

Mercy Housing Northwest has been creating stable, vibrant communities through affordable housing development for nearly three decades, pairing affordable housing with supportive programs focused on education, health & wellness, housing stability, economic empowerment, and community building.