March 2, 2015

21-unit Valor Apartments opens to house formerly homeless veterans

Photo by Francis Zera [enlarge]

Valor Apartments, which offers 21 units for formerly homeless veterans, has just opened at 12521 33rd Ave. N.E. in the Lake City neighborhood.

Seattle-based Community Psychiatric Clinic was the developer and owns the four-story building, which contains furnished, one-bedroom apartments. There is an office, kitchen, and television, computer and community rooms, as well as a garden.

Many of the veterans who live in Valor have been disabled by military-related events, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries.

SMR Architects designed the building and BN Builders constructed it. Beacon Development Group provided development services.

It will have a drop-in center on the first floor with showers, a kitchen, storage and a living room for homeless people in the neighborhood. Seattle Mennonite Church will run the center and provide some counseling.

Community Psychiatric Clinic will offer counseling for Valor residents at its offices nearby.

Beacon said Valor cost about $5.7 million.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided $3.4 million and ongoing operating subsidies. The city provided $1.6 million; Washington State Housing Trust Fund put in $340,000; Federal Home Loan Bank put in $300,000 and Seattle City Light gave about $10,000.

Community Psychiatric Clinic is a nonprofit behavioral health care organization that has served Seattle and King County residents since 1953, including health care clinics and housing.

Valor is CPC's seventh apartment building.

The team also included Decker Consulting Engineers, civil engineer; Harrison Design, landscape architect, SME Electrical Contractors, electrical; Cornell Plumbing and Heating, plumbing; Bellevue Mechanical, mechanical; I.L. Gross Structural Engineers; and Geotech Consultants.