Before purchasing a home at Village Gardens, buyers must submit an application and a screening form. Selected applicants will then offer a home preference form. Based on their preferences, buyers will be assigned a specific home. Additionally, buyers must meet Homestead’s Buyer Selection Criteria. Applicants must complete the screening form by May 20th at 5 pm to express their initial interest in Village Gardens and evaluate their initial eligibility for a Village Gardens home.
Homestead Community Land Trust
If you’d like to purchase property in one of Homestead’s village gardens, you can apply as one of the first residents. The program is made possible through partnerships between homebuyers and Homestead and by one-time investments in a community land trust. Homestead owns the land beneath each property and leases it to homebuyers for a monthly fee. Homebuyers must agree to restrict the appreciation of their home in exchange for their lease.
The project, which will be constructed by the nonprofit Homestead Community Land Trust and the for-profit company Edge Developers, combines affordable and market-rate housing. The buildings are designed to be energy efficient and meet Built Green Four-Star environmental standards. The building’s energy efficiency and use of environmentally friendly building materials will help reduce the overall cost of ownership. The project also benefits the local and Black communities.
Edge Developers
Edge Developers is developing a new neighborhood in Seattle called Village Gardens. This development will include both affordable and market-rate townhomes. These homes will be priced below $300,000 and built with energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly materials. The project is part of a larger plan to improve affordable housing in the city.
Village Gardens is an affordable housing community that combines housing and retail. It will feature 118 units of one-bedroom apartments, 3,800 square feet of commercial retail space, and a senior center and health center. Edge Developers and the Homestead Community Land Trust have partnered on the project. Together, they secured a total of $2.3 million for the project, which includes 1.2 million in funding from the Seattle Housing Levy. The development is also one of the first in the city to be sold under the city’s Community Preference Policy.
Africatown Community Land Trust
To make owning a home affordable for those in need, the Africatown Community Land Trust has launched the Village Gardens development. The project consists of 10 affordable homes and six market-rate units. The organization’s efforts have been spearheaded by Mayor Bruce Harrell and CEO K. Wyking Garrett.
The Village Gardens are a part of the Africatown Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization. The group is working to reach out to community members who have historical ties to the community and may be interested in purchasing homes in the neighborhood. The nonprofit group also wants to engage the local community in this effort.
The Africatown community has several parks and public spaces. John Kidd Park has a pool, while the Rev. Robert Hope Community Center has athletic fields. There is also a Community Memorial Garden Wall, which commemorates a deceased African American. Many important community events are held in these outdoor spaces, including the annual Ringing of the Bell, Community Day, and Sites of Memory commemorations. The community also has swim classes for children.
Homestead
Homestead in Village Gardens is a new mixed-income community built by the nonprofit organization Homestead Community Land Trust and for-profit developer Edge Developers. The development is being constructed on land donated by the City of Seattle, including affordable and market-rate homes. The new homes will meet the Built Green Four-Star environmental standard, which verifies energy efficiency and the use of environmentally sustainable building materials.
The development’s affordable homeownership units will be sold to households earning less than 80% of the area’s median income. Homestead and Edge have partnered to increase Black contractor participation in Village Gardens construction. They also plan to work with the Africatown Community Land Trust to reach potential buyers.