SPANAWAY, Wash. — Pierce County plans to build more than 400 affordable homes over the coming years to address chronic homelessness in the region.
One initiative includes a 90-acre development in Spanaway where 285 cottages will be built.
The $22 million project, known as Good Neighbor Village, is a development designed to build stability for residents by providing on-site mental health and medical services.
A spokesperson with Pierce County says they will receive more than $2.7 million in state funding through the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP).
This funding will support three affordable housing projects that will expand housing options for residents across the county.
These are the projects that will be funded by this additional revenue:
- Addison Grove (Puyallup) – $700,900
- Good Neighbor Village (Spanaway) – $1,000,000
- Frederickson South (Frederickson) – $1,000,000
Chronic homelessness has been a consistent issue in Pierce County for several years.
According to data from the Tacoma Rescue Mission, more than 1,200 people were experiencing chronic homelessness across the county in 2021.
Stephen Stanford, project manager for Good Neighbor Village, said many people who were without housing during that time remain in the same situation today.
Stanford described the village as a significant step toward addressing the county’s housing needs.
He explained that the development’s physical layout is designed to encourage residents to interact and support one another in shared spaces.
“It’s just going to bring people into a hub,” Stanford said. “It’s going to bring people from their cottages into spaces where they can start building community.”
He noted that while the project is a “huge stepping stone,” achieving its goals will require a “group effort.”
The village concept is modeled after a similar development in Austin, Texas, that has been operational for several years.
Stanford has been to that site and says it’s helped formerly homeless individuals find work and establish a new sense of community.
The project manager said the Good Neighbor Village in Spanaway will use this service-led approach as a recipe for success.
Some local residents have expressed mixed feelings about the new development.
Crystelle, who lives near the Spanaway property, said she is concerned about how the project might change the surrounding neighborhood.
“I’m kind of worried because I was kind of hopeful on staying in this area and I know that there weren’t as many homeless people around here,” Crystelle said.
Despite her concerns, she said she is “really hopeful that this project is going to work and for all the people.”
The Spanaway site is one of several locations identified for affordable housing expansion in the region.
Similar neighborhoods featuring hundreds of additional homes are also being planned for Puyallup and Frederickson.
Construction on the first 50 cottages is expected to be finished by the summer of 2027.
The entire Good Neighbor Village project is scheduled for completion in 2029.
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