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Shirley Bridge Bungalows opens in West Seattle

A six-unit independent housing project designed to serve very low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS.

A celebration at 1 p.m. on Thursday, September 26 marked the completion of Shirley Bridge Bungalows, a small housing development designed to serve people disabled with AIDS. Named after founding board member Shirley Bridge, these six units will help to alleviate the critical shortage of affordable, appropriate housing for people living with this difficult disease.

Mayor Greg Nickels was a guest of honor at the dedication of the new project, where he was joined by over 200 project supporters and friends. In warm praise for the project, Mayor Nickels commented, "In a few years, this project will be so well integrated into the neighborhood that people will think it has been here for years."

This small project has been built on land donated by the Seattle Housing Authority. The site at the corner of 59th Avenue SW and SW Carroll Street was also the site of the first schoolhouse at Alki. The school operated here from 1906 to 1911.

The six housing units here are the first units to be completed as part of the Housing Authority's commitment to replacing all 481 housing units soon to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-income community at Rainier Vista in south east Seattle. 

According to SHA Executive Director Harry Thomas, this project is a good example of how SHA can work effectively with partner agencies. "By donating the land for this project, SHA was able to help AIDS Housing  to  overcome some of the hurdles to building a small, specialized development. In turn, AIDS Housing is able to contribute an additional six units to our replacement housing program. It is truly a win-win."

The project is targeted to people who are able to live independently, but will require regular monitoring of their status, limited supervision, and effective coordination of social and health services to maintain and improve their independence. All residents will have incomes below $16,350 per year, which places them at or below 30 percent of the median income for the area. The Lifelong AIDS Alliance and other community partners will coordinate case management and other appropriate services.

The development cost for the project is about $1.3 million. It is being financed through a combination of federal and local funds, private grants and individual gifts. The largest source of funding is the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

For additional information on Shirley Bridge Bungalows, please visit the AIDS Housing of Washington Web site by clicking here.
Seattle Housing Authority • 120 Sixth Avenue N. • P.O. Box 19028 • Seattle, WA 98109-1208 • (206) 615-3300