SEATTLE—December 13, 2003—In accepting praise from AIDS Housing of Washington recently, David Bley summed up his achievements by saying, "I simply believe that all of us, as human beings, are hard-wired to help others."
While some might challenge this, all were united on December 11 at an event honoring both Bley and Harris Hoffman for their contributions to the cause of affordable housing for people with AIDS. Christine Hurley, Executive Director at Bailey-Boushay house was also an honoree.
Bley currently serves on the Board of Commissioners of the Seattle Housing Authority. Hoffman served as a Commissioner for ten years, and was also Chair of the Board.
At the event, held at SAFECO Field, AIDS Housing celebrated its 15th Anniversary. The non-profit was originally formed to build and operate Bailey-Boushay House, a 35-bed skilled nursing facility and adult day health program. According to staff, "We were supposed to go out of business, but we realized that more people living with HIV/AIDS needed help—especially those who were homeless. So we continued on."
AIDS Housing went on to develop the Lyon Building in downtown Seattle to serve people living with AIDS in addition to chronic homelessness, substance use, and mental health issues. Then in 1999, AIDS Housing partnered with Seattle Housing Authority to build six units of independent housing for individuals and families.
Both Harris Hoffman and David Bley have been involved in housing issues throughout their careers. Hoffman first began his involvement with AHW in the mid-1980s when he was executive director of the Pike Place Market. He began a 20-year housing collaboration with Betsy Lieberman, AHW's executive director, when they collaborated in developing Heritage House, a senior assisted living facility in the Pike Place Market that is part of the Seattle Senior Housing Program. Hoffman has also served on the board of AHW and has assisted them by providing office space at Lorig Associates where he is a partner.
David Bley has worked as a friend of housing in the political arena, beginning when he worked for U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott. He developed the language for what became the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Act of 1992. He also drafted the original version of the federal McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. These federal programs have provided billions of dollars of assistance nationwide to increased the availability of affordable housing. Bley is currently Executive Vice President at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle.