SEATTLE – February 24, 2012 – The "door" is now officially open on the new housing locator web service, HousingSearchNW.org. Since February 15, the new site allows landlords to advertise properties free of charge, while renters can search for free to find rentals that fit their needs.

The new site is sponsored by the City of Seattle, King County, United Way of King County, Seattle Housing Authority and King County Housing Authority. The Rental Housing Association and the Tenants Union have also contributed to its development.

Properties listed on HousingSearchNW.org include a wide range of publically-assisted and private scattered-site housing. Prospective tenants can search for rentals according to specific needs, such as proximity to medical facilities, public transit and schools. Listings can be sorted by rent amount, ZIP Code, date available and other important factors. HousingSearchNW.org offers landlords 24-hour access to managing, adding and updating property listings, and listings can highlight amenities and include photos. The goal of the new service is to consolidate listings for housing that is affordable to people making around 80 percent of median income in King County (about $65,000 for a family of four). This includes most rental housing in the county.

"We’re excited about the ability of this service to connect our residents to housing opportunities," said Seattle Housing Authority Executive Director Tom Tierney.  "We’re encouraging property providers to take advantage of the free advertising and list their vacancies on HousingSearchNW.org to help make this service as useful as possible."

The site will be an especially helpful resource for social service agencies and nonprofit housing providers. Two trainings for people who want to learn more about using the site are being provided by webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and Thursday, March 8, at 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Those interested in this free training can email erin@socialserve.com to register.

The new site is powered by Socialserve.com, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, dedicated to serving the affordable housing needs of communities. Seattle joins an ever-growing network of regions using Socialserve.com that currently spans 31 states.

Residents can search and list on HousingSearchNW.org 24 hours a day or call a toll-free, bilingual call center for assistance: 1-877-428-8844, Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.