Commissioner Franz Announces Another Agreement to Create Affordable Housing on Public Lands in King County

News Date:

January 10, 2025

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The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has signed a Land Use License with the Shyan Selah Foundation for 15 acres in Maple Valley. The Foundation will develop much needed affordable and workforce housing for families in East King County.

The property is adjacent to a school, and in an area where affordable and workforce housing will add a tremendous asset to the community. The Shyan Selah foundation is committed to developing the sustainably developing the housing with clean energy and green construction methods.

There is a critical need for environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive housing in King County, like much of Washington. DNR under Commissioner Franz is committed to finding innovative solutions aimed at narrowing the equity gap in education, economics, health, and environmental resources for communities across the state. This partnership is a significant step toward meeting those goals.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) aims to advance housing projects on its lands to address the lack of available and affordable housing. Washington State has identified the need to build over a million homes in the next 20 years, which is over 50,000 new homes yearly. DNR has a diverse commercial leasing portfolio, making housing a natural addition to the public benefits state lands provide.

"We need creativity and all-of-the-above thinking to solve the housing crisis," said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. "That means new partnerships and a willingness to innovate, which is why I am so excited by the agreement with the Shyan Selah Foundation. Projects like this are the model to follow to help us build the housing we need in this state."

The Department of Natural Resources has more than 3,000 acres of residential "transition" land in and around cities across the state. These plots do not generate revenue for DNR's trust beneficiaries because they are surrounded by other developed land. Commissioner Franz believes these lands can help increase the supply of much-needed housing and make it more affordable.

This is the third such agreement DNR has entered into with partners this year. In the fall DNR transferred land to an affordable housing developer in Pierce County and entered into an agreement with Habitat for Humanity to develop 16 acres in Pasco.

"The opportunity to work with DNR in this capacity is an enormous testament to the power of having a collaborative spirit, and is an indicator of the future. We aim to be the flagship of what equity can look like, said Shyan Selah. "Our aim from the start was a place people can affordably live, work and thrive. From elderly to youth, we have a consciousness leading this effort. We are full of innovative courage with respect to affordable housing and our communities' relationship with the environment at large."

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