New Lynnwood building to provide housing for 20 homeless veterans

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The red mark shows the location of the new Sebastian Place building on 196th Street Southwest. (Image courtesy Google Maps)

Twenty homeless veterans will get a new home in Lynnwood next month through a housing project that is the first of its kind in Snohomish County.

A new 20-unit apartment building, called Sebastian Place, is scheduled to open in early July after a five-year collaboration between several local agencies. Named for the patron saint of soldiers, Sebastian Place will house formerly homeless veterans in housing with special accommodations specifically for them.

The project was spearheaded by the Snohomish County Human Services Department. The building will be operated by Catholic Community Services and their sister agency Catholic Housing Services. Sebastian Place was created with support from the Housing Authority of Snohomish County and the Veterans Administration.

“We are very excited to open our first permanent supportive housing in Snohomish County,” said Will Rice, regional COO of Catholic Community Services. “We believe that addressing homelessness and the lack of housing for those most in need is essential to our agency’s work.”

Sebastian Place will be able to provide a space for Veterans Administration case workers to meet with residents. Two staff members will also be on-hand to help residents with community-building activities and other activities to help residents maintain housing and a healthy lifestyle.

“As we worked with low-income veterans, we realized there are some veterans who need more support than they can get by simply being placed into an apartment,” Cammy Hart-Anderson, division manager for the Snohomish County Human Services Department, said. “We wanted to design a model that would allow our veterans to be successful. This project signifies a fresh start for 20 of our veterans.”

All residents will be selected from referrals through the local Veterans Administration office. Lease up will begin in the next month.

Sebastian Place will be located at 1925 196th St. S.W. in Lynnwood, which was a surplus property owned by the county before this project.

Hart-Anderson said this may be the first project of its kind for Snohomish County, but she hopes it won’t be the last.

“Housing is a primary need,” she said. “Ideally, more will be developed, not just for veterans but for all indigent low income people who need a hand up.”

While housing is a great first step for the 20 veterans that will move in over the summer, organizers say they expect veterans to move in with little to no belongings. Catholic Community Services invites neighbors to donate items to new Sebastian Place residents looking to make a fresh start.

Current needs include:

  • Linens: Sheets, blankets, towels
  • Pillows
  • Cleaning supplies, such as disinfectant wipes, sponges, dish soap and laundry detergent
  • Pots and pans
  • Dishes, glasses and silverware
  • Non perishable foods, including canned and dried goods
  • Hygiene products, such as toothpaste, tooth brush, dental floss, shaving cream, razors and soap

To donate, contact Kelli Mathis at 425-374-6334 or email KelliM@ccsww.org to arrange a drop-off time. For more information about donations, click here.

–By Natalie Covate

  1. This aligns so perfectly with our sermon last Sunday on the Good Samaritan and the plight of our homeless veterans who have fallen by the wayside. Saint Hilda Saint Patrick Episcopal Church in Edmonds will be stepping forward to lend support to this noble project.

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