NEWS SPRING EDITION 2016
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www.plymouthhousing.org
Celebrating
New Homes We’re proud to welcome new tenants to Sylvia Odom’s Place! Thirty-six years ago, Sylvia Odom chaired a task force to combat homelessness in Seattle. The result of that task force was (you guessed it!) Plymouth Housing Group. Sylvia not only served on our fledgling organization’s board, but she also participated in work parties to refurbish some of Plymouth’s first buildings and turn ailing apartments into warm, ready homes. Even after her time on the board, Sylvia remained a dedicated Plymouth volunteer for decades. It’s no exaggeration to say that her efforts have touched thousands of lives. In early April, we mourned Sylvia Odom’s passing. But we will continue to honor her life and celebrate the fact that a building named in Sylvia’s honor is welcoming its first tenants.
Plymouth’s 14th building, Sylvia Odom’s Place, held its grand opening on February 11, 2016. Over 300 people joined us to celebrate Sylvia’s legacy. During a day of festivities, attendees heard Seattle Mayor Ed Murray speak, listened as the senior citizen musical group the Raging Grannies sang, admired the
“Plymouth has always treated me good, but this is taking it to a whole new level.” —Sylvia Odom’s Place Tenant
entryway mural by Coyote Central, and explored the halls, apartments, and rooftop decks. Together, we launched our new building into many years of service to formerly homeless individuals on the road to independence. Since then, tenants have begun moving into their new homes and turning a building into a community. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
Building Hope T r a n s f o r m i n g L i v e s
Letter from the Executive Director
Facing the
Homelessness
Emergency Plymouth’s newest project at 7th & Cherry on First Hill.
In 2015, we were proud to celebrate Plymouth Housing Group’s 35th year of service to Seattle’s homeless. Sadly, 2015 also saw Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine declare a state of emergency over homelessness together with mayors along the West Coast. Murray called it a human tragedy “seldom seen in the history of our city.” January 2016’s annual “One Night Count” of homelessness in King County showed that this crisis is only deepening: 4,505 men, women, and children were found sleeping without a roof—up 19% from last year. Homelessness is gaining momentum.
Paul Lambros
Executive Director
As one of the board co-chairs of All Home, I co-authored a recent Seattle Times editorial in which we examined the causes of homelessness in King County and encouraged our state legislators to re-engage with the agencies that are filling in the gaps left by underfunded state agencies. There are solutions to this crisis—and the Housing First model is one of them—but we need greater support at the state and federal level to truly effect change.
Nevertheless, Plymouth is doing everything we can. As you read earlier in this newsletter, we just opened Sylvia Odom’s Place, but we’re not stopping there. Later this year, we’ll break ground on our newest Housing First development. This First Hill project will mark our first steps into the “housing is healthcare” model of coordinated care. We’re exploring partnerships (including an expansion of our existing relationship with Harborview) that will provide critical support for those who are formerly homeless and in need of substantial medical care. It’s thanks to the support of our community—namely, you—that we can continue this important work to meet not only the needs of our residents, but also the evolving needs of the men and women of King County who are struggling to live life on the streets. Thank you.
CELEBRATING 63 NEW HOMES CONTINUED FROM FRONT One new tenant nearly wept as he signed his lease at Sylvia Odom’s Place. “Plymouth has always treated me good,” he said, “but this is taking it to a whole new level.” The supportive program for Sylvia Odom’s Place is Plymouth’s innovative response to a clear need. In its early years, Plymouth realized that ending homelessness requires supportive services as well as housing. In recent years, we learned that moving from our 24/7 supportive housing to fully independent living is too large of a stretch for many of our tenants. In response, we developed our Housing Options Program. By providing more independent housing that utilizes fewer staff resources, we maximize the impact of limited public funds while still supporting tenants who have specific needs. Importantly, when new Sylvia Odom’s Place residents leave their current apartments in our 24/7 supportive buildings, we can take in more tenants right off the streets and out of shelters. It’s a win-win-win: fewer people on the streets, more open shelter beds, and an empowering step for our current residents.
2 | NEWS Spring 2016
Dancing
to a New Height
Seattle Dances! Sells Out and Breaks Fundraising Records In March, our annual Seattle Dances! gala raised more than $650,000 for Plymouth! Eight local Celebrity Dancers showed off their fancy footwork in front of a sold-out crowd of 520 attendees. We couldn’t be more excited by the fantastic show of support!
Chris Beza (CallisonRTKL) and Alison Cockrill
Desiree Siegfried (Designer, Blogger, and The Ronnie Henderson (HomeStreet Bank) Bachelorette Season 9) and Mark Kihara and Deron Hayes-Hirschy
Kate Janeway (Leadership Coach) and Marcelo Garces
Jon Scholes (Downtown Seattle Association) and Erica Atnip
Mirror Ball Trophy Winners: Judges’ Choice
Chris Beza and Alison Cockrill for their graceful waltz.
People’s Choice
Kate Janeway and Marcelo Garces, who danced a spicy salsa. Eleanor Pollnow (Actor & Community Volunteer) and Michael Cahn
Deirdre Black (Community Volunteer) and Dargoff
Adrienne Quinn (King County Department of Community & Human Services) and Jonathan Wingard-Phillips
Cyber Choice
Eleanor Pollnow and Michael Cahn, who showed off an energetic cha-cha.
Evening Honorees:
Celebrity Judges: Peter Boal, Jason Venner, Barb Nystrom, and El Vez
Starwood representatives: Diane Holliday Germain, Keri Robinson and Carla Murray
This year, we were thrilled to honor Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. for being a true partner in our efforts to end homelessness.
Many thanks Event Co-Chairs: Mark Dyce-Ryan and Laura Bachman
Patti Payne and Hallie Kuperman
to Patti Payne, Kevin Joyce (not pictured), Hallie Kuperman, and the talented Century Ballroom dancers for making Seattle Dances! possible.
plymouthhousing.org NEWS | 3
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2113 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington 98121 www.plymouthhousing.org
Without
HOPE change there can be no
,
.
Offer homeless men and women the chance to leave life on the streets behind.
On Tuesday, May 3, your online gift
Paul Lambros with Bank of America’s Jan Laskey and Kim Vu.
Neighborhood Builder Award
to Plymouth will go even further! Go to givebig.plymouthhousing.org to donate and increase your gift through the Seattle Foundation’s generous stretch pool. (New this year: if you’re busy on GiveBIG day, you can pledge online any time between now and May 2. Funds will be withdrawn on May 3 and will be eligible for the stretch pool!)
Thank you, Bank of America, for honoring Plymouth Housing Group as one of two Puget Sound Neighborhood Builders!
givebig.plymouthhousing.org
Let’s do this. Together. #GIVEBIG.
Tickets available at www.plymouthhousing.org/PoP
Our Mission
Connect With Us
Plymouth Housing Group’s mission is to eliminate homelessness and address its causes by preserving, developing, and operating safe, quality, supportive housing and by providing homeless adults with opportunities to stabilize and improve their lives.
@plymouthhousing @plymouthhousing www.facebook.com/plymouthhousing
Plymouth News Spring Edition 2016: DESIGN: Causality PHOTOS: William Wright Photography (cover, Sylvia Odom’s Place exterior) • SMR Architects (pg2, 7th & Cherry rendering) • Bill West (pg2, Paul Lambros portrait) • Tim Ryan (pg2, Sylvia Odom’s Place interior) • Team Photogenic (pg3, Seattle Dances! photography)