According to Up for Growth, the state of Washington will need an additional million homes by 2044 to meet the estimated population growth. Making the challenge more problematic, over the last 30 years, Washington’s population has grown by 60%, but its housing stock has only grown by 33%. This is a major contributor to the sharp increase in home prices. The cost of a home tripled in 2022 to a median price of $640,000. Families in our state now need an annual income of $171,890 to qualify for a mortgage.

It is our mission to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by providing affordable, service-enriched housing. As fierce advocates for housing, we also know that to meet the challenge before our region, it will take all kinds of housing to meet the needs of a growing population.

With this belief in mind, Mercy Housing Northwest staff took some time off to build a tiny home with Sound Foundations Northwest at their Hope Factory.

Sound Foundations NW constructs tiny homes that are then placed in tiny home villages throughout the region. The homes serve as transitional homes for someone experiencing homelessness. Once a resident moves in, trained staff members in each village offer wrap-around services focused on stability and meeting the unique needs of each individual.

We believe affordable homes are how we must address this challenge before our region, but this day of fellowship and team building also proved that as we keep working toward that mission, tiny homes serve a huge purpose.