King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is excited to announce a new funding opportunity for community-driven affordable housing projects located in the Skyway-West Hill neighborhood (SWH).

The Skyway $5 million Fund for Affordable Housing Requests for Proposals (RFP) is now open! This RFP is the result of years of community organizing that led to securing $5 million in King County’s 2021-22 Biennial Budget in the Housing and Community Development Fund. 

DCHS and SWH residents, including a Community Advisory Committee, worked together over several months to co-develop the RFP. The primary objectives of the RFP are to: 

• Invest in new affordable housing in SWH for residents vulnerable to displacement and community members who have been displaced.
• Align new affordable housing investments with the Skyway-West Hill and North Highline Anti-displacement Strategies Report recommendations.
• Invest in equitable and community-driven development projects that build wealth and financial stability in historically underserved communities.
• Provide seed funding to community-driven, affordable housing projects in the early stages of development and support community based organizations conducting Predevelopment and Acquisition, and/or Construction activities.

DCHS is seeking applicants who are community-based organizations (CBO), and/or their partners, with (1) strong ties to SWH and alignment with the RFP values, (2) a clear and compelling affordable housing project concept, (3) capacity to carry out the near-term project work, and (4) who can describe specifically how they would use the funds to further their project.

Applicants do not need to have prior development experience or site control to apply. The Skyway $5 Million Fund for Affordable Housing will prioritize applicants who are best able to demonstrate a long-standing organizational commitment to equity and social justice and deep accountability to communities most directly impacted by displacement, including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), low-income households and families with children, immigrants and refugees, elders, and people with disabilities. 

Detailed information about who can apply and projects that will be prioritized are in the RFP Guidelines.

Awards will be made for:

1) Predevelopment, up to a $500,000 maximum per project
2) Acquisition and/or Construction, up to a $2,000,000 maximum per project

Applicants can apply for one use, or for both Predevelopment and Acquisition and/or Construction, for a maximum of $2,500,000 per project. King County anticipates funding two to three projects total from this RFP and intends to support at least one affordable homeownership project and at least one affordable rental project. 

How to apply:

• All RFP materials (Guidelines, Application, Glossary, FAQs, and a Summary) can be downloaded below or from the Library tab at https://www.zoomgrants.com/zgf/Skyway5M
• Proposals can be submitted online via ZoomGrants or by email at DCHSContracts@kingcounty.gov
• Deadline to submit proposals is 1:00 p.m. PST on Monday, March 28, 2022.  

Info Sessions About the RFP:
DCHS will host two virtual info sessions to provide potential applicants with information about the RFP and answer questions. Use the links below to register for the info sessions:

• Skyway $5M RFP Info Session #1
  Today, January 24, 2022
  3:00 - 4:00 p.m. PST
  Register at https://bit.ly/3pNqsjE 
   
• Skyway $5M RFP Info Session #2
  Wednesday January 26, 2022
  11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PST
  Register at https://bit.ly/3pNqsjE 

For questions or communication about the RFP: All questions, feedback, or inquiries related to the RFP should be directed to Joanna Armstrong, RFP Coordinator at DCHSContracts@kingcounty.gov