Filipino Community Village Opens with Festive Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

June 9, 2022 – HumanGood celebrated the opening of Filipino Community Village, an affordable senior housing community, with a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 95-unit residence for low-income seniors, located in South Seattle, WA, was developed in partnership with the Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS), which for 80 years has been a galvanizing force for thousands of Filipino Americans and other low-income members of the community. The ground floor of the new building will be occupied by a 4,800 square foot Innovation Learning Center, which will provide youth and adults with access to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs, and serve as a vibrant and inclusive community gathering space. Filipino Community Village will join the HumanGood family of 99 affordable housing communities.

Filipino Community Village includes a mural developed by the Filipino American artist Eliseo Art Arambulo Silva, who is well known for the Gintong Kasaysayan mural of Los Angeles, recognized as the "most significant Filipino mural in the country" by the Los Angeles Times. His new mural embodies the collective aspirations of many generations of Filipino immigrants and their descendants to be accepted and included as equals in America. A group of filmmakers followed muralist Eliseo Art Silva and his team as they developed and painted this gorgeous gift to the city of Seattle, and produced a documentary film.

Filipino Community Village was developed in partnership with FCS and Beacon Development Group, a subsidiary of HumanGood. FCS has a deep connection to the community and previously developed the Filipino Community Center located adjacent to the new Village. Beacon Development Group is an experienced affordable housing developer of affordable senior housing, and facilitated the funding, design and construction of the project in partnership with FCS. Funding for Filipino Community Village came from a collection of multiple public and private funding sources, including the City of Seattle Office of Housing, King County Housing and Community Development funding, State Housing Trust Fund, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and tax-exempt bonds issued by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. The construction/permanent lender is Umpqua Bank. The low-income housing tax credit investor is Hudson Housing Capital. FCS also raised public and private grants and engaged in a capital campaign with FCS members for the residential as well as the non-residential portion of the project.

“The mission of FCS is to foster the wellbeing of Filipino-Americans in greater Seattle through culturally appropriate services and gathering spaces,” said Edwin Obras, president FCS. “We open our spaces to anyone who wants to gather, advocate for social justice, equity and inclusion for all while respecting and preserving Filipino history and traditions. The new Filipino Community Village and Innovation Center will amplify this mission and serve as a valued anchor for quality experiences that serve immigrants, teens, young adults and seniors.”

“Beacon Development Group has been building and operating senior affordable housing for over 20 years, and has built over 6,000 units of affordable housing and 100 projects” said Brian Lloyd, vice president, Beacon Development. “This experience prepared us well to develop the new Filipino Community Village in partnership with FCS.”

“Filipino Community Village is an illustration of our belief that when people and families have the security of an affordable home, the entire community benefits” said Jennifer Kappen, senior vice president, HumanGood Affordable Housing. “We are excited to join with the Filipino Community of Seattle to celebrate the launch of this new community and the opportunities presented by the Innovation Learning Center.”