Fall Update

We built the first BLOCK Home in 2017. In 2018, we built two additional homes. By the end of this year, we will have six new BLOCK Homes, tripling our impact from 2018 to 2019.

The incredible year-over-year growth of The BLOCK Project is an achievement, and a testament to the thousands of community members who are committed to creating positive change in our city.

And still, we recognize that nine new homes barely makes a dent in a crisis that leaves more than 8,000 people in Seattle without a place to sleep tonight.

While it is tempting to view The BLOCK Project as a housing initiative and to measure its impact as such, the beating heart of this project is community building. More than a housing project, The BLOCK Project creates space for neighbors to heal from the trauma of homelessness, for community members to embrace the most vulnerable among us, for neighborhoods to form stronger and healthier bonds. The BLOCK Project builds homes, yes, but its impact on our community far exceeds the number of beds it provides. The BLOCK Project invites all of us to step forward with our own abilities to create societal change, which we believe can power a grassroots movement to help end homelessness.

See below for more information about our progress this fall, made possible through the support of this generous community!

Mark, Lifelong Journalist, Calls BLOCK Project Home

Mark, who moved into his BLOCK Home earlier this month, was a journalist in Bremerton when he learned he had congestive heart failure. After getting out of the hospital Mark became unemployed and homeless for six months. He said, "Every day you have to fight to keep your spirits up, you have to believe in yourself to be able to push forward." THANK YOU to Kathryn and Jeff for opening your beautiful hearts and backyard to The BLOCK Project. Thank you to Lockhart Suver for building this home with love and efficiency. Thank you to Gail and Jay for funding the home. And thank you to the many volunteers who spent hundreds of hours contributing to completing this BLOCK Home and forming supportive community! 

Cutting Edge Sustainability 

Last week, we were issued our first rainwater harvesting for potable use and composting toilet permit for BLOCK Home 9. To our knowledge, this is the first permit of its kind issued in Seattle for a single-family home! BLOCK Home 9 has been prefabricated in Salt Lake City by Arch Nexus, an architectural firm committed to sustainable design and community service, and will be delivered to Keith and Audrey's backyard here in Seattle later this month. Thank you to our dozens of partners who have invested hundreds of hours in making this possible!

All 2019 BLOCK Homes Complete or Under Construction

• BLOCK Homes 1 - 5 are complete!

• BLOCK Homes 6 - 9 are all under construction, and on track to be complete by the end of 2019, as scheduled.

• We need your help completing these homes! Sign up here to receive emails about upcoming opportunities to get involved.

Help Build This Fall! 

Summer may be winding down, but BLOCK Home construction is still gearing up! We will have more opportunities than ever to help build BLOCK Homes this fall. Sign up here to receive emails about opportunities to get involved!