Amy Farrier

There's one shift I've noticed recently: funders pivoting toward homelessness and away from affordable homeownership... often with the assumption that public funding will cover the latter. The reality is, we need to address both. You can’t solve the housing crisis by abandoning the “ownership” rung of the ladder. Homeownership remains one of the most effective ways to create long-term stability and opportunity.

What motivates someone to leave before sunrise and drive across the state to volunteer? It’s a question I come back to often, and the answer says a lot about what makes this work possible. People show up because they believe in something bigger than themselves. Affordable homeownership wouldn't be possible without volunteers like Lincoln. And I'm so glad he is one of many. habitatskc.org/hands-on-caree…

On May 27th, we’re coming together for Beyond the Build, Habitat SKKC’s largest annual fundraiser, to reflect on that impact and look ahead to what’s next. This event is about community. It’s about our supporters who have made the last four decades possible and the collective effort it will take to expand that impact in the years ahead. 📍 Seattle Convention Center, Summit Building 🗓️ May 27 | 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM Hope you'll join us! Register here: habitatskc.org/luncheon26/

Progress in affordable housing rarely happens all at once. It’s built day by day, through persistence, partnership, and a lot of hard work. At Miller’s Creek in Burien, that steady progress is becoming something tangible: a community where 40 families will have the opportunity to put down roots. In a region where housing challenges can feel overwhelming, moments like this matter. Had a great time celebrating the dedication of these 40 homes this last weekend!

Philanthropy starts at home. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately—especially when it comes to how we fund affordable housing in our own communities. Too often, large corporations direct most of their support to national organizations, while local offices—the teams building, preserving, and financing housing on the ground every day—receive only a small portion in return. In some cases, that can mean a local organization receives a modest grant while carrying out the majority of the work in its own community. There’s an opportunity to rethink that approach. “Nonprofits in your backyard” are the organizations your employees volunteer with, the ones building and preserving housing in your communities. When companies invest locally, the impact is more connected to the people who live and work there.

Every tool counts when it comes to building homes! A huge thank you to Lowe’s for equipping our new Cloverdale volunteer site with the tools our teams need to keep momentum going. From hammers to levels to tape measures, these donations help our volunteers jump in and make a tangible difference in South King County.

As #GenderEqualityMonth comes to a close, I’m reflecting on the incredible contributions women make every day... especially here at Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties! From leading builds to mentoring families, organizing volunteers, and shaping the future of affordable housing, women do so much for our organization. This month also gives us a moment to honor the remarkable Rosalynn Carter. With her passing, Habitat for Humanity has lost one of our most ardent and dedicated volunteers. Rosalynn used her platform to advance affordable housing and champion mental health initiatives, touching countless lives through her steadfast commitment to service. Her example inspires us to keep building communities that lift people up. We’re proud to celebrate the impact of women like her during our Women’s Build events, coming up in May and September.

One thing I’ve learned from my time in leadership at Habitat for Humanity is that communication is so much more than a simple skill; it’s the heart of our work. Listening, sharing, and being clear with our teams (and the families we serve) makes all the difference.

Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald + celebrating 40 years of impact = one powerful afternoon. Join us May 27 at the Convention Center Summit Building to raise critical funds. Plus! Games, networking, awards, and a homeowner story that brings #affordablehomeownership to life.

940 volunteers. 48 groups. 6,030 hours. That’s what it took to help bring Miller’s Creek to life—and to create safe, affordable homes in our community. We’re so grateful for every person who showed up, picked up a hammer, and made this possible. 💙 (1/2)

After years working in housing, one thing stands out: the problem isn’t that we don’t know what works. Across communities, we’re already seeing approaches that can expand housing supply. Accessory dwelling units. Infill housing that fits into existing neighborhoods. Modular and off-site construction that can shorten timelines. Even the idea of turning underused commercial spaces into homes. These models exist, and in many places they’re working. Where things get difficult is scaling them. Housing development still moves through a patchwork of local rules, zoning restrictions, and permitting timelines that can look completely different from one jurisdiction to the next. That unpredictability slows projects down and makes it harder for investment to flow where housing is needed most. Closing the housing gap will take progress on several fronts at once. In my view, four actions matter most: • Opening more land for housing in the places people already live and work • Creating clearer, faster, and more predictable permitting processes • Reducing construction costs through innovation and new building methods • Strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors When the systems around housing make it possible to build and preserve homes consistently, communities become stronger and more resilient. The encouraging part is that many of the solutions are already in front of us. The work ahead is making sure our systems allow those solutions to move at the scale people need.

Housing challenges rarely belong to just one sector. They show up in policy decisions, funding gaps, land use, community services, and in the day-to-day realities of people trying to find a place they can afford to live. That’s why the approach highlighted in Jackson Hole caught my attention. Their Housing Collective brings together leaders from government, philanthropy, nonprofits, and the private sector to look at the problem together and align around solutions. What stands out to me is the intention behind the collaboration. A backbone organization keeping the effort moving. A shared framework to help partners focus on root causes. And space for different perspectives to come together without needing perfect agreement. In my experience, this kind of work takes patience and trust. But when it happens, it can reduce duplication, clarify priorities, and help communities move forward with greater coordination. Housing affordability is complex, but it’s also deeply local. The more we can bring partners together around shared goals, the better chance we have of creating systems that actually work for the people who need them most. housingmatters.urban.org/articles/build…

Moments of bipartisan agreement in Washington are rare. Seeing housing rise above the divide is encouraging. Across the country, communities are grappling with the same reality we see every day here in Washington: there simply aren’t enough homes for the people who need them. Rising costs, higher interest rates, and limited supply continue to make stability harder for many families. That’s why efforts to expand housing production matter. The solutions we see making the biggest difference tend to focus on the same fundamentals: making it easier to build, expanding financing tools, and opening more pathways to homeownership. From where I sit, housing stability isn’t a partisan issue. It’s foundational to healthy communities, strong local economies, and the ability for families to plan for the future. When leaders from across the political spectrum recognize that reality, it creates space for the kind of practical solutions that can actually move the needle. reuters.com/legal/governme…

Recently, the Washington State Senate passed a resolution recognizing 40 years of impact from Habitat for Humanity Seattle–King & Kittitas Counties. Moments like this are meaningful not because of the spotlight, but because of what they affirm: housing stability is foundational to strong communities. When families have a safe, affordable place to live, it creates the conditions for better health, stronger educational outcomes, and greater economic opportunity. I’m grateful to Senator Emily Alvarado and the bipartisan group of legislators who spoke in support of this resolution. Their recognition highlights something we see every day in our work: affordable homeownership is not just a housing strategy. It’s a community strategy. This milestone also belongs to the volunteers, partners, and supporters who have made four decades of progress possible. Every home built, every repair completed, and every policy advanced has been the result of collective effort. The need for housing solutions across Washington remains urgent. But this recognition reinforces what we know: when communities commit to long-term solutions, meaningful change is possible. habitatskc.org/washington-sta…

Recently, the Washington State Senate passed a resolution recognizing 40 years of impact from Habitat for Humanity Seattle–King & Kittitas Counties. Moments like this are meaningful not because of the spotlight, but because of what they affirm: housing stability is foundational to strong communities. When families have a safe, affordable place to live, it creates the conditions for better health, stronger educational outcomes, and greater economic opportunity. I’m grateful to Senator Emily Alvarado and the bipartisan group of legislators who spoke in support of this resolution. Their recognition highlights something we see every day in our work: affordable homeownership is not just a housing strategy. It’s a community strategy. This milestone also belongs to the volunteers, partners, and supporters who have made four decades of progress possible. Every home built, every repair completed, and every policy advanced has been the result of collective effort. The need for housing solutions across Washington remains urgent. But this recognition reinforces what we know: when communities commit to long-term solutions, meaningful change is possible. habitatskc.org/washington-sta…

Let's #OpentheDoor to a world where everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home.

Over the years, I’ve seen that the moments people remember aren’t the polished speeches or plans. They’re the times you show up honestly, admit what’s hard, and work through it together. That’s where real leadership lives.

April will be a special month for Habitat SKKC and for the families who will call Miller’s Creek home. As part of the #HomeistheKey campaign, we’ll be dedicating 40 new homes for 40 families, celebrating 40 years of partnership, volunteerism, and community impact. Really looking forward to this... April will be here before we know it!

Recently, our team had the chance to take a small road trip to Olympia with a big reason to celebrate: 40 years of Habitat SKKC helping families access stable, affordable homes. Four decades of partnership with families, volunteers, and local organizations have shown that stability starts at home—and the impact lasts for generations. Grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey, and energized to keep building solutions for the housing challenges facing our region today.

Affordable housing is a national challenge that touches just about every community in the U.S. A recent piece from the Urban Institute lays out three principles for a national housing affordability strategy that really resonate: align supply and demand, deploy the full federal toolkit, and prioritize interventions that have the greatest impact. urban.org/urban-wire/thr…