A place where people come from all over the region for health and social services under one umbrella is on the verge of a big expansion.
Construction is partially complete with the rest not far behind at the Together Center’s new building, which CEO, Kim Sarnecki, says will be great for them to help even more than the 30,000 people they help now. “It’s going to be incredible to have more than 20 human service providers on the ground floor, a regional human services hub,” Sarnecki says, “and then that’s topped by 280 units of affordable housing for people making between 30 and 60% of the area median income.” Sarnecki says 80 of those units will be for people who make 30-50% of AMI, and some of the units are two and three-bedroom so there will be room for families to live affordably. The buildings also have outdoor deck spaces with seating, barbecues and play structures for the kids so they really feel at home. It’s also located within walking distance of a grocery store, restaurants, a transit center and the future light rail station due to open in the next couple of years.
A big part of what you’ll find at the Together Center is health, dental and mental health services provided by Health Point for anyone who needs them but huge for people who can’t afford health insurance but make too much to qualify for Apple Health. There are also culturally-specific service providers to provide special help for communities in need. The Together Center team says they have clients that come from as far away as Pierce and Snohomish Counties.
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA 1st District) delivered a $2 million grant to help as builders continue the construction. DelBene says, “This project really stood out because of the impact it can have, the importance of Health Point.” DelBene also praised the affordable housing, which everyone involved says is much-needed in an area where a small studio apartment goes for $1,800 a month.
The new Together Center facility is set to open this summer.