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The White Center community marked a historic milestone Saturday with a two-day ribbon-cutting celebration for the new Hope, Unity, and Belonging (HUB) building and Canopy Apartments. The festivities, held January 24 and 25, 2026, invited the public to explore a facility nearly a decade in the making, a project designed to serve as a cultural and civic anchor for the neighborhood.
The $49.3 million development represents a community-led effort to address affordable housing, health disparities, and the need for youth services. Led by the White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA) in partnership with Community Roots Housing, the project translates years of neighborhood “listening sessions” into a physical campus centered around a shared plaza.
“The White Center HUB and Canopy Apartments are the result of years of WC community members organizing and forming partnerships,” said Aaron Garcia, WCCDA Executive Director, during a preview of the facility. “This project is built by and for the people who call White Center home. We brought affordable housing together with childcare, small business space, and essential services so families can stay rooted.”
A Legacy of Leadership and Perseverance The journey to the grand opening was not without challenges. Garcia, who has been with the WCCDA for ten years, credited former director Sili Savusa with the initial vision. “She was definitely one of the elders that if I had to give somebody credit, I would give 100% credit to Sili because she made us believe that we could do this,” Garcia noted. “She said this should be done by White Center, so let’s do it. And it took us, you know, a good 8 to 10 years to figure it out.”
Garcia also spoke candidly about the difficulties of securing financing as a smaller nonprofit. “Lenders and investors sometimes struggle with believing the communities can execute the project,” he explained, noting that the partnership with a larger developer was necessary to build capacity. “We just have to prove it and that’s part of the long game.”
Comprehensive Community Services The three-story HUB building features a diverse array of services tailored to local needs. The lower level is dedicated to youth, featuring classrooms operated by Southwest Youth and Family Services for 16-to-24-year-olds re-engaging with education or the workforce. It also houses a Maker Space for sewing and pottery, and a recording studio and podcast space run by the Yes Foundation.
Healthcare was also prioritized based on community feedback. “We heard anecdotally from community that folks wanted more dental services,” Garcia said, pointing out the three new dental chairs and clinic service areas. “We’re going to be able to provide both dental and clinic services for White Center residents.”
The facility also includes:
• Site Three Cafe
A “third space” for community convening named in homage to the former Park Lake Homes.
• A Professional Grade Commissary Kitchen
Designed to help “cottage industry” entrepreneurs move their businesses from home to a commercial level.
• Event Space: A large hall available for weddings, quinceañeras, and community meetings, which helps generate revenue to pay off the building’s debt.
Affordable Housing at Canopy Apartments
Adjacent to the HUB, the Canopy Apartments provide 76 family-focused units ranging from one to four bedrooms. These homes are restricted to households earning between 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Garcia noted that the demand was so high that they reached full occupancy much faster than projected. “A two-bedroom at the 30% AMI was going at I believe $980,” he said. “So, you still have to work, you still have to pay rent… but it just makes it more affordable.”
Architectural Symbolism and Sustainability
Designed by Side x Side Architects, the campus is rich with local symbolism. A pathway through the plaza represents an underground stream feeding into nearby Hicks Lake, while wooden light fixtures in the foyer are meant to evoke canoes. The project also prioritized sustainability, utilizing fossil-fuel-free building systems and individual heat pumps for heating and cooling efficiency.
Funding and Political Support
The project was made possible through a complex web of funding, including New Markets Tax Credits and significant federal support. Garcia highlighted the role of Washington’s congressional delegation, specifically Representative Pramila Jayapal, in securing vital appropriations.
The Congresswoman said, “This marks the culmination of a decade of work, of partnership, of community organizing . . . 76 new affordable homes will continue to ensure that dozens of local families have a safe place to live. . . Centering these homes around the community center, providing access to community health, to education, to youth programming, will give so many families the opportunity to thrive and to really build roots. . . We brought home $4 million for this project . . . to build this new hub of community in one of our state’s most ethnically and income-diverse neighborhoods. . . It is our job our responsibility to continue to provide that safe, beautiful, uplifting space where people can access the resources they need, the housing they need, the supports they need to be truly integrated,. . . To me, that’s a model of resistance to some of the things that we see happening across the country. We are showing what it really means to build a great and wonderful America where people have the opportunity to thrive.”
A series of other dignitaries and those involved with the project also spoke at the event.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay
“I am essentially the mayor of unincorporated King County… we also know that special obligation has not always been honored…We have seen in recent decades that the tides are turning… people understand that unincorporated King County matters, and we have a special responsibility, and we must invest in the people and places that we all call home… This ribbon cutting is the result of more than a decade of community vision… it shows that community-led development, supported by nonprofits and government, can produce real, tangible outcomes for people… We know that communities like this often suffer because of that last dollar mentality… but that early partnership matters and that helped make this possible…Across King County, families are struggling not just to find housing, but to stay in the communities that they live in, that they work in, that they belong in.”
“It’s not just about housing… we also need health care and youth services and family services and food access and community spaces where we can gather and strategize and plan… This campus is a model for where we go next as a county, aligning public land, public dollars, and community leadership to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges.”
“I brought my baby girl up here (his nearly 2 year old daugher Jassy) because this is going to last long after we do… and they are going to inherit this public benefit.”
State Representative Brianna Thomas
“Nothing worth having happens quickly… it is slow, it is thoughtful, it is methodical, and it takes a lot of fight… “I am full of fight… I’m borderline feral for justice….We all remember in this room, in this space right now… we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams… I’m struck by the dehumanizing of our neighbors… instead of seeing what I see up here right now, which is community and love and connection.”
“We’re not going to let that fear win… Because when we fight, we win.”
Reflecting on the completion of the project and the transition to property management, Garcia emphasized that the WCCDA’s core mission remains the same. “Our strength as a nonprofit is helping our families get connected to resources and supports,” he said. “We are now property managers for the community center… It’s a huge role.”
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