Seattle leaders and elected officials celebrate Ethiopian Village's grand opening

August 31, 2023—On August 18, HumanGood and Ethiopian Community in Seattle (ECS) hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration for the opening of Ethiopian Village. As the newest HumanGood affordable housing community, Ethiopian Village is located in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of Southeast Seattle and is open for residents 55 years and older. The new community includes 89 one-bedroom and studio apartments and features contemporary designs with special attributes highlighting the vibrant Ethiopian culture. The new construction also included an attached coffee shop and a renovated center for ECS, the project’s co-partners. The community broke ground in early 2022.

“Every new resident is excited about their apartment and our common areas,” said Efrem Ali, the administrator at Ethiopian Village. “We are pleased to have such a diverse community and will learn so much from our residents.”

More than 150 attendees consisting of ECS members, residents, the Seattle Police Department, and local government, heard from HumanGood and ECS leadership about the development journey. In addition to the address from HumanGood CEO John Cochrane, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harell and Senator Rebecca Saldaña celebrated the consistent advocacy for affordable housing by Seattle residents. 

"Ethiopian Village is a beacon of light in the Seattle community,” said Kendra Roberts, Vice President of Operations, HumanGood. “The opportunity to partner with the Ethiopian Community Center has helped this new community thrive. The affordable housing, meeting space, community recourses and coffee shop are all bonuses to this neighborhood."

Ethiopian Village was funded by the City of Seattle Office of Housing, the State of Washington Housing Trust Fund, Hudson Housing Capital, Umpqua Bank, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, the CDFI Fund’s Capital Magnet Fund, the State of Washington Department of Commerce – Capital Facilities, the City of Seattle Equitable Development Initiative and a Capital Campaign generously funded by foundations and private donors.