TACOMA, WA – Feb. 7, 2020 – Tacoma Housing Authority and Kōz Development are excited to announce 64 brand new affordable apartments in downtown Tacoma for homeless and low-income students. The new apartments, Kōz at the Dome, are a short distance from the UW Tacoma campus and an easy transit ride from TCC. They offer studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes available for students, including those with children. The homes come partially furnished. The rent, which Tacoma Housing Authority subsidizes, includes utilities and high-speed internet. 64 of the 152 apartments at Kōz at the Dome are reserved for extremely low or low-income homeless or near homeless students.

These apartments help meet a dire need. In 2016, HOPE LAB surveyed Tacoma Community College (TCC) students about basic needs. 69% of the students responding to the survey reported serious housing insecurity within the 12 months prior to the survey; 27% reported that within those 12 months they experienced homelessness. This partnership offers homeless students affordable housing so they can focus on their studies.

This property will also house homeless unaccompanied Tacoma Public School (TPS) seniors 18 or older who are also enrolled at TCC or UW Tacoma. TPS identified 53 unaccompanied homeless high school seniors this year. TPS also has 750 McKinney Vento students. On any given night in Pierce County, over 1,000 youth and young adults are homeless without families. Koz at the Dome will give these youth a roof over their head and a second chance at continuing their education.

The Foundation for Tacoma Students manages a fund to help cover move-in expenses for these students. Koz and the Association of Washington Housing Authorities seeded the fund through a grant. If you would like to make a monetary donation to help homeless and near homeless students with move–in costs and basic needs, visit: bit.ly/KozStudents.

Koz at the Dome is another expansion of Tacoma Housing Authority’s College Housing Assistance Program (CHAP). CHAP is an innovative partnership of THA, Koz Development, CWD Investments, Tacoma Community College, University of Washington – Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools.

CHAP provides or finances housing for homeless or near-homeless students in three ways:

1. THA rental assistance to help students pay the rent on the private rental market; THA serves 75 students this way;
2. THA owned apartments near campus; THA has about 120 units available for this purpose, with more in development;
3. Privately owned apartments near campus, like Kōz at the Dome, under long term contract with THA; the contract reserves the apartments for homeless, near homeless, or low-income students; THA pays down the rent to affordable levels. With the addition of Kōz at the Dome, 200 total units are reserved by contract for these students. Koz at the Dome is the fourth property under a THA CHAP contract, and the second Koz property.

“Kōz is proud to once again participate in this THA program. The feedback received from the students living in our Koz on Market Street project is overwhelming. These individuals are so incredibly grateful to have a safe, comfortable place to live which allows them to focus on their education,” said Kōz President & CEO Cathy Reines.

“Our main job is to provide or finance affordable housing for Tacoma residents who need help to afford a home. We especially seek to do this in a way that also helps them or their children succeed in school and helps Tacoma’s public schools and colleges educate low-income students. This is a very good use of a scarce THA housing dollar. We are very proud to partner for this purpose with Kōz Development, CWD Investments, UW Tacoma, Tacoma Community College Tacoma Public Schools, and the Department of Corrections,” said Michael Mirra, Tacoma Housing Authority executive director.

About Tacoma Housing Authority: Established in 1940, Tacoma Housing Authority provides high-quality, stable and sustainable housing and supportive services to people in need. It does this in ways that help them prosper and help our communities develop equitably. THA develops and manages real estate and provides rental housing. In partnership with thousands of private landlords, it helps families pay the rent in the private rental market. It delivers supportive services to help families succeed as “tenants, parents, students, wage earners and builders of assets who can live without assistance.” THA seeks to do its work in ways that help our community be an “attractive place to live, work, attend school, shop and play,” and that help Tacoma be “safe, vibrant, prosperous, attractive and just.” For more information about THA and its work, go to www.tacomahousing.nset.

UW Tacoma, Tacoma Community College, and Tacoma Public School students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity should email: Tacoma Community College: CHAP@tacomacc.edu; UW Tacoma: stusuppt@uw.edu.

– Tacoma Housing Authority