Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group

About DRCC

I work at DRCC/TAG (whose mission includes the need to promote place keeping in the Duwamish Valley) which enables me to take part in the Duwamish Valley Affordable Housing Coalition, whose mission is "a neighborhood that continues to sustain the economic, ethnic, and cultural diversity of those who have historically made their homes here. To this end, we seek development that benefits the most vulnerable groups, first and foremost.” 

Website: www.duwamishcleanup.org

CREST Representative: Robin Schwartz (she/her) 

 

Why did you join CREST?  

To deepen my understanding of organizing and development for affordable housing 

 

If you are working on a project, what is the project, where is it located, and who is it for? What is the vision and purpose of your project? 

We don't have any projects currently but we are working towards realizing development within our three-prong approach: development of community-use space; development of new affordable housing; and preservation of currently existing affordable housing. 

 

What are you proud to have accomplished so far related to your project or related to your community stewardship of land efforts?  

The City is planning to support our efforts by partnering with us and by acquiring land in South Park for affordable housing. Before we began learning and advocating, the City was not considering the Duwamish Valley for affordable housing. 

 

What are the next steps for your organization in realizing your project vision?  

We are hoping to begin a preservation project with the acquisition of a small multi-familiy building. We also are hoping to find funding to acquire a River-side property for community-use, and are looking forward to advising Sea Mar on a large development they are beginning. 

 

What support and expertise are you looking for?  

thought partners; capital campaign 

TraeAnna Holiday, CREST cohort member from Africatown Seattle:

"I am so honored to be a part of what Puget Sound Sage is doing in this city. They brought together 20 organizations who may not have known each other, and together we are taking progressive models that are happening across the nation to reform and develop our spaces, have ownership in our spaces, create and rebuild our communities, and reclaim what has been taken from us. I represent Africatown Seattle, and if you know of what the Central District has gone through - it has suffered a great deal of gentrification, inequity and displacement. Africatown is working hard on the ground to develop buildings that are bringing our communities back.

For me, this is very personal. My family was displaced in 2003 and my parents had to buy a home in Federal Way. I have never known of Federal Way before. I grew up in the Central area, and it was all I knew for my whole life. It was so heartbreaking to my mother for us to have to move. We are one family, but displacement has affected so many more. This is why I’m so excited to be a part of this cohort. With the work of Puget Sound Sage, I am learning more on how to do this in a progressive way, ensure that we keep affordability for our communities and for our people, and to come back to spaces that we grew up in that we know and love.”