Low Income Housing Institute

The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) develops, owns and operates housing for the benefit of low-income, homeless and formerly homeless people in Washington State. It advocates for just housing policies at the local and national levels and administers a range of supportive service programs to assist those it serves in maintaining stable housing and increasing their self-sufficiency.

LIHI is rooted in a commitment to advocacy for low-income and homeless people. LIHI's early emphases were providing advocacy and technical assistance to promote the interests of low-income and homeless people. LIHI worked to support the efforts of homeless individuals who established an emergency shelter in a "bus barn" at the Seattle Center in 1990. The result of this effort was the development of the 57-unit Aloha Inn, the first self-managed transitional housing program in the country for homeless people. This was followed shortly after by the renovation of Arion Court, which provides 37 units of permanent self-managed housing for homeless people.

The Aloha Inn and Arion Court were, at their inception, revolutionary concepts for implementing democratic decision-making and self-governance among traditionally disenfranchised populations. Principles of mutual housing, or self-management, now guide many of LIHI's properties—equipping residents with opportunities for meaningful decision-making and shared responsibility for the management of their housing.

The incorporation of LIHI as an organization in 1991 resulted from the leadership of three founding board members: Frank Chopp of the Fremont Public Association, Michael Reichert of Catholic Community Services, and Scott Morrow of SHARE. LIHI filled a void in the community for creating self-management and developing innovative housing solutions.

The Fremont Public Association merged its Housing Development Department with LIHI in 1994 to create a dedicated housing development and management organization. LIHI became an affiliated program of FPA, and Sharon Lee was named the Executive Director.

The Low Income Housing Institute serves the Puget Sound region of Western Washington. LIHI programs serve homeless and low-income people in Snohomish, King, Island, Kitsap, Pierce and Thurston Counties. LIHI housing serves communities in Seattle, Lynnwood, Lacey, Olympia, Tacoma, Bremerton, and smaller towns throughout the region.

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