About Us
EcoTHRIVE Housing is a community-led community land trust developing affordable, resilient villages that address people's fundamental needs and foster community.
Our Vision
We envision vibrant, affordable communities where people are connected with nature and with each other.
Our Mission
Collaborating to create resilient villages.
Why We Do It
While housing affordability is the immediate crisis that drives ecoTHRIVE, our community-building approach addresses the deeper roots that underpin the crisis:
The deep need for equity and justice, particularly the need for racial justice in a society growing more unequal and fractured.
The intensifying climate crisis, which in our region is worsened by housing costs that drive low-to-moderate income people out of the city, away from areas well served by transit, driving up transportation emissions, the region’s largest source of carbon pollution.
The deep need for connection to ourselves, each other, and nature.
We’ve formed a community land trust to create pathways to ownership that are accessible to people earning low incomes, now and for future generations.
We are moving past traditional affordable housing models—that often displace and isolate people—to build a more collaborative approach that meets human needs while addressing climate and ecological sustainability.
Our Roots
The vision of a resilient village came from our conversations with community members—at farmer’s markets, community festivals, local parks and homeless encampments throughout King County.
We began each conversation by asking two questions:
- What do you need to thrive?
- What do you value?
Through hundreds of conversations, people consistently told us they need:
- Things that feed the body—water, food, shelter
- Things that feed the soul—art, beauty, community
The vision that emerged was a village that thrives in a culture of mutual aid, shared resources, interdependence and beauty. With resilience as a touchstone, we began plans for villages that will withstand the impacts of economic downturns, climate disruption, and food insecurity.
Further research into affordable communities led us to SquareOne Villages in Eugene, OR. They became our trail-blazing mentors and we have adopted their successful Village Model.
The 4 elements of the Village Model are:
- BUILDING SMALL & GREEN
- COMMUNITY-LED & COLLABORATIVE
- AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP
- SUSTAINABLE FINANCING
Our Team
EcoTHRIVE Housing is a community land trust that formed to address the housing crisis in King County, Washington. We came together to create villages of homes that are community owned, permanently affordable and climate adaptive.
We are working with Dara Ith and her team at Utopia Design. They bring 30+ years of knowledge and experience developing real estate – residential, commercial, and mixed-use – throughout the region.
Our team is a racially, ethnically, and religiously diverse, and it is includes people who have experienced homelessness, trauma and housing insecurity. We have all experienced the power of community to overcome challenges.
Board & Staff
Zsa Zsa Floyd
Zsa Zsa organized the first homeless march in Eugene, Oregon. “I had $1800 in my pocket and two jobs but no one would rent to me. I was living in a Pinto with 3 kids.” She worked with the head of the NAACP to bring attention to local racial and economic injustice and was appointed to the Springfield (OR) Human Rights Commission where she served for a 4-year term.
After experiencing too many years of homelessness, Zsa Zsa moved into Camp Second Chance in South Seattle where she quickly became a respected leader and board member. She was trusted to mediate conflicts and counsel campers. She describes her role as “Creating a community where people felt safe and at least liked, if not loved, although love is best. And I listened because everything matters.” Zsa Zsa also used her considerable administrative skills to set up the camp’s first bookkeeping system and database.
Zsa Zsa has since moved into permanent housing and continues to advocate for people experiencing homelessness. She began as a consumer advocate for the Community Advisory Group (CAG) of the Seattle/King County’s Health Care for the Homeless Network (HCHN) and was voted onto the Executive Committee. Zsa Zsa currently serves as Vice Chair where she develops agendas for the executive board, determines training needs and facilitates meetings, in addition to her outreach work on the streets.
Building community isn’t just a strong value for Zsa Zsa, it’s part of her DNA. Her grandmother’s family was one of the first Black families in Eugene. Prior to moving into town, they lived in a tent city along the Willamette River. At that time Black people were not allowed to live within the city limits. In the 1960s, Zsa Zsa’s grandmother Mattie Reynolds ran for Eugene City Council and now has a city park named after her, honoring her commitment to social justice. As Zsa Zsa says, “This is where my sense of empowerment comes from.” Zsa Zsa graduated with honors from Sanford-Brown College in 2009.
“We were oppressed and depressed, but we had one another to raise each other up”
—Mattie Reynolds, Zsa Zsa’s grandmother
Stephen Lamphear
Stephen Lamphear is a long-time independent tax consultant and advisor with over 45 years serving a broad-spectrum clientele. He honed his skills at two of Seattle’s top law firms, specializing in federal, state, and local taxation, including drafting regulations for the WA Dept of Revenue. He has experience working in public and private sector enterprises; is skilled at research, analysis, and advisory guidance; and is adaptable,a quick learner, and goal oriented.
Stephen is a former Burien City Council member and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy. Worked in legislative, legal and regulatory affairs for both public and private sectors. Serves the community as an advisor, volunteer and board member of local nonprofits.
Stephen has a passion for gardening and is the founder of the Highline Botanical Garden in SeaTac, WA. His personal garden has won the First Prize trip to London in the Pacific Gardens Contest. He frequently speaks as a plant-whisperer at area garden groups.
Paul Tan
Paul Tan is a dedicated professional with a passion for serving multicultural families and vulnerable populations. As Director of Family Support at Open Doors for Multicultural Families, he oversaw family support services for parents, caregivers, and young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the region. In this role, Paul led a team providing individualized support ranging from early school readiness to adulthood, including navigating Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and accessing long-term adult disability services.
Additionally, Paul served as the Director of the Community Parent Resource Center at Open Doors, a vital resource funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. As the only multicultural and multilingual center of its kind in the network, Paul and his team assisted youth aged 0-26 and their families in navigating resources, systems, community building, and advocacy in over 20 languages.
Paul’s extensive experience includes past roles such as Sub-Regional Planning Coordinator for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, where he contributed specialized knowledge towards system redesign to address homelessness in South King County. He has also served at YouthCare, Lutheran Community Services NW and Friends of Youth in Foster Care & Homelessness Prevention, focusing on initiatives for homeless and refugee youth, including commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) and trafficked individuals.
In addition to his professional endeavors, Paul is deeply engaged in volunteer work. He serves on the Community Accountability Board for the Partnership for Youth Justice in King County Superior Court, demonstrating his commitment to promoting justice and accountability within the community. Previously, he facilitated youth grief support groups at The Healing Center Seattle and held board positions with organizations such as Rainier District Little League and the Washington Association of Family-Based Treatment Services, where he contributed his leadership skills and expertise to benefit youth and families.
With a strong community orientation and a track record of impactful work, Paul Tan continues to make significant contributions to the well-being and empowerment of diverse communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Tom Goodwin
Trained as an economist, Tom has a wide range of experience in investment research. He has published 13 articles in refereed academic journals and numerous other articles in industry publications. He is currently serving on the board of EcoThrive Housing building a climate-resilient and affordable community of 27 cottages in Burien with a planned limited equity cooperative financing structure. He is on the investment board and a limited partner of VentureUs, a fund focused on seed funding of Pacific Northwest early stage startups. He is also the past president and currently on the board of the Seattle Economics Council.
Denise Henrikson
Denise Henrikson is a community builder and cultural animator. Her creativity and persistence has helped launch many enduring cultural happenings in the region. Her faith in humanity remains strong.
She helped organize the first twenty Fremont Summer Solstice Parades and helped build the Fremont Troll. She taught the lantern workshops that launched what is now the annual Luminata Lantern Festival at Green Lake.
Denise initiated the Village Project, an elementary school program where students applied academic lessons around creating classroom businesses, including worker-owned cooperatives. Local business owners mentored the classrooms’ start-ups. The program ran for 25 years..
Denise’s success in building joyful community coalitions led to a career in workforce development for the US Department of Labor & Job Corps. She coached multi-stakeholder partnerships for education and training programs throughout the country, using asset-based assessments and appreciative inquiry to connect people to their passion, strengthen programs, and inform policy.
In 2007, she founded Arts A Glow, an annual lantern festival, in collaboration with the city of Burien. In 2015, she led the Salmon Is Life performance troupe to Paris for the COP21 climate talks. It was there that she had a revelation into the interconnection of climate change, food sovereignty and attainable housing.
The seed of ecoTHRIVE grew from Susan Russell, an artist and Real Change vendor. She had a vision of making art with people experiencing homelessness. Susan and Denise went on to host over 40 art pop-ups at homeless encampments and public spaces throughout King County. They asked “What do you need to thrive?” Listening to hundreds of people tell of heartbreak and resilience was life-changing. Susan and Denise were inspired to convene the ecoTHRIVE team with a mission to create affordable, beautiful villages where people have the time and security to thrive.
In the spring of 2019, Denise approached the city of Burien with a proposal. She needed zoning flexibility to build a small cottage village. The City passed the Affordable Housing Demonstration Program in November 2019 which created a pathway for the ecoTHRIVE project and other missing middle housing.
Denise holds a Master’s Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College and a BFA in Textiles/Crafts from Virginia Commonwealth University. She knows that we are all made of stardust.
Development Team
Cara Visintainer
Cara Visintainer is a senior-level, Professional Engineer with 22 years of experience and a diverse background in civil design and project management. Cara’s experience includes site feasibility, design, preparation of construction documents, team management, permitting, budgeting, construction inspection, and project closeout. Cara oversees a wide range of single-family and multi-family projects, along with commercial and industrial projects throughout Western Washington. She provides civil engineering and consulting for primarily private development projects from feasibility through construction closeout. Cara has worked with multiple jurisdictions and has insight and experience designing and managing complex projects. She also has experience in all aspects of the development process, engineering design, team coordination, and management. She is skilled in site layout, water and sewer design, grading, roadway design and geometrics, stormwater design and modeling, erosion control, low impact development, estimating, project management, and construction support.
Dara Ith
Dara Ith is a local real estate developer known for developing projects that offer quality and custom design details without sacrificing affordability.
In 1987, she co-founded Utopia Design+Develop with Sisarith Ith who holds a PHD in architecture from Ecole Des Beaux Art, Paris, France. Over the past 30 years, they have developed residential, commercial and mixed use projects throughout the Puget Sound region.
Dara joined the ecoTHRIVE team in the spring of 2022. Since then she has led the development of ecoTHRIVE’s pilot village under Burien’s Affordable Housing Demonstration Program. She conducted the market analysis and built financial models that confirm the project’s viability. Dara then found suitable land, negotiated the acquisition, designed the project direction, and put together a talented team of consultants.
Dara brings a wealth of experience and connections with financial institutions and local jurisdictions. She is passionate about creating quality homes that are affordable for people to own and grow their financial opportunities.
Environmental Works
Environmental Works, a nonprofit Community Design Center, empowers Washington’s most vulnerable people and communities to create the spaces they need to succeed. Our team provides custom planning, architecture, and design services to WA nonprofits through a collaborative design process that ensures their unique needs are met. People and Places Matter!
Advisors
Susannah Hale
Susannah, currently a fundraising consultant, has over 15 years of fundraising and partnership investment experience. She has led fundraising campaigns for environmental justice and land conservation efforts, including working closely with donors and tribal councils to secure over 4,000 acres in Kitsap County at the Port Gamble Forest.
Prior to fundraising, Susannah spent a decade running large-scale art fairs and events for a commercial art and design college.
Susannah is committed to doing work that advances a more sustainable world and more equitable society. She is passionate about the intersectionality of economic justice, land conservation, the right to housing, food sovereignty and Native land rights.
Susannah also serves on the Board of Directors for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Foundation.
Susan Russell
Susan is a Real Change vendor who experienced 7+ years of homelessness in Seattle/ King County. She is a requested keynote speaker advocating for human rights, and was awarded the 2018 Real Change Change Agent Award for her work bringing people together through Art, Compassion, Love and Action. Currently, Susan serves as the Program Coordinator for the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Hot Meals program where she leads a team of volunteers who feed people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity.
In 2016 she co-founded Love Wins Love, to bring people together—homeless and housed—to make art and share stories and ideas for reimagining housing. The conversations generated through Love Wins Love planted the seeds from which EcoTHRIVE Housing has grown. Susan is passionate about creating affordable housing solutions and rebuilding the community as a whole.
Emma Sutton
Emma is a designer, community builder, data enthusiast, and artist. She runs a consulting business (Marjorie Design) which focuses on providing digital infrastructure and project management services to communities and businesses. She is also a member of the 2019 cohort of the Housing Development Consortium‘s affordable housing leadership development course.
Through her studies at Hampshire College, she became driven to ensure that everyone has access to thriving and resilient communities. Emma began her education with a drive to promote environmental sustainability. While exploring sustainable architecture Emma studied how her grandmother had designed her own home. As a nurse and realtor, Emma’s grandmother made a home that she was able to live in for the rest of her life. Emma was inspired by her grandmother’s care, foresight, and innate application of universal design principles and Emma carries those lessons with her in all areas of her life.
Our Partners
SquareOne Villages (SOV) has been an invaluable inspiration and support. SOV builds affordable villages in Lane County, Oregon. The Village Model is an innovative ownership structure SOV is implementing that brings together two forms of shared-equity homeownership—a Community Land Trust and a Limited Equity Cooperative.
Our immense gratitude goes to the Taubman Foundation for believing in our vision and our ability to carry it through.
We are grateful for the support and collaboration of the following organizations
outreach timeline
We've conducted extensive community outreach and integrated the input we’ve received into the design of our affordable cottage village. This collection describes our outreach events, dates, methods, results, and documentation of each event/ activity.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Painting Unity Flags and asking the community “What Do You Need to Thrive?” Art draws people into conversations.
METHOD: ART + LISTENING
Hosted over 3 dozen pop-up art-making stations in parks, festivals, food banks/ shelters and farmers markets in King County. Engaged hundreds of people across class, age, and culture.
Summary of Community Input:
People said they/we need things that feed our bodies (food, water, shelter) and things that feed our souls (art, music, gardens) What we need the most is COMMUNITY.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Listening Session at Douglass-Truth Library. Invited people who have experienced homelessness and people from the provider/social services community.
METHOD: LISTENING SESSION
Shared a meal and used the Pomegranate Method of community input to identify needs.
Summary of Community Input:
Cooperative, Supportive, Healthy Relationships; Self Governance with Clear Expectations: Code of Conduct, Community Agreement; Personal Growth and Development Opportunities and Resources On-site; Economic Engines On-site; Ecologically Minded Build – solar, gardens, green space, earthships; Well Thought Out Drug Policy Needed; Honors Diversity to Enrich Collective; Gathering Spaces for work and play – indoors and outdoors; Relaxation Spaces; Safety
OUTREACH EVENT:
Design charette with people who have experienced homelessness. Co-Hosted with members of the NW EcoBuilding Guild.
METHOD: DESIGN CHARETTE
Materials included a hypothetical site map (1 acre), colored paper and markers. And snacks!
Summary of Community Input:
Design teams stressed that private bathrooms and kitchens were a priority*. Participants also recommended that cottages be arranged in “pods” of 3-5 units.
*This input motivated us to shift our goal from creating a transitional housing model (0-30% AMI) to a permanent housing model (30-50% AMI) that is financially sustainable and resident-owned.
OUTREACH EVENT:
WA-BLOC Youth Empowerment Day at Rainier Beach High School
METHOD: ART + LISTENING
Painting Unity Flags and asking the students. “What Do You Need to Thrive?”
Summary of Community Input:
Affordable, Accessible, Adaptable (flexible spaces), & Safe. Includes resources that support education and for healing the mind and body.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Seattle Design Festival 2021 at South Lake Union Park in Seattle. The SDF brings the design community and the general public together to discuss solutions to societal challenges.
METHOD: ART + LISTENING
Painted hearts and asked the community “What Do You Need to Thrive?” Art draws people into conversations.
Summary of Community Input:
People said they/we need things that feed our bodies (food, water, shelter) and things that feed our souls (art, music, gardens) What we need the most is COMMUNITY.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Built Environment Circle: Members of the ecoTHRIVE Team and community members discuss and provide feedback on aspects of the built environment
METHOD: FOCUSED ADVISORY GROUP
One of ecoTHRIVE primary circles, dedicated to providing guidance, research, and feedback on the Built Environment.
Summary of Community Input:
The group provided the programming recommendations for the initial village including unit mix and community amenities. The group has also done extensive research on sustainability, accessibility, resiliency, permaculture, and other design and development topics. They composed a series of design guidelines for the architect and design team to use to structure their work. They also support ecoTHRIVE by producing graphics, supporting events, and strategizing for development and fundraising opportunities.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Conversation with Community Outreach consultant, Roxana Pardo Garcia.
METHOD: FOCUSED ADVISORY GROUP
Roxana has been working with the City of Burien to gather input from the community for the City’s sub-area plan for Boulevard Park. We reached out to Roxana to provide advice on our plan.
Summary of Community Input:
Roxana stressed the need for affordable housing for families.
This impacted our site design. Originally, due to prioritizing maximum affordability, we were planning to create more studios. Now, we are creating mostly 2-bedroom cottages and only 2 studios.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Art in the Shark Community Garden at New Start High School
METHOD: FOCUSED ADVISORY GROUP
Painting Unity Flags and asking the community “What Do You Need to Thrive?” Art draws people into conversations.
Summary of Community Input:
People said they/we need things that feed our bodies (food, water, shelter) and things that feed our souls (art, music, gardens) What we need the most is COMMUNITY.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Land Celebration at North SeaTac Park
METHOD: FOCUSED ADVISORY GROUP
Displayed conceptual site design and asked the community for their feedback.
Summary of Community Input:
General enthusiasm for the development of an affordable village in Boulevard Park. Many neighbors signed up on our mailing list to stay informed.
See Our Facebook Post Promoting The Boulevard Park Block Party
OUTREACH EVENT:
Seattle Design Festival 2022 at South Lake Union Park in Seattle. The SDF brings the design community and the general public together to discuss solutions to social and civic challenges.
METHOD: ART + LISTENING and DESIGN SWARM
Hosted a modified “Design Swarm” to inspire innovative ideas that we might integrate into the design of the affordable village to increase economic, ecological, and social resilience.
Displayed conceptual (2D and 3D) site design, including a scale model of the land & buildings and asked the community for their feedback.
Summary of Community Input:
How Might We…
- reduce personal car use [in the village]?
- reduce food costs without sacrificing quality or quantity [in the village]?
- reduce water use [in the village]?
- reduce electricity use [in the village]?
Other Questions
- What are some effective social technologies that might support social and cultural resilience [in the village]?
- What income-producing opportunities might we integrate [in the village]?
- How might we create intimate private spaces & generous shared spaces in the village?
See Our Facebook Posts About
OUTREACH EVENT:
Public Meeting with the City of Burien, Environmental Works, and the ecoTHRIVE Built Environment Team. Invitations (in English, Spanish and Vietnamese) were mailed to all 985 residents who live within 1000 feet of the property . The invitations provided links to submit comments and/or attend the public meeting.
METHOD: SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATION + Q&A
We conducted a virtual meeting, including a 20 minute presentation and Q & A- and solicited community feedback via a survey. Invitations (English, Spanish and Vietnamese) to submit comments and/or attend the public meeting were sent to 985 residents who live within 1000 feet of the property.
Summary of Community Input:
During the public meeting, people wanted to know how much it will cost to live there.
We received 3 comments/ questions via the on-line survey- their questions focused on who will live there and what we are doing about drainage/ run-off.
OUTREACH EVENT:
Public outreach event welcome to all, hosted at the Highline Heritage Museum in Burien. We invited people to join us in reviewing the updated site plans, making hearts, asking questions, and listening to project updates.
press
We've been featured in some exciting articles and press releases throughout our development process! Here's a round-up (sorted by date).
ECOTHRIVE: A CONVERSATION WITH DENISE HENRIKSON, CO-FOUNDER
April 15th, 2024
“Denise shared insights into the challenges EcoTHRIVE has encountered while researching various affordable housing models and developing their own, including zoning complexities and funding hurdles.”
Jayapal Announces $18.2 Million in Community Project Funding for FY24
March 6th, 2024
“WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is today announcing her Community Project Funding (CPF) requests that are funded by the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) appropriations bills. In total, she secured $18,205,279 for nearly all of the projects requested for the greater Seattle area…$3,200,000 for ecoTHRIVE Housing’s Construction of Affordable Cottage Units”
Jayapal Announces FY24 Seattle-Area Funding Requests
April 27, 2023
“WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is today announcing her Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for the 2024 Fiscal Year (FY24). CPF allows Members of Congress to secure funding for specific projects in their districts through the annual appropriations process.”
RapidRide H Line, parking enforcement, camping update, EcoTHRIVE approval & more from Monday night’s Burien City Council
March 28, 2023
“EcoTHRIVE’s affordable cottage community was approved unanimously by council to be one of five Affordable Housing Demonstration Projects. EcoTHRIVE is a well-planned, resident-owned eco village.”
Legislative update, approval of EcoThrive Housing Project & more on agenda for Monday night’s Burien City Council
March 25, 2023
“On the agenda for Monday night’s (Mar. 27, 2023) regular Burien City Council meeting: State Legislative update, approval of EcoThrive Housing Demonstration Project and more.”
EcoTHRIVE celebrates land acquisition for new housing community
February 15, 2023
“The affordable housing organization EcoTHRIVE has officially acquired a plot of land in north Burien for its first pilot affordable housing project. When completed, the development will have about 27 environmentally friendly cottage units, a shared community space and land set aside for an urban garden.”
Community Connectors, Shape Your City, Crime & Arts discussed at Monday night’s Burien City Council
February 7, 2023
“Council approved about $140,000 for two housing developments chosen by South King Housing & Homelessness Partners (SKHHP), which is a unified coalition formed by 11 cities to pool funds and increase affordable housing options throughout King County. Both the approved developments, which include Habitat for Humanity and Mercy Housing Northwest, are in Burien, with a third, EcoThrive, likely to be approved this year.”
Four big housing ideas that could reshape greater Seattle: The Ripple Effect
December 22, 2022
“The second stop on our road trip is in Burien, where a small cottage development in a pleasant residential neighborhood is making its way through the permit process. The Ecothrive project will be a “community land trust,” which its leader, Denise Henriksen, said will protect its affordability forever.”
In Burien, an unusual affordable housing experiment gains steam
November 14, 2022
“Buying a home is out of reach for most low-income families in the ultra-expensive greater Seattle metro area. The city of Burien is trying to change that. It’s experimenting with tiny cottages, with up to two bedrooms, that families earning less than $50,000 per year can buy.”
Artist’s Reception for Highline Heritage Museum exhibit will be Friday night
November 2, 2022
“Denise and Susan’s exhibit, “What Do We Need to Thrive?” features batik flags created that were made at over 40 different parks, festivals, farmers markets and encampments in King County. The free exhibit is at the museum through December.”
Burien Council Passes Tenant Protections and Extends Affordable Housing Program
October 29, 2022
“After a tense night of debate, the Burien City Council voted to preserve an affordable housing program for another two years at its October 24 meeting, reversing a decision from the beginning of the month that would have allowed the program to expire and endangered at least one housing development. The council also passed a suite of renter protections that are some of the strongest in the state.”
Burien City Council’s heated session on affordable housing & renters rights lasts over 5 hours
October 25, 2022
“Extending the Affordable Housing Demonstration Program – which has been in effect for three years and is expiring soon – received almost unilateral support among the community members who spoke on it during Public Comments.”
Burien affordable housing program in limbo after City Council refuses to renew it
October 19, 2022
“One of the developers whose plans could be derailed is EcoTHRIVE, which began its application process to the AHDP in July. However, EcoTHRIVE Board President Denise Henrikson told Real Change that she’s talked with all of the city council members and that they support the development of affordable housing, including her organization’s project.”
EcoTHRIVE’s Burien Affordable Housing Village Secures Key Loan
October 14, 2022
“The organization’s vision of using a limited equity cooperative to create a “resilient village” of 26 cottages affordable to people earning 40-50% of area median income (AMI) moved a significant step closer to becoming a reality.”
Affordable housing is about to have a new address in Burien
October 14, 2022
“ecoTHRIVE is an affordable housing development that is set to open in 2025 on a 1.8 acre site in Boulevard Park. Denise Henrikson of ecoTHRIVE said they hope to make it a place where people want to live connected to the land and people around them.”
Modeling a new housing method, with thoughtful design
August 31, 2022
“…Denise Henrikson stood next to a model of a terraced hillside set with small, wood boxes representing homes and handmade cardboard trees.”
Annual Seattle Design Festival Kicks Off August 20
August 15, 2022
“The Collaborative Design Swarm, hosted by ecoTHRIVE Housing, is one installation that should not be missed. Last year The Urbanist wrote about ecoTHRIVE Housing’s innovative model for creating affordable housing in Burien.”
ecoThrive’s Village is on the Way!
August 6, 2022
“Smaller footprints”, which is what a small cottage home offers, is something many folks want as a lifestyle, not a stop-gap. This is what moved Denise Henrikson and Dara Ith to collaborate on the development of a cottage village here in Burien.”
Ignite! Meet Our Speakers
March 23, 2022
“This week, we would like to highlight the work of our keynote speaker, Surya Vanka, and our 2021 partners ecoTHRIVE Housing and Seattle Happy Places, and welcome them all as participants at Ignite!”
EcoTHRIVE to Pilot New Model of Affordable Housing in Burien
September 8, 2021
“If all goes well, the result will be the transformation of an oversized single-family lot into a “resilient village” of tiny houses owned by residents through a limited equity cooperative.”
Reconnect with Community at the 2021 Seattle Design Festival
August 18, 2021
“‘People were dealing with isolation and the ever present connection of a shared traumatic experience during the last eighteen months… The focus of the festival is not to look back at that past, but instead to look forward to what we can emerge to — to heal and to gain new perspectives.'”
Artist and advocate Susan Russell wears her heart on her sleeve
September 12, 2018
“She’s also working on a new housing project called EcoThrive, which is guided by a vision of providing “deeply affordable” housing that focuses on community.”
Prayer flags string together love and beauty, creating the world we want to live in
May 4, 2016
“Our world seems to be unraveling. Many systems are falling apart right now: insufficient affordable housing, millions of people without health care, fewer family-wage jobs, rising student debt, extreme weather events and climate change. The worse things get, the easier it is to see disconnecting as the only sane approach.”
newsletters
Explore the list of past newsletters below to learn about ecoTHRIVE's evolution and path ahead.
April 2024 Newsletter: 🌎 The Earth Celebration Edition
EcoTHRIVE’s vision is for climate adaptation to become more mainstream. By linking low-carbon, cooperative living with permanent affordability and beauty, we aim to inspire replication of this affordable ownership model.
January 2024 Newsletter: The Gratitude Edition
We’ve titled this the Gratitude Edition because we would not be here if it weren’t for all of you who are on this journey with us. Thank you! For believing in our mission to develop homes that are community-owned, permanently affordable, climate-adaptive, and beautiful.
EcoTHRIVE Updates: We Have Land! (and new Board members!)
EcoTHRIVE has achieved some major milestones over the last few months:
On Wednesday, March 8, the Burien Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that ecoTHRIVE’s Co-operative Village proposal be accepted into Burien’s Affordable Housing Demonstration Program (AHDP)…
You’re Invited! Celebrate Our Property Purchase With ecoTHRIVE 🎉
Help us celebrate the beautiful, affordable village of cottages and duplexes we are building in Burien. Come make art together and see the site plans! …
We’re Grateful for a year of Growth
We’ve been a busy group and our work is gaining recognition and publicity. It’s clear that we’re tapping into deep desires and needs that we all hold, food, shelter, love, and most importantly, community…
We’ve Reached An Incredible Milestone!
EcoTHRIVE Housing is thrilled to announce that the Washington State Housing Finance Commission recently awarded us a $685,000 supportive loan (at 1% interest) to build our pilot Resilient Village…
Save The Date!
ecoTHRIVE Housing is building a beautiful and affordable village of ecoCottages in Burien, Washington. We’d love to tell you all about it and we have some events coming up to do just that…
ecoTHRIVE has some exciting events in the coming weeks!
ecoTHRIVE Housing is committed to building resilient villages that can meet the challenges of our changing world- in the built environment (via energy efficiency, permaculture) as well as the social environment…
Cultivating Roots to Support Growth
We’re ready! We’re ready to start building truly affordable housing that connects people to each other and nature! We’re ready to find LAND to build a village…
Building Community Block-by-BLOCK
A few weeks ago, six members of the ecoTHRIVE team had the opportunity to meet Bernard “Berns” Troyer, the Construction Project Manager at the BLOCK Project shop. The shop is a construction site for beautiful small homes that are built with love, mostly by volunteers from the community who are guided through the process by BLOCK project staff…
Learn About Our Finance Circle & More!
How do we ensure that we are creating community-centered housing that is economically and ecologically resilient, not just for one village, but for any that follow? What do we need to support the creation of many villages- to meet the needs for community, affordability and regeneration- and honor the land…
Building Resilience, Inside & Out
Thank you for being part of the ecoTHRIVE community! And for collaborating with us to create resilient villages. ecoTHRIVE aims to demonstrate resilience in 2 broad realms: the Built Environment – demonstrating affordable, regenerative design principles- and Human Relationships – integrating social systems that encourage harmonious relationships through shared decision-making, transparency and healthy conflict resolution…
Read About Us In The Urbanist!
The Urbanist just published their piece on ecoTHRIVE! We appreciate the depth of the article and we’re excited to have this opportunity to share our vision. Our pilot project, based on SquareOne’s model, will feature a range of housing types potentially including tiny homes, coliving, duplexes, and row houses to increase density and allow for a diverse range of residents.
We have some exciting events coming up!
The Seattle Design Fest is coming up soon- the weekend of August 21-22! We need folks to volunteer in our interactive booth- as a greeter, art facilitator and/or help us with load in (Aug 20) and load out (Aug 22)…
You cannot change any society unless you take responsibility for it, unless you see yourself as belonging to it and responsible for changing it.
—Grace Lee Boggs
