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A lack of affordable housing units in one of Washington state’s largest cities has pushed a community church into action as it seeks to convert some of its property holdings into as many as 60 affordable housing units.
Shiloh Baptist Church in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood is taking steps to convert two of its properties into affordable housing complexes, according to a report from Seattle-based NBC affiliate KING 5.
Tacoma’s fair market value rent for a one-bedroom apartment currently stands at $1,673 per month, according to city data cited in the report. That’s outside the realm of affordability for many low-income residents.
The conversion effort has been years in the making, according to church pastor Chavis Young.
“God has placed us here on the Hilltop, and we just want it to be, as we say, a beacon on the hill, a light on the hill to let everyone know that there is hope,” Young told the outlet. “Despite what you’re going through, there is hope.”
Initial groundbreaking for the complexes took place in mid-2022, with the first of the two projects opening in September 2024. The second complex opened its doors in January 2025.
Both complexes are located near the church, and the properties were formerly used primarily as transitional housing for people who had just been released from prison.
Young told the outlet that all 60 units across both complexes are now occupied, with tenants ranging from individuals to low-income families. But the city — like many localities across the country — has its work cut out for it.
KING 5 reported that the Tacoma Housing Authority currently has a waitlist of more than 9,000 households seeking assistance, nearly twice the number of households it currently serves.
Young said the need for the effort by the church is self-evident when walking down Tacoma’s streets.
“You can just walk down Yakima (Street), and you can see the need for affordable housing,” Young told the outlet. “When we opened just the application process that first week [or] week and a half, we had over 200 applicants.”
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in recent months has trumpeted the involvement of community organizations like churches in the battle against homelessness.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner, who previously served as a pastor, described the impact of faith-based organizations on the homeless population in Dallas when visiting the city in March.
Turner, a native of the Dallas suburb of Richardson, spoke behind closed doors with municipal leaders and local nonprofits in a meeting hosted by faith-based homelessness nonprofit and ministry OurCalling. Turner later discussed the meeting in an interview with local media.
In the interview, Turner said he was pleased with the partnership between city officials and nonprofits.
“I was very encouraged by the collaboration in which they work together,” he said, adding that the approach might be worth applying to other major cities nationwide.
HousingWire reached out to Shiloh Baptist Church but did not receive an immediate reply.
English (US) ·