(‘Site plann’ from city permit filings)
Three weeks after we first reported plans for an RV “safe lot” and tiny-house village planned for state-owned property in southeast West Seattle, prospective operator LIHI has just sent the official annnouncement, It answers a few of the questions we’ve been pursuing, including who the previously unnamed “religious” spoonsor is. Here’s the announcement in its entirety (which erroneously describes the site as in South Park):
The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) is pleased to announce plans to open Glassyard Commons, an RV safe parking lot, on state-owned property in South Park, West Seattle. The property is located at 7200 2nd Ave. SW by W. Marginal Way SW.
Glassyard Commons will have space for 72 RVs, 20 tiny houses, and community facilities. The land is owned by WSDOT and comprises 169,757 SF or 3.90 acres. Because the Glassyard Commons site is located on public property, the goal is to lease the land long-term for RV safe parking. LIHI’s previous safe parking site in Interbay, Salmon Bay Village, had to close in May 2025 as the private owner is constructing a sports facility for pickleball.
“The target population for Glassyard Commons are homeless people who have no other option but to live in old, unsafe RVs. The goal is to secure permanent housing for vehicle residents and to dispose of the RVs. LIHI works with households to sign over their RVs for demolition and removal. We do not want to see dilapidated and fire prone RVs sold or recirculated in the community. We thank the Seattle City Council for their leadership in funding RV safe lots and tiny house villages as an innovative solution to the homelessness crisis,” states Sharon Lee, LIHI Executive Director.
“I’m excited that the Glassyard site is on track to open mid-year. My district has the highest proportion of lived-in RVs in Seattle, and my support for this project was conditional on priority access for RV residents already living in District 1. I’m grateful for the collaboration of the City’s Human Services Department, Mayor Wilson, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, and WSDOT in moving this forward. LIHI’s model, which has proven successful in other tiny home village locations, focuses on helping people transition permanently into long-term housing with wraparound support services. I look forward to supporting them and their continued success,” states Rob Saka, Seattle City Councilmember, District 1.
The largest concentration of RVs on city streets is located in Council District 1, including South Park and Georgetown, Districts 6 and 7, which include the areas around Interbay and Ballard. LIHI is partnering with UHeights to conduct outreach to RV dwellers throughout Seattle. LIHI’s target is to open the Glassyard Commons in time for the FIFA World Cup.
Salmon Bay Village demonstrated a successful track record of moving people out of RVs into tiny houses, and then moving into permanent housing with the help of on-site case managers. 87 people were sheltered at Salmon Bay Village and 67 RVs were removed from the streets of Seattle. LIHI had a 60% success rate of moving people into housing, which is a high ratio compared with other forms of shelter.
Within the next month, LIHI will host a community meeting and reach out to neighbors and community members to discuss plans for Glassyard Commons. A Community Advisory Committee would be set up to include businesses, neighbors, and faith organizations. These monthly meetings will be open to the public. The New Hope Missionary Baptist Church is the religious sponsor of Glassyard Commons.
The 20 tiny houses serve a critical need. The 8’x12’ tiny houses are heated, insulated and furnished. As many RVs are in poor condition, people are eager to move out of them. Mold, inoperable appliances and the risk of fires continue to plague older RVs. Glassyard Commons will include a shared kitchen, dining, community gathering place, hygiene facilities, showers, laundry and case management offices. All community spaces and a number of tiny houses are handicap accessible. Staff is on-site 24/7 and a fence will surround the property with a security pavilion at the front entrance to control who goes in and out.
There is a lack of RV and vehicle safe parking spaces in Seattle. A large percentage of unhoused individuals, close to 50%, have spent time living in vehicles. Ideally, other safe parking and village sites would be located in Seattle to address the need. The city reports that the Unified Care Team, which conducts outreach to resolve encampments, has only 5 dedicated beds available daily to offer citywide.
We’ll publish date/location information on the promised community meeting when we get it.