Habitat Affiliates Join Forces to Serve All of King County

SEATTLE, WA, October 31, 2012

During a joint meeting, the boards of directors of the Habitat for Humanity affiliates of Seattle/South King County and East King County unanimously voted to merge into a single affiliate serving all of King County. Articles of the Merger have been filed with the Washington Secretary of State in Olympia. The new affiliate will be known as Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County.

The non-profit organization will continue to focus on building and renovating homes to provide affordable housing opportunities for low-income, working families. The merged affiliate will be led by new chief executive officer Kirk Utzinger, who was hired with full board approval on September 17, 2012.

"King County has long been recognized as a national leader in the low-income housing sector," said Utzinger. "I'm looking forward to leading the new Habitat affiliate in partnering and collaborating with community leaders and organizations committed to providing affordable housing and safe, sustainable neighborhoods to the residents of King County."

"As the housing challenges in King County have continued to grow, the need for a united approach became more apparent to the Boards of each affiliate," said Dave Thompson, new Board Chair of Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County. "By pooling resources, combining staff and board expertise, the new organization will become more efficient and have the capacity to serve more families."

Over the next three months, Utzinger and the new board of directors will continue all work currently underway and develop a plan to guide the effort of the new affiliate moving forward. The strategic vision for the combined affiliate will be unveiled at the annual breakfast on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

"Many families in King County are facing enormous challenges to find safe, affordable places to live," said Utzinger. "The housing problems we face can only be solved through bold action and greater cooperation."

Habitat for Humanity of Seattle was founded in 1986 and merged with the South King County affiliate in 2003. The East King County affiliate was founded in 1988. Together, the combined affiliates have partnered with hundreds of organizations in 17 different cities within King County, building over 300 homes for families in need of affordable housing. The vision of all Habitat for Humanity affiliates around the world is "a world where everyone has a decent place to live." Habitat for Humanity's role in realizing that vision is expressed in its mission: "Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope."

For more information, please visit http://www.habitatskc.org or contact Roger van Oosten, Seattle - King County board member and marketing/communications committee chair, at 206-459-0954, or Gena Guillen, Marketing and Communications Manager for Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County, at 253-632-2189.