Ground has been broken on the Together Center project in Redmond, and organizers are promising it to be an unprecedented model for providing both affordable housing and a robust variety of social services in a shared space.

Once completed, the 49,000 square foot Together Center will not only provide 280 units of affordable housing, but will also provide 20 non-profit social service providers with adequate work spaces for below-market value.

Two hundred of the housing units will be “workforce housing,” for those at 50-60 percent of the Area Median Income. Eighty units will be permanent supportive housing for people exiting homelessness and for those whose income is 30-50 percent of the Area Median Income.

Chair of Together Strong, the campaign to transform the Together Center, Karin Duval, said the rates for affordable housing that Together Center will provide will likely not be found anywhere else in the city.

Duval said the wide variety of social service organizations hosted by the complex will be what is truly unique about the Together Center. She said different organizations and service providers will be able to collaborate and cooperate to make sure individuals and families are getting access to the proper services and resources.

She said there is “no wrong door,” at the Together Center because individuals will always be directed or walked to the appropriate service provider. Additionally, if one care provider refers a patient to another, that patient can be walked directly to the clinic onsite on the same day.

Together Center CEO, Kim Sarnecki, said on-site social and health service providers will include but not be limited to addiction support, disability support, counseling service, health care, dental care, career support and services for both families and individuals. She said there will also be multilingual and multicultural organizations.

“The mission and the goal is to lower barriers to access,” Sarnecki said, and that mission been nearly 30 years in the making, ever since the complex was purchased in the early 90’s.

The construction of the complex is in the early stages but Sarnecki said the over $100 million project is expected to be completed by Spring 2023.