Member Highlight: Beacon Development Group
HDC appreciates all the passion, hard work, and dedication our members devote to the affordable housing movement. No single organization could make this impact and secure this progress alone. The collaboration and connection among members is the human energy that works to ensure all people have a safe, healthy, and affordable home. We want to show our appreciation and learn more about our affordable housing community through these member highlights as each member is crucial to achieving the larger vision of this movement. This week our featured member is Beacon Development Group. Thank you for all the work that you do!
What excites your team about the work you are doing?
The positive impact we are making by helping to provide housing stability to people with limited resources is incredibly exciting. We are fortunate to have our WA office located at one of our development consulting projects, Plaza Roberto Maestas. Coming to work every day to a multicultural community where we see children playing and people gathering in the plaza is a daily dose of excitement. Attending grand openings where we can see residents smiling is a reminder of why our work is so important.
What is a favorite office anecdote?
For 18 years our office had a strict no dog policy. This spring while a colleague was coming in to the office he found a lost dog wandering the neighborhood. He brought the dog upstairs while he tried to track down the owner. In the meantime, there was a 30 minute doggie love fest as staff chased, fetched, scratched, and played with that dog. There were some sighs when the owner came to re-claim the dog, but the smiles and morale boost lasted all day. So now after 18 years, we are considering joining the dog-friendly workplace movement in Seattle.
What upcoming projects, partnerships, and news are you looking forward to?
We are privileged to be working on projects that represent diverse cultures with rich heritages. Filipino Community Village, Ethiopian Community Services, and Chief Seattle Club all have beautiful and unique cultures that have been exciting for us to learn about. Creating housing that reflects the shared stories of cultures and creating community spaces in which traditions can be carried on for generations is something we are honored to be a part of.
What have you been most proud of during your time as an HDC member?
Beacon and HDC have grown together over the last few decades. We have jointly weathered dramatic changes in the economic and political climate and both tried to lead and respond to the evolving affordable housing industry. The fact that we are both still standing after this many years is something we can both be proud of.
