How did you get involved with Facing Homelessness?
Sam: The original connection was through our friend Michael Hebb. He was involved in getting a co-working space called the Cloud Room off the ground. I got something in an email from the Cloud Room about an event that was happening with Facing Homelessness and I thought it was compelling. At that time it was before anyone had built a BLOCK Home or anything like that. And I had a lot of questions. I had a meeting with Sara [former FH Executive Director] and we talked for an hour and she explained all the ins and outs and the vision and I thought it was a very compelling idea.
Siv: I think Sam came back from that meeting and he was he was pretty hopped up on the mission, what they were trying to do, and I think I was a little bit dubious of the idea that people in Seattle would be game to have tiny homes in their backyards - with strangers that had previously been living on the streets. And then we went to another event and had another meeting with Jennifer [FH Deputy Director] and Sara. And they won me over with some success stories about people who had already signed up to have homes built. I just thought it was really cool that people were really doing the anti-NIMBY thing. I was very moved by a lot of the stories they told and it challenged my cynicism.
What has surprised you about getting to know Facing Homelessness over the years?
Siv: That there's such a community that has supported this project and was down to welcome strangers into their backyards. Sam and I are both Seattle natives, born and raised, and I am aware of the stereotype of the “freeze”, the standoffishness. I do think that in Seattle, people can tend to be sort of standoffish, nice and polite, but not necessarily welcoming and certainly not welcoming into their private spaces. And this was such a stark rebuttal to that stereotype. And I think it's cool!
Sam: I think there's a lot of organizations out there who are constructing new housing for folks coming off of the streets. I feel like those organizations are large and they exist in a space where it's difficult for an everyday person to get involved. But the fact that an organization of Facing Homelessness’ scale works with a lot of volunteer power and is literally adding to the stock of homes - I think that is one of the most special things and unique things about this organization in my opinion.
Do you have a favorite experience with Facing Homelessness?
Sam: I really liked the time that I was able to spend at the BLOCK Shop before our child was born. I was incredibly impressed with Tomasz [Former BLOCK Shop Manager], who had built all of these jigs. His knowledge of the house and how it was coming together. Somebody made a little mistake on something and he said, “oh, it's no big deal. There's gonna be a piece of trim that covers that”, but the rest of us are just looking at a bunch of boards on a table. He had this incredibly well developed three dimensional image in his head of where everything was going to go. I'd love to get back and do more of that one day!
Siv: We hosted a sort of fundraiser for when y'all were trying to get the BLOCK Shop. It was really cool to invite our friends and family and let them hear from Jennifer what everything was about. I got to watch people have the same experience I had of dubiousness and then watch them be moved by the mission, by the grassroots outpouring of support that it had already in the community.
Why do you choose to support?
Siv: Sam and I are from Seattle and when you think about some of the most pressing problems facing the city, I think most people put homelessness at the top of the list. This city has gentrified and we're having the same housing shortage that a lot of big, urban, desirable, cutting edge tech cities are having. Facing Homelessness was an organization that we thought was tackling the problem in an interesting way. What Sam said earlier - it felt easy to get involved. It felt accessible for people like us who want to get involved. We'd like to give money and we’d maybe like to swing a hammer.
Sam: The BLOCK Project is adding housing units for people coming off the streets at the lowest cost for housing units out there. I don't think anyone's doing it at a lower price. And if you want to talk about affordable housing, bringing down the cost of creating those units has to be a part of the picture. And that's why it's a special organization that we have elected to support.
What are your hopes for the future of Seattle?
Sam: I would say it would be amazing if Seattle was the kind of place where someone could show up with a car or on a bus with a few dollars in their pocket and build a meaningful life for themselves. If we could create a city that provided those opportunities, I think that would be an incredible thing.
What advice would you give someone else thinking about getting involved?
Siv: Beyond just give, if you can, which of course is an obvious one. We did a fundraiser with family and friends. There's a feeling you get from writing a check to an organization that you support that feels really good. And there's a much greater feeling that you get when you do something with friends. This is something I really believe in - let me write an email to my close inner circle and explain why I'm moved by this. And to then see an outpouring from your inner circle...It's really moving and it’s sort of an opportunity to remind yourself I am an agent of change, but also like I'm connected with really great people who show up to support me and they show up to support organizations that I can give voice to. We did it for Sam's birthday and the number of people who we work with, our family and friends who gave small amounts. That's a super cool feeling.
Sam: I would also say, sometimes you just want to do something yourself, Sometimes you want to make a tangible contribution and there's absolutely lots of opportunities for that. Be they at the Window of Kindness, or learning how to build components at the BLOCK Shop, or going to a BLOCK Home site and digging trenches. There are lots of opportunities every week to get involved. And I'd encourage anyone who has some free time to do so.
Meet Facing Homelessness Community Members and Supporters, Sam and Siv!