WHY: When a child needs specialized treatment or a clinical trial for aggressive pediatric cancer or a heart transplant, they need to immediately relocate within a 30-min drive of Seattle Children’s Hospital for six months to a year. This is a requirement of care. With rush hour traffic, that’s about a 10-mile range within some of the most expensive real estate in the country. The affordable options available to these families have long waiting lists and many do not offer space to accommodate siblings. If there are children to take care of back home, this divides the family for months on end and removes the emotional support system the family unit provides. 

WHAT: Our generously subsidized, flexible-term rental homes are all two to three bedroom, private, single-family homes. We keep families together during the most emotionally and financially stressful times of their lives. We even welcome pets, grandparents or other extended family caregivers, so they can watch over siblings, while parents can do their daily trips to Seattle Children’s Hospital, together. 

Kitchens are stocked with the basics like a vacation rental, with coffee in the cupboard and some frozen pizzas for late night arrivals. We also pair each family with a “buddy family” from the neighborhood so they are instantly part of a caring community of helpers.

HOW:

• Seattle Children’s Hospital: We work exclusively with the Oncology & Heart Transplant social work teams at Seattle Children’s Hospital to connect us to families who need immediate housing within a 30 minute range of Seattle Children’s Hospital for long term treatment.  The majority of these families are considered very low to moderate income by Seattle’s HUD standards.

• Property Managers: We work hand in hand with the property management team at Maple Leaf Property Management to provide the leases, maintenance & daily support needed to care for these homes.

• Home Owners: Our rental homes are all owned by individuals who deeply care about our mission and contribute monthly by discounting the rent so that we can keep prices affordable.

• A Giving Circle: We call our community of donors our “Giving Circle”. Donations by individuals, and especially made on a recurring monthly basis, provide the critical foundation that we need to further subsidize the monthly rent, pay for all of the utilities, yard care and tending needed to make these homes havens of comfort, security and healing for the entire family.

• Our Corporate Sponsors: We have a solid group of local businesses and housing professionals who support our homes and fundraising efforts through corporate sponsorships. Thank you: Showdigs LLC, Seattle Bank, Expert Drywall Inc. Carpet Liquidators, Baird, 360 Privacy and Corient!