About ARCH
ARCH is a partnership of the County and East King County Cities working to preserve and increase the supply of housing for low and moderate income households in the region.
Our coalition has helped to create over 9,000 affordable homes in communities of opportunity.
ARCH supports its members to develop housing policies, strategies and regulations; efficiently administer housing programs; coordinate city investments in affordable housing; and assist people looking for affordable rental and ownership housing.
Creation of ARCH
A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) was created in 1992 through an interlocal agreement between the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and King County, following a study undertaken by a Citizen's Affordable Housing Task Force in Bellevue, which found that:
There is a growing need for affordable housing in Eastside King County;
There are many gaps in the current delivery system;
Local government support is critical to increasing the affordable housing supply;
Increased local government support complements the efforts of private sector housing developers; and
Local governments that work together can be more effective.
Many additional cities followed to form the coalition of fifteen cities that comprise ARCH today. Read ARCH’s current Amended and Restated Interlocal Agreement.
Our Coalition
ARCH is a collaborative undertaking made up of the fifteen East King County cities and King County. The coalition operates through the ARCH Executive Board, Community Advisory Board, member City Councils, and ARCH and City staff. See a full list of the ARCH board members here.
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The ARCH Executive Board consists of the chief executive (City Manager or Elected Mayor) from member jurisdictions, or their appointed proxies.
The Executive Board oversees the day-to-day administration of ARCH, and performs the following key tasks:
Recommends ARCH’s annual work program and budget
Appoints members to the Citizen Advisory Board
Advances Housing Trust Fund recommendations to members Councils for approval
Makes recommendations on local policy and planning to member Councils
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Member Councils also play a key role in advancing the mission of ARCH. Councils are responsible for taking action to:
Adopt the ARCH Interlocal Agreement and any amendments
Adopt plans, policies, land use and development regulations that affect affordable housing
Approve ARCH’s annual work program and budgets
Allocate funding to the Housing Trust Fund, and approve funding for specific projects based on recommendations from the Executive Board
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The ARCH Community Advisory Board (CAB) consists of twelve to fifteen community members and housing professionals that advise the Executive Board on funding recommendations. The CAB also helps coordinate outreach efforts such as the ARCH Community Housing Awards. CAB members contribute an understanding of community context and provide expertise in areas such as planning, architecture, finance, real estate, housing development, assisting low income households and persons with special needs, and more. The CAB strives to be representative of the Eastside communities that make up ARCH.
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ARCH staff carry out the adopted Work Program approved by members each year. ARCH staff act as the housing staff for member cities, working in coordination with other city planning and human services staff on housing strategies, policies and planning efforts.
ARCH Awards
ARCH member jurisdictions are honored that our cooperative approach has received the following awards:
Housing Development Consortium Municipal Champion Award 2018
Governor Awards Woodinville's Greenbrier Heights for Smart Community
The Harvard & Fannie Mae Foundation Innovations in American Government Award
HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award
Vision 2020 Award
1993 Honor Award