SKL created with Chief Seattle Club and King County Health Through Housing a culturally-relevant healing space as a model to add social and health supportive services to Chief Seattle Club’s Native housing program. Early in the project, SKL led a series of “listening sessions” to understand the organization’s values and goals for the project. Consensus on a space that is healing and grounded in nature led to two round activity spaces, circular spaces being inherently restorative in Native culture. Cedar was selected as the main material for its cultural associations with prayer, healing, dreams, and protection against disease. Lining the other walls are offices, “talking” rooms for one on one counseling, and a medical room.

SKL completed another tenant improvement at Goldfinch, an existing 66-unit building now a permanent supportive elder’s housing, converting existing bike storage and housing units into offices and clinic space for a community-serving ground floor. With a goal of eliminating native homelessness in King County by 2030, Chief Seattle Club’s fierce focus on housing first has provided over 219 units of permanent supportive or low-income housing and 51 non-congregate shelter beds for their urban relatives.