Summary

Members recognize Arthur Sullivan, retiring director of A Regional Coalition for Housing

Story

Arthur Sullivan is joined by the members of the King County Council after the Council recognized the retiring Executive Director of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH)

For close to three decades, Arthur Sullivan’s focus has been on ensuring there is housing available for all people who want to live in the cities and neighborhoods of East King County, regardless of their income.

The Metropolitan King County Council today recognized Sullivan, the retiring executive director of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), for his commitment to the construction and preservation of diverse housing for low and moderate-income communities.

“We are so fortunate to have benefited from Arthur Sullivan’s leadership and expertise and we will miss him. He brought and held many cities together in a common cause to provide affordable housing to the Eastside and many residents are better off because of it,” said Council Vice Chair Claudia Balducci, sponsor of the recognition.

In 1993, Sullivan helped create ARCH, and has served as its executive director. ARCH’s focus has been a collaborative approach to the development of housing in the cities and communities in East King County. ARCH assists member governments in developing housing policies, strategies, programs, and development regulations; coordinating the cities' financial support to groups creating affordable housing for low– and moderate-income households. ARCH also helps people looking for affordable rental and ownership housing.

Over the last quarter-century, ARCH has been involved in the construction and preservation of 80 housing developments that include over 4,000 units of affordable housing.

“It is the work of many people that gave me the ability over the years to assist in the development of affordable housing choices on the Eastside. I want to give credit to the many Eastside cities as well as the King County Council for creating and supporting the nationally-recognized ARCH partnership to make more affordable housing in East King County,” said Sullivan.

WHEREAS, Arthur Sullivan has dedicated his professional life to building and preserving affordable housing for low-to- moderate-income individuals and families; and

WHEREAS, Arthur Sullivan was instrumental in the creation of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) in 1993, creating an organization devoted to assisting and empowering cities in East King County to increase the diversity and affordability of housing, and he has served as its program manager for a quarter century; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure, ARCH has grown from three member cities to currently encompassing 15 member cities and King County; and

WHEREAS, his passion for ensuring housing for residents of all incomes in East King County led to the creation of the ARCH Trust Fund and the provision of over $60 million in local resources over the past 25 years, resulting in 80 housing developments that include over 4,000 units of affordable housing; and

WHEREAS, under his leadership, ARCH was selected in 2004 to receive the first-ever national Fannie Mae Foundation’s Innovations in American Government Award in Affordable Housing, for “leading the way” in demonstrating how cities and counties across the country can preserve and increase housing for low-to-moderate-income households; and

WHEREAS, as a direct result of his efforts, thousands of individuals and families in East King County have safe, stable, and affordable places to call home, now and for years to come;

NOW, THEREFORE, we, the Metropolitan King County Council and the King County Executive, recognize and honor

for his dedication and invaluable service and wish him well in his retirement.

DATED this twenty-ninth day of October, 2018.