Partnerships with Seattle’s Affordable Housing Providers

Nationally recognized partnerships and approaches.

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) believes that strong connections between school, home, and community ultimately improve educational opportunities and success of children. In collaboration with Seattle’s affordable housing providers, we are strengthening relationships with families, creating networks of community supports, and supporting families as they navigate both housing and education resources.

If you are an organization that provides affordable housing to Seattle Public School families, please contact Selam Misgano, Housing and Education Manager at snmisgano@ganbingyy.net to learn more about how you can join this effort.

Our partnership with Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is nationally recognized approach aimed at improving educational outcomes for over 6,000 students who attend our schools and live in SHA-subsidized housing. See below for more details on the work we are doing alongside SHA and families.

Our activities center families, communities, schools to respond to educational needs now and create long term systems alignments

Family Engagement

Seattle Public Schools defines family partnerships as effective partnerships between family and schools to support and improve the learning, development, and whole health of students.

We know the critical role that families play in the lifelong education of our students. By partnering with affordable housing partners, we aim to promote effective two-way communication with families, build positive relationships and welcoming environments, and increase opportunities for family leadership. During Spring 2021, this partnership allowed the district to engage 200 affordable households around return to in person school.

Youth and family serving organizations

Our housing and education partnerships has empowered us to collaborate with communities, schools, and youth providers to increase students’ access to resources and activities. For example, Team Read, brought their successful literacy program to SHA’s NewHolly and High Point communities to expand after-school reading supports and teen employment opportunities to SHA students.

Systems Alignment

Partnering with SHA and other housing providers has also helped us to build capacity and coordination aimed at improving school attendance and increasing learning time. Through alignment of our services, strategies, and skills, we can foster caring and nurturing communities that build positive learning environments for children at school and at home.

Examples include SHA and community youth-serving organizations participating in a number of district professional development opportunities, including trainings on social emotional learning, race and equity, and trauma-informed practice. As we continue to further align on priorities and programming, we are seeking out additional opportunities to streamline affordable housing providers and district to help families navigate both housing and education resources.