A Living Building Challenge pilot project to establish a reality of sustainable and "Red-List" chemical free affordable housing.

The bold vision of the 68-unit U-lex offers a comprehensive approach to improving the health of communities impacted by generational barriers to holistic wellness and economic stability. The homeownership building is called 'U-lex,' (Oh-lu) which means "gather" in Lushootseed, a Coast Salish language, in honor of the first stewards of the land. U-lex is a Limited Equity Cooperative, a homeownership model in which residents purchase a share in a development and commit to reselling their share at a rate that keeps it forever affordable. All units will be affordable to families earning 80% Area Median Income or less at the time of purchase, with a diversity of unit sizes including 3, 2, and 1-bedroom homes to accommodate a vibrant quality of life for intergenerational, multicultural families.

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As an exemplar in the equitable, affordable housing movement, U-lex is a pilot project with the International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge (ILFI) (LBC) for Affordable Housing. The LBC Petal goals center around community placemaking, social equity, and healthy materials, avoiding toxic "forever chemicals" on the Red List. Red-List materials have the worst in class chemicals prevalent in the building industry and disproportionately impact our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Washington State and King County. Currently, it is a huge challenge to find funding for this model of innovative affordable homeownership, to say nothing of funding to eliminate red-list building materials.

This project is shovel-ready, and construction will start November 2024.