United for Housing | United Way Skagit

UNITED FOR HOMES

Skagit Pocket Community Housing Projects

Creative Solutions to Housing Crisis Need in Skagit County

The Skagit Pocket Community Housing Project is not a shelter—it’s a long-term, community-rooted solution to housing scarcity. Residents are not clients—they are Co-op members who actively participate in creating a safe, dignified, and cooperative neighborhood.

This is a cooperative community, built to promote self-reliance, dignity, and economic resilience. It offers Skagit County’s residents facing housing insecurity a chance to get back on their feet and build a stronger future.

Why This Matters

Many housing programs focus on temporary fixes. The Pocket Community is different:

Simple cabins offering stability and security
Membership-based cooperative governed by a Code of Conduct and community agreements
Shared responsibilities for maintenance, planning, and decision-making
Support structures like financial literacy, job skills training, and civic involvement
Proven model—successful with Homes Now in Bellingham, where the city upgraded to more permanent units after five years of thriving

Our Model

The community will include 24 units arranged around shared amenities:

Private insulated 8’x8’ cabins (donated by Homes Now and the City of Bellingham)
Shared Kitchen with refrigerators, microwaves, counters, sinks, tables, and seating
Shower and Sanitation facilities
Community Garden & Food Production Zones for sustainability and fresh food
Planned Workforce Training Partnerships to prepare members for improved employment
Solar panels & eco-friendly infrastructure for long-term cost savings
Three shaded pergolas for gatherings, community, and connection

Our Progress

With support for infrastructure and foundational funding from our community members and multiple partners, we will build strong community resilience and are now seeking additional resources to make the project sustainable, safe, and scalable. This includes:

Finalizing site preparation and utilities
Installing community amenities and shared spaces
Expanding eco-friendly infrastructure
Supporting skill-building and workforce pathways for residents

Be Part of the Vision Come to Life

The Skagit Pocket Community is more than housing—it’s a place to belong, contribute, and grow. Here, residents live with dignity, support one another, and take shared steps and personal stewardship toward greater independence.

You can help make it happen.

[Donate Now] | [Volunteer] | [Learn More] | [Wish List]

DONATE NOW

How you can help

We have already been gifted 26 tiny cabins — a donation valued at $150,000.

Now, we’re reaching out for help to make them move-in ready. Your support will help cover critical needs including permitting, electrical setup, water catchment and storage, fencing, gravel, paint, landscaping, solar lighting, and finishing the exteriors. We’re also building a shared community dining and shower facility — an essential piece of making this village a true home.

We're implementing a proven community-based management model with the support of Homes Now. In this model, residents share costs, hold regular meetings for community planning, and take joint responsibility for maintenance and upkeep. In fact, these 24 tiny cabins come from a successful HomesNow village in Bellingham, WA — a program so effective that after five years, the community is now upgrading to larger, more permanent location. Their success has become our starting point.

Our hope is to finance this project from local donations so that we do not have to rely on fluctuating state and federal funds to keep in operation. Your financial support would help with start-up expenses and maintenance. If you have in-kind donations to support this operation please send us a message at the link below.