The former Keiro site represents one of the largest opportunities to materially impact Black communities in Seattle. Built in 1976, the Keiro facility served as a vital elder care facility for the Pan-Asian community, particularly for Japanese elders post-internment. Encountering financial difficulties, Keiro was pressured to sell the property. In 2020, Black community mobilized tremendous community support to halt the predatory development of the Keiro site—nearly a full block in the heart of the Central District.

Building on the legacy of the Liberty Bank Building, Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT) is moving forward to purchase the Keiro building with plans to develop Black community-led and -centered affordable housing and wraparound and direct services. ACLT is currently facilitating a community planning process for equitable development that honors the Kiero site’s legacy as a cultural institution, pays homage to the long history of Black and Asian solidarity work in Seattle, and paves way for future cross-community building.

What’s more, Keiro’s existing structure allows for the immediate accommodations for over 250 folks experiencing homelessness. As the Black community is widely overrepresented in the population experiecing homelessness, this project represents a national opportunity to model a Black-led and centered direct social service hub to assist our community members in replanting roots and reconnecting/rebuilding community.

This historic, cross-community, anti-gentrification project has received huge support from City and State officials. We’re now in the home-stretch to make this national, scaleable Black-consortium service model a reality, and need only a few legislators' support to move this forward! Tap in here to help make this happen!