From Rosie the Riveter to 21st Century Ingenuity

At the start of World War II, workers began pouring into the Seattle area to work at war industry plants such as Boeing, Lockheed and Todd Shipyards. In the rush to house the laborers, more than 700 homes, mainly duplexes, were constructed at High Point.

In 1952, Seattle Housing Authority (Seattle Housing) took over management and the neighborhood was converted to public housing. Because the barracks-like homes were only intended to be a temporary solution to a temporary problem, the buildings, like many similar housing projects across the country, began to show their age.

Spurred by a desire to improve living conditions for residents and weave High Point back into the fabric of West Seattle, Seattle Housing tapped into a funding program offered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as HOPE VI, and began making plans to take the neighborhood to the next level. "Our mission with High Point was three fold," explains Phillips. "We wanted to create a great neighborhood that included an engaged community, a quality design, and a healthy environment."