Patti Southard, a nationally-acclaimed pioneer in her field, as a Green Building Program Manager for King County Solid Waste Division in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks for 14 years, until she passed away in 2019.

Homestead Community Land Trust held a ribbon-cutting event on Friday, June 28, 2024 to celebrate the completion of the Southard, named after Patti. Located in the Cascade View neighborhood of Tukwila, the Southard is Homestead’s latest net-zero energy, Salmon Safe, affordable homeownership development.

June 28, also Patti’s birthday, was commemorated as Patti Southard Day by King County Executive Dow Constantine. He recognized it by presenting this proclamation to Patti’s twin sister Ellen Southard at the event.

Pictured: The ribbon cutting event was attended by many who remembered Patti fondly, including project partners and her sister Ellen Southard.

Kathleen Petrie, King County Program Manager for Green Building Communitywide, said, “The Southard emulates all Patti worked so hard for throughout her career and life. Patti was a teacher, providing guidance on projects when green building practices were not as common as they are today.”

“Homestead Community Land Trust has carried these practices forward by striving to create developments that exceed code and can be replicated across our region, thereby providing healthy affordable housing for people in our community,” she added.

Nori Catabay, King County Solid Waste Division Supervisor for Green Building, also recognizes the impact of this event and Patti’s legacy.

“It was a great event to congratulate Homestead Community Land Trust for building carbon-neutral, sustainable, affordable homeownership. Their achievement is no small miracle during COVID-19 and the construction climate,” she said. “It was a great way to remember the legacy of Patti that continues on, providing much needed housing in our community in an equitable and sustainable way.”

Kelly Rider, Director of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) outlined the importance of providing homeownership options that meet climate standards.

“I was fortunate to get to know Patti in our shared commitment toward sustainable, healthy, affordable housing especially here in South King County. Patti’s legacy can be felt and seen throughout every part of The Southard’s design. From the use of materials that reduce environmental impacts and utility bills, to the solar panels and other energy efficient systems meant to achieve net zero energy usage, The Southard is a culmination of this community’s efforts to build affordable homeownership opportunities that also achieve stability, opportunity, and high environmental standards,” said Kelly.

Pictured: Kathleen Hosfeld, Executive Director of Homestead Community Land Trust, holds the Salmon Safe certification plaque.

“Because of these high standards, The Southard is also the first co-certified Zero Energy and Salmon Safe project in the U.S.,” she continued.

“Through affordable homeownership efforts like this, we can reduce racial and ethnic inequities in homeownership access and address climate equity, a vision that we all share for our region. This is a vision that Patti championed and fought for, and I want to applaud the Homestead team for advancing it here and across their work, and for commemorating Patti’s legacy of a restorative and regenerative community carried on in The Southard.”

Elizabeth Loudon, WaterWorks Grant Program Manager in the Wastewater Treatment Division, was inspired by the project and excited to see it come to fruition and  congratulate community partners, Homestead Community Land Trust and Parkview Services.

“WaterWorks grants funded exemplary stormwater systems and education at The Southard and that work continues. Ellen Southard, Salmon-Safe, and others are working to share and expand this model of building watershed friendly affordable housing,” she said.

“It was very fitting that Patti’s vision brought us together for this wonderful event. Patti was brilliant at networking and worked hard to connect people and programs. I’m honored to be involved in this visionary project bringing together the highest standards in affordability, community empowerment, and sustainability. And there’s more to come!”

When Patti died, her colleague and friend David Burger, with the non-profit Stewardship Partners, touched on that legacy, and what Patti meant to people.

“We have lost an incredible driving force in the green building community. Patti was a brave and loving friend who made everyone smile and had an infectious way of making hard environmental and social justice work fun. Her environmental contributions at every level surpassed those of anyone I’ve ever met. She was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.”

For more information about the Southard visit www.thesouthard.com. To learn more about the Green Building Program and King County’s efforts to develop sustainable, affordable housing visit the King County website.