As we celebrate the grand opening of Connection Angle Lake, we wanted to take a moment to pause and introduce you to one of our longtime community partners, The Arc of King County.

In late 2015, The Arc of King County was invited to attend a resource event hosted by Mercy Housing Northwest. After that initial gathering, the relationship grew between the two organizations, with joint tours and brainstorming sessions focused on how the two organizations might work together. The Arc of King County also trained MHNW staff in special education, autism, and disabilities in the workplace.

The Arc of King County promotes and protects the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) so they can live, learn, work, and play in the community.

The organization traces its roots back to 1936, when parents connected through a newspaper ad and came together as the Children’s Benevolent League. Their goal was simple but powerful: to support one another and create better lives for their children. At that time, there was little awareness of what we now know as IDD, and many children were placed in institutions—often at the recommendation of doctors.

Changing perceptions about IDD

From those grassroots origins, parents created support systems. They started the long journey to change perceptions about disabilities, secure housing, education, healthcare, and employment in the community for their loved ones.

During these moments shared in joint spaces, a pressing need began to emerge – the urgent need for IDD affordable housing in Washington State. With this overlap in mission, the two organizations began exploring a potential development. This idea morphed into Connection Angle Lake.

Connection Angle Lake provides 130 affordable, energy-efficient apartment homes, nearly half of which are two- and three-bedroom homes. This transit-oriented community also features the new headquarters for The Arc of King County and a new model for integrated, permanently affordable housing with supportive services for people with IDD and their families. With 26 apartment homes designed specifically for this population, Connection Angle Lake is the first affordable housing community in Washington State focused on the IDD community.

We consider ourselves lucky and honored to have found a partner like The Arc of King County. These homes don’t just provide shelter — they create opportunity for generations to thrive.