The Copper Way Apartments consist of 256 affordable housing units 

PIERCE COUNTY — On July 13, 2023, elected officials, housing and service providers, and community members broke ground on the Copper Way multifamily affordable housing community in Spanaway, marking the start of the first affordable housing project to receive funding from Pierce County’s affordable housing fund. That fund was made possible by the passage of the Maureen Howard Affordable Housing Act earlier that year.

The Pierce County Council is excited to share that the grand opening of the Copper Way community is set for Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at 10:30 a.m., marking the completion of 256 affordable housing units for residents earning less than 60 percent of the area median income (AMI).

What: Copper Way Multifamily Affordable Housing Community Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
When: Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. 
Where: 19422 Mountain Hwy E, Spanaway, WA 98387

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is open to the public. 

“This project is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships in creating sustainable housing solutions for the community,” said Pierce County Council Chair Ryan Mello (District 4). “The Pierce County Council has shown an unwavering commitment to affordable housing, evident in our $4.5 million investment in this project; it’s a project that will support so many families in need of a safe, healthy place to call home, and I could not be more thrilled.”

The $4.5 million grant was significant because it served as gap funding, a term developers use to refer to financial support provided to cover the shortfall between the total cost of a project and the amount already secured through primary funding sources. This type of funding is typically used to “fill the gap” in financing that could otherwise delay or prevent a project from moving forward. 

A consortium of Washington State credit unions contributed to the financing of Copper Way, including the Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU), Sound Credit Union, Verity Credit Union, and Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU). The Inland Group developed the Copper Way project.

Learn more about affordable housing projects in Pierce County at www.piercecountywa.gov/ahp. For details on the County’s affordable housing program, managed by Pierce County Human Services, visit www.piercecountywa.gov/ah.