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Independent Archive of Seattle Social Housing Project
Social Housing: New Chair ⎥ $68 Million Purchase ⎥ Oliver Returns
October 27, 2026 Seattle Social Housing special meeting report.
Inside the latest SSHD meeting: A new board chair is elected, a $68M West Seattle housing purchase moves forward and Nikkita Oliver returns.
The Seattle Social Housing Developer’s special board meeting Tuesday brought a change in leadership, a lengthy presentation on resident governance and unanimous approval to proceed with its second apartment acquisition.
Because this was a special meeting, Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act did not require the board to offer public comment.
ChrisTiana ObeySumner has stepped down as board chair. Vice chair Leah Salerno nominated herself to take over, receiving praise from former chair Tom Barnard, who said she had what it takes to do the job.
After Barnard’s remarks, someone interjected to correct his pronoun usage: “Leah uses she/them pronouns.” Salerno was elected chair.
ObeySumner was absent. Asked afterward when the resignation occurred, SSHD replied by email: “Just recently. She’s [ObeySumner] fine and still on the Board, just not Chair.” ObeySumner uses they/them pronouns, although SSHD’s email used “she,” a contrast with the correction offered to Barnard earlier in the meeting. An exact date of the resignation was not provided.
Oliver Returns
Nikkita Oliver began the year involved in SSHD’s resident onboarding plans. By June, the ACLU of Indiana had announced Oliver as its next executive director. Now, with that start date delayed amid an internal dispute, Oliver appeared at Tuesday’s SSHD meeting as a resident governance consultant.
According to an October 23 article in the Indiana Citizen, the ACLU of Indiana has delayed the start date of incoming E.D. Nikkita Oliver and launched an external HR review following internal turmoil and staff complaints over Oliver's proposed approach to choosing legal cases. Former philanthropy director Neil Hudelson said he was fired and four legal staff members resigned in protest. Oliver denied the allegations, and the ACLU chapter's board disputed Hudelson’s account, saying some resignations preceded Oliver’s selection.
At Tuesday's SSHD meeting, Oliver presented findings on what people want from resident-led housing and their concerns about how it would work.
Survey respondents prioritized having a say over rent increases, maintenance and communication. Participants also feared “power hoarding” by louder or more privileged neighbors and questioned whether resident governance bodies would have meaningful authority. Recommendations included clearly defining which decisions residents could make and providing printed materials in every language spoken in the building.
Resident-led SSHD plans on owning more than 1,000 units by the end of 2027, housing the project’s growing constituency — who will eventually vote in exclusive elections for 7 of the 13 seats on the SSHD Board of Directors.
The SSHD Board has always been keen to how the renter / constituency will influence the exclusive governance. The February 2026 board meeting agenda stated,
"[C]reate annual board development plans, standardize and support board members' onboarding and help in the creation of programming for SSHD residents to prepare them for stepping into board positions.”
There was discussion at the February meeting with how to orient residents into the “social housing family” and how the onboarding must express values like a restorative justice policy. That meeting announced Nikkita Oliver leading the onboarding process.
With Oliver’s start date in Indiana delayed, Tuesday’s presentation showed their continued involvement in shaping resident governance at SSHD.
Youngstown Flats
The board then entered executive session to discuss a real estate acquisition. The agenda cited the provision allowing private deliberations when public discussion could increase a property’s price.
When the board returned, the vote was unanimous: interim CEO Tiffani McCoy could proceed toward closing on Youngstown Flats in West Seattle.
And just like that, another acquisition moved forward.
The price, according to SSHD’s public announcement, is approximately $68 million, with closing expected in mid-December. The six-story building contains nearly 200 apartments. SSHD says the acquisition could protect about 30 residents from displacement following the expiration of an existing affordability program. Planned benefits include a two-year rent freeze on existing leases and free one-year ORCA passes.
Sixty million here, sixty-eight million there — if Youngstown Flats closes as expected, SSHD’s first year of property acquisitions will total approximately $129 million.
CEO Search
The search for a permanent CEO offered another revealing exchange.
Search consultants reported contacting approximately 75 to 80 people locally and nationally. With an October 31 application deadline approaching, eight applications had been received. Two candidates looked promising and were being advanced to the hiring committee.
Barnard questioned why the committee would not receive all eight.
Consultant Sarah Dunn explained that the remaining applicants had not yet been fully vetted, but said she would happily pass them all along to the hiring committee.
“We’re not interested in gatekeeping any candidates from you,” Dunn told him.
Her assessment of the position itself was direct: “The role is a hard one.”
The meeting concluded with Ryan Driscoll’s update on ethics committee membership and board development. The accompanying packet proposes an annual committee assignment process and quarterly board training beginning in 2027, including public records, public meetings and ethics instruction.
A new chair is in place. A permanent CEO remains to be found. Meanwhile, the property purchases continue.
Meeting was adjourned.
Image Collage: Nikkita Oliver by James Anderson, under Alamy Images. / Youngstown Flats Apts.