Sound Transit isn’t just about getting you from point A to point B. Through our transit-oriented development (TOD) program, we turn construction sites into opportunities for housing, jobs, and thriving communities near transit.
Earlier this month, Sound Transit celebrated the opening of Connection Angle Lake in September, the newest affordable housing project to open on Sound Transit surplus property.
The children and families enjoying the courtyard play structure as speakers shared remarks were a fitting illustration of what this project brings to the community. As people have begun moving into their new homes, families now have the opportunity to live and thrive in a place that is connected to regional transit while being surrounded by community, services, and support.
Located near the Angle Lake Link light rail station and adjacent to the Angle Lake Garage, Connection Angle Lake provides convenient connections along the 1 Line today – from Angle Lake to Lynnwood.
Residents can also look forward to more connections as Sound Transit prepares to open Link light rail service to Federal Way in late 2025 and to the Eastside with the Crosslake Connection in 2026.
About Connection Angle Lake
This project, developed by Mercy Housing, includes 130 units and brings 211 bedrooms across studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes to the Angle Lake Station area.
Connection Angle Lake’s homes serve households earning under 50% and 60% area medium income.
The project includes 26 units for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and eight units for recipients of King County Housing Authority vouchers.
A new home for The Arc of King County
The Arc of King County promotes the rights and full inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by providing resources like support groups, information and referral services, educational programs, and advocacy for better public policies in areas such as housing, education, and employment.
The organization will now operate out of the ground floor of Connection Angle Lake to provide critical services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Locating The Arc’s services close to transit will connect more people to their services and opportunities throughout the region.
The Arc of King County will operate out of the ground floor commercial space to provide critical services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
This project received funding from various public and private partners, including the Commission, King County, and the Amazon Housing Fund.
Amazon contributed a $17 million low-interest rate loan and a $2 million grant. These funds are part of the Amazon Housing Fund, a $2 billion commitment to preserve or create more than 20,000 affordable homes across the company’s hometown communities.
Our role in creating transit-oriented development
Transit-oriented development supports vibrant neighborhoods with direct access to transit. Sound Transit strives to be part of the housing solution by creating and supporting opportunities for TOD and affordable housing near our stations.
TOD projects utilizing Sound Transit’s surplus properties range from affordable to market-rate housing and include other neighborhood priorities such as early learning centers, restaurants, community spaces, healthcare services, playgrounds, and more.
After we complete transit expansion projects across the region, we often no longer need various pieces of land that were used for construction. Through our TOD program, we then offer these surplus properties – often at a discount – to non-profit affordable housing developers who can use them to create much-needed housing throughout the region.
The non-profit affordable housing partners utilize Sound Transit’s surplus property to create homes for people that are connected to jobs, services, and gathering places throughout the region via transit.
For example, the land that Connection Angle Lake is built on was acquired by Sound Transit in 2013 and used for construction staging during construction of the Angle Lake Station and the Angle Lake Garage. The land was transferred to Mercy Housing at a discount in 2022 to support the project’s affordable housing outcomes.
Sound Transit's transit-oriented development program's combined approach of discounting property for affordable housing and aligning funding and resources to support successful projects has fostered 20+ projects that deliver 3,481 new housing units, 2,681 of which are affordable.
These homes provide the community with affordable places to live that are in opportunity-rich areas that are connected to regional transit.
Thanks to all who came out to the grand opening to celebrate this new community!