About Africatown International
We started because help wasn’t coming fast enough.
Neighbors in Seattle were being pushed out by rising rents, background checks, old eviction debt, and slow systems. We felt like we were under attack and had to fight back. So we built our own way to keep people housed. That’s Africatown International: a community-driven effort created by Black and Indigenous people who faced the same barriers and decided to act.
What Africatown means to us
Africatown takes its name from Africatown, Alabama (circa 1860)—a place where recently freed Africans built a village together. It’s one of the few slavery-era stories that ends in community, land, and self-determination. We carry that spirit forward today: different cultures linked together, resisting displacement, and creating space to live, learn, and lead.
Our Purpose
We deliver essential services for people who are chronically underserved, so families can actually get approved for housing. We center Black and Indigenous families and individuals, but support is available to anyone facing a housing crisis without judgment.
- Rent
- Deposits
- Move-in costs
- Utilities
- Credit repair
- Eviction debt
Why We Do This
How We Treat People
Respect & Dignity
Empathy & Listening
Cultural Responsiveness
Confidentiality
When someone reaches out, they should feel like they’re talking to a family or community member — without losing professionalism or privacy.
What Makes Us Different
other systems
- Long waits for approvals
- Minimal cultural understanding
- Narrow eligibility criteria
Africatown International
- Rapid response & clear communication across phone, email, and social
- Combined credit repair & eviction-debt resolution helps clients actually pass screening
- Whole-family approach — connects clients to mental health, childcare, and jobs.
- Culturally centered — rooted in Black and Indigenous experience, open to all in need
Parents Under Pressure
Families facing eviction or sudden rent spikes who need help fast.
Working Yet Vulnerable
Workers one bill away from losing housing.
Students & Seekers
Young adults and job seekers trying to stay housed while building their futures.
Seniors & People with Disabilities
Neighbors needing patient, respectful support through paperwork and process.
Community Referrals
Schools, churches, and nonprofits sending urgent cases our way.
We are rebuilding what was taken from our communities: our stability, our voice, and our right to thrive. At Africatown International, every call answered, every eviction prevented, and every deposit secured is beyond simple aid; it is restoration. It’s our way of saying that housing is not a privilege; it’s a promise we make to each other. We believe in creating systems of care where every family is seen, heard, and protected; because when our people have stable homes, our entire community stands stronger.