Through the 1980s, low-income housing was steadily disappearing in Seattle. Many older downtown apartment buildings which offered affordable housing were condemned by their landowners as, in many cases, it was more profitable to have an abandoned property then to pay for management and upkeep. The direct-action group Operation Homestead, formed in 1988, occupied abandoned buildings to draw attention to this loss of housing and the displacement of low-income residents.

This poster advertises a rally in 1991 which ended with activists occupying the Arion Court Apartments at 1814 Minor Ave. Their actions were successful and an agreement with the property owner allowed the building to be renovated and managed by the newly formed Low Income Housing Institute. As of 2021, the Low Income Housing Institute manages 60 properties in the Puget Sound area including Arion Court, and three Urban Rest Stops which provide facilities to the homeless.

Caption information source:The Seattle Times: January 17, 1989, D3; May 20, 1991, C1; June 6, 1991, C1; and June 29, 1995, B4.
Caption information source: “History,” Low Income Housing Institute: https://lihi.org/