Envisioning equity in health for all
Our mission is to tirelessly champion equity in health through exemplary stewardship of PHPDA’s public resources. We serve as a community ally, resource, convener and change agent to this end.
The Health Equity Fund Priorities
Access to safe, affordable health care is not a given for all people. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, income inequality, geographic isolation, and other systemic inequities make health care harder – or impossible – to access for marginalized populations. Health equity means addressing those gaps both inside and outside the clinic. At the Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority (PHPDA), we work towards health equity by making grants to organizations working towards these goals.
- Financial stability to cover basic needs
- A safe reliable place to call home
- Access to transportation
- Robust, affordable childcare options
- Health insurance that makes care accessible and affordable
- Culturally and linguistically competent care
- Autonomy, freedom, and choice in accessing services
Investing in our grantees to improve access to high-quality health care for marginalized populations
Our effective stewardship of the Pacific Tower Campus enables grantmaking to community-based organizations addressing the unmet healthcare needs of marginalized communities. We lift the voices of our grantees and those they serve, providing resources so that their solutions are implemented. Our role as a Public Development Authority (PDA) means we are quasi-governmental organizations of the City of Seattle, which allows us to have a mission of public purpose without being assumed into the regular functions of City government.
Our mission and grantmaking are rooted in a building.
Pacific Tower, the first U.S Marine Hospital in Seattle, is now home to providers and non-profits working to address the inequities facing our community today. The Pacific Tower Campus is protected under the City of Seattle as a designated landmark with historic significance. Decades have seen multiple iterations of campus uses—a hospital, a site for primary care, a high-tech headquarters, an office building—and today a source of grant funds to support health equity. These adaptations, through highs and lows, all enabled the Campus to remain true to its north star: being a champion for the people in our community who lack access to effective healthcare.
Building photo credit: Vladimir Menkov
Expanding the possibilities of our campus – in community with our neighbors
As we plan for the future of the Pacific Tower Campus, we have actively listened to our campus tenants, peer nonprofit organizations, surrounding Beacon Hill and Chinatown International District neighborhood organizations, grantees, and community-based organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and marginalized communities.
We heard a variety of ideas for how we could use our campus, including:
- Affordable housing units
- Community access to conference rooms and meeting spaces
- Therapeutic space for mental health and wellness services
- Educational or job training programs
- Public programing and events for surrounding neighborhoods
Our Governing Council
The PHPDA is governed by a volunteer Governing Council made up of community members, who oversees policies, grantmaking and real-estate activities, and staff.
