On Oct. 16, the Kirkland City Council approved a proclamation recognizing A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) program manager Arthur Sullivan for 26 years of dedicated and visionary service with ARCH.

ARCH is a nationally award-winning coalition of East King County cities that work together to provide affordable housing to residents on the Eastside. Sullivan has been the program manager for ARCH since it was founded in 1992 and his leadership has been critical to the organization’s success, according to the city of Kirkland.

During his tenure at ARCH, Sullivan leveraged $60 million of ARCH trust fund dollars into $530 million dollars of total funding. He worked with nonprofit and private developers to achieve the construction or preservation of 6,519 units of affordable housing in east King County. This legacy of affordable homes changed lives and improved communities for people of all ages and abilities, including families, seniors, those experiencing homelessness, persons with special needs and those with limited incomes, according to a press release.

“The Kirkland City Council wants to express our sincere gratitude to Arthur Sullivan for all that he has done to create affordable housing in Kirkland and throughout east King County,” Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen said in a release. “ARCH would not have happened without Arthur. He is an extraordinary person who has improved the lives of thousand in our communities.”

In the release, Kirkland city manager Kurt Triplett, past chair and current member on the board of ARCH, added, “The innovative and collaborative regional model that Arthur Sullivan created is a lasting legacy that will serve our community far into the future.”