About Us
The WCCDA is a 503 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in unincorporated King County. White Center is one of only two heavily urbanized areas in King County that is not incorporated as part of a city (the other being Bryn Mawr-Skyway). Seattle has been working towards incorporating the area since the mid-2000s.
Resident Created
Beginning in 2001, resident leaders were concerned about the fact that their community felt increasingly fractured, had a declining economic base where businesses left and jobs soon followed, and affordable, quality housing was disappearing. Residents decided to start an organization dedicated to the revitalization of their unique and culturally diverse neighborhood.
The White Center CDA is Formed
Following two years of a collaborative planning effort and support from King County and the “Making Connections” initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, fifty leaders of the White Center community formed the non-profit White Center CDA in February 2002.
A Mission That Matters
Fully staffed in the fall of 2002, the White Center CDA was charged with addressing a variety of issues that affect the quality of life for White Center residents like affordable housing and supporting small businesses. In 2007, the White Center CDA took on a new and expanded role in the community by becoming the home of the Making Connections initiative and acting as a neighborhood intermediary on behalf of the community.
The CDA expanded its mission to include both the former “place” based work of neighborhood revitalization as well as a newer “people” based role in family development- all wrapped around a strong community building philosophy.
Thank you to L61 Productions and Resource Media for helping us produce this video. Thank you to our White Center community and partners for participating in our video.
About White Center
"Unincorporated"
White Center is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It lies between West Seattle and Burien. White Center is sometimes referred to by the nickname "Rat City" due to the historical presence of a military Relocation and Training Center during World War II. The Rat City Rollergirls are a Seattle roller derby team that began training in White Center.
The unincorporated area of White Center known for its history of resilience, cultural connections and commercial/housing affordability continues to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The WCCDA has helped form and continue to support the Unincorporated Economic BIPOC Alliance who are creating community-led economic initiatives.
White Center is home to several schools and a diverse community of people. We hope that you get to enjoy this town in its entirety! Thanks to our Data Manager and the UW students who put together an interactive narrative below to understand more about White Center!
What's happening to our community now?
You can see what our partners, storefront owners, and more are up to through our newsletters or social media!
Today
The White Center CDA is a vibrant, evolving community organization guided by the White Center Neighborhood Action Plan and engaged in various core programs and partnership initiatives to benefit the White Center community.
Our mission now is to envision a community of diverse, empowered, and connected residents coming together as stewards of the land, the people, and the natural assets of White Center. We are working to eradicate poverty and build a vibrant economically diverse community.
Our values of compassion, helpfulness, generosity, and community are reflected in our strategic direction.