TWIN LAKES – Lots of people and organizations work to help the homeless in Marysville and Arlington.

But Housing Hope recently broke ground on one of the biggest projects yet – the $15 million, 50-unit Twin Lakes Landing, which expects to open in nine months.

Chief Executive Officer Fred Safstrom said 38 units will house the homeless.

“They are living in cars, living in hidden places, living in places that are uninhabitable,” he said. “Children are going to thrive in this location.”

The spot is near the northern lake, just south of Marshall’s, and also has a view of the Cascade mountains.

“It’s spectacular here,” he said.

Safstrom thanked the community for donating $50,000 before introducing Chuck Weinstock of Chase, which helped finance the project. Safstrom called Weinstock a legend in financing affordable-housing projects.

Weinstock said it takes public-private partnerships. He said he is glad he works for a company that just isn’t interested in numbers. They like to be part of the solution to help community problems.

There are “Twists and turns in life where you find yourself in a different spot than you planned and can’t move on,” he said of the homeless.

Board chairman Todd Morrow, who helped start Housing Hope 30 years ago, said Twin Lakes Landing is their 60th project. He said it will help homeless in Arlington and Marysville, along with Camano Island and Stanwood. Along with housing it will be Housing Hope’s North Regional Service Center, where life skills, child development and job training will be taught to homeless and low-income people to help them become self-sufficient.

The development is near many job opportunities at Lakewood Crossing. It’s also near public transportation so the need for cars will be minimal, which was one of the reasons the city of Marysville waived half of the traffic impact fees, or $80,000.

Project manager Bobby Thompson thanked the city for that. He also explained the project is being built in Boise as it’s using modular construction.