HOMEOWNER STORY
Susan Zeman, daughter Emma Geneva, and partner Robert Downing in their Homestead home at Columbia 26. (Photo/Gurjot Kang)
The Heart of Columbia 26: Thriving in Community with the Zeman Household
As the housing crisis continues, more people find themselves priced out and unable to live in the city where they work.
But Susan Zeman, a registered nurse at Swedish Hospital, treasures her short morning commute to work and the opportunity to stay rooted in a neighborhood that feels like home.
Zeman, a cardiac nurse in the Telemetry Unit, is the only nurse on her floor who lives in Seattle, within five miles of her workplace.
“I have had colleagues as far away as Bremerton, as far away as Mount Vernon, as far away as Tacoma, who are driving up to Swedish…because they cannot afford to live within range of where they work,” said Zeman. “And that is not fair to those workers who are losing out on time…their own family time that it takes for all of us to be human.”
Columbia 26, where the Zemans now live, is one of Homestead’s transit-friendly developments, nestled in the diverse Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. The 26-townhome development is within walking distance of the light rail.
"We just really settled into this neighborhood," said Zeman. "We felt like we belonged and had these great social connections."
A relaxing weekday evening at the Zeman household. From left to right: Susan prepares pizza in the kitchen; family dog Sasha rests near a bookcase; Emma and Susan lounge in the reading nook; and Bob chooses a record to play from his vinyl collection. (Photos/Gurjot Kang)
The Zeman family has lived in Columbia City since moving to Seattle almost two decades ago. Susan fondly recalls the day they first moved to the area: Christmas Eve, 2006.
“Our daughter [Emma] was two…and as we were unpacking our truck, the neighbor across the street came over, introduced herself, and invited us to Christmas dinner,” shared Zeman. The neighboring family, who had a daughter around Emma’s age, became fast friends with the Zemans.
Prior to Homestead, a year after moving into their first rental home in Columbia City, the Zeman family had to move again; their landlord decided she wanted her house back. The family’s next landlord refused to fix water leakage and mold in the home. The Zemans lived in four different rental homes in Columbia City before finally buying their own permanently affordable home through Homestead’s program.
Susan and her partner Robert ‘Bob’ Downing, who works as a Union Organizer for the American Federation of Teachers, first learned of Homestead CLT on an evening walk through their neighborhood.
“We just walked past this place and there was a sign out front that said, ‘two-bedroom townhome starting at $200,000.’ And we were like, ‘well, that's crazy, like where's the catch on that?’ But we called, and we turned in an application,” said Zeman. “And then we got the [home]…it was really kind of serendipity.”
A chance encounter turned into an incredible opportunity to purchase their first home. In 2016, after years of renting, Zeman, Bob, and their teenage daughter Emma Geneva, finally moved into their very own three-bedroom townhome, thanks to Homestead.
The ability to stay within the Columbia City neighborhood means the world to the family.
“Every month that passes, you don't know if your landlord is going to raise your rent to something that you can't afford. The world is full of stress. And that is not a stress that families should have to worry about,” said Zeman. “Being able to at least have security about where we’re living. It’s just—it’s huge…I can’t say enough about how important that is.”
Passionate about making their good fortune a possibility for others, Susan Zeman served on Homestead’s Board for six years between 2018 and 2024.
During her time on the board, Zeman continued to advocate for more homeownership opportunities for households like hers, speaking to journalists and sharing her story at press conferences.
"The reality is none of us can afford to pay these [market] prices,” said Zeman. “We should all be able to afford to live in the community that we work in…not just for our sake…for the sake of the community itself.”
Susan Zeman is pictured here, advocating for affordable homeownership, at a 2019 Mayoral Press Conference. (Photo Courtesy of Homestead)