Tall Firs Mini-Farm was originally a 2-½ acre parcel located on the East Hill in Kent, owned and operated by the Mental Health Housing Foundation since 1994. We renovated the original farm house to create a 6-bedroom home plus an apartment for a maintenance person. Our original idea was to give our residents the opportunity to garden, take care of animals and enjoy a rural experience.

We found that the residents weren’t interested in working the land. As time went on the City of Kent annexed the neighborhood, and the suburban area began to surround us.
We decided to make use of the property to create more housing. In 2010 we opened Tall Firs Cottages. Seven new cottages were added to the site which now provides affordable housing to 31 people, each with their own bedroom, and an live in maintenance person who has their own apartment. Each resident has an SMH case manager who regularly visit the site, and most attend the programs offered by Sound Mental Health at their Auburn facility, about 3 miles away.