Fund powered by Million Dollar Zombie Flips developer grants $30K for Wa Na Wari house overhaul in the Central District

(Image: Heaton Dainard Community Fund)

Wa Na Wari, the Central District nonprofit dedicated to Black cultural preservation and community programming, has received a $30,000 grant to home restoration at its historic 24th Ave headquarters.

The donation marks the inaugural project of the Heaton Dainard Community Fund, a newly launched Seattle nonprofit created by local real estate entrepreneurs James Dainard, and Will Heaton.

HDCF was established to preserve generational homeownership and prevent displacement across Seattle. Recognizing that longtime homeowners are often forced to sell when maintenance becomes overwhelming, the fund steps in to cover essential repairs that would otherwise be financially out of reach.

To sustain the fund, Heaton Dainard Real Estate says it is committing to donating 5% of profits from every residential project, including properties featured on Dainard’s A&E reality series, Million Dollar Zombie Flips.

The funds will help cover essential repairs for the house which has been owned by Wa Na Nari co-founder Inye Wokoma’s family since 1945.

The grant will pay for siding repairs, sanding, and repainting the home in its original color. These improvements will help ensure the property remains safe and habitable, preventing further structural damage and keeping future repair costs manageable, the organizers say.

In 2023, CHS reported Wa Na Wari launched a “competitive bid” for the house that serves as its headquarters which had been the longtime home of co-founder Wokoma’s grandmother, Goldyne Green. The adjacent 1909-built home being restored has also been owned by Wokoma and her family for decades.

Wa Na Wari is located at 911 24th Ave. Learn more at wanawari.org.

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