Habitat for Humanity affiliates East King County and Seattle/South King County have merged into a single affiliate serving all of King County.

The change was approved during a joint meeting of the two boards Oct. 29. The new affiliate will be known as Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County.

The non-profit organization will continue to focus on building and renovating homes to provide affordable housing opportunities for low-income, working families. The merged affiliate will be led by new chief executive officer Kirk Utzinger, who was hired with full board approval on Sept. 17.

“King County has long been recognized as a national leader in the low-income housing sector,” Utzinger said. “I’m looking forward to leading the new Habitat affiliate in partnering and collaborating with community leaders and organizations committed to providing affordable housing and safe, sustainable neighborhoods to the residents of King County.”

“As the housing challenges in King County have continued to grow, the need for a united approach became more apparent to the boards of each affiliate,” said Dave Thompson, new board chair of the merged affiliate. “By pooling resources, combining staff and board expertise, the new organization will become more efficient and have the capacity to serve more families.”

Over the next three months, Utzinger and the new board of directors will continue all work underway and develop a plan to guide the effort of the new affiliate moving forward. The strategic vision for the combined affiliate will be unveiled at the annual breakfast on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

“Many families in King County are facing enormous challenges to find safe, affordable places to live,” said Utzinger. “The housing problems we face can only be solved through bold action and greater cooperation.”

Habitat for Humanity of Seattle was founded in 1986 and merged with the South King County affiliate in 2003. The East King County affiliate was founded in 1988. Together, the combined affiliates have partnered with hundreds of organizations in 17 different cities within King County, building over 300 homes for families in need of affordable housing.