MEMBER HUB:
HOW TO BE A MEMBER
For over sixty years, the Floating Homes Association has been preservation and celebration our unique, colorful way of life.
Joining the FHA helps preserve one of Seattle’s most iconic and historic waterfront communities while strengthening local advocacy, environmental protection, and connection to a unique cultural resource.
We encourage non–floating-home residents to play a vital role by supporting the vitality, preservation, and spirit of this one-of-a-kind neighborhood.
Support The Floating Homes Community — Become an FHA Member!
Membership in the Seattle Floating Homes Association (FHA) is one of the most impactful ways to help protect, celebrate, and sustain one of Seattle’s most unique and beloved neighborhoods—and you don’t have to live on a floating home to join. Whether you’re a waterfront enthusiast, a Lake Union neighbor, a future floating-home owner, or simply someone who values Seattle’s maritime history, your support strengthens a community that is part history, part culture, part ecology, and all heart.
Annual dues are affordable, and the rewards are tremendous—not only for members, but for the entire city. By joining, you’re directly contributing to advocacy efforts, environmental protection, safety initiatives, and community-building traditions that keep this extraordinary way of life thriving. For voting on FHA matters, know that only residents (owners and long term renters) receive a ballot.
Membership: The Best Deal on the Lake
If this were a MasterCard commercial, it might go something like this:
Annual dues? $50. Cost of advice on your home maintenance, government advocacy and dock advice? Hundreds per hour. Becoming part of a community that protects a historic Seattle treasure? Priceless.
The FHA exists to safeguard and celebrate the floating homes lifestyle—a lifestyle that has enriched Lake Union for over a century. By joining, you’re supporting a dynamic organization that represents the interests of homeowners, renters, neighbors, friends, and admirers of this remarkable community.
You may already be a member...
If you own or rent on any of these docks, your dock association already bought you membership. 2420 Westlake 2460 Inc 3146 PBPE Dock Henderson Dock Society DOX Co-Op Fairview Landing Fairview Moorings Flo Villa Houseboat Harbor The Lake Union Lees Moorings The Log Foundation McInnes Dock Mallard Cove Nesika Chuck Roanoke Reef The Shelby Dock Tenas Chuck Westlake Cove and Willow Cove. If your dock joins, you get a 10% discount. Purchase using the link below, and choose one membership for each floating home on your dock.
What Your Membership Makes Possible
Strong Advocacy With Real Impact
The FHA is the voice for Seattle’s floating homes at the city, state, and federal levels. Their work protects the rights, safety, and long-term security of floating-home residents and helps preserve a one-of-a-kind neighborhood for future generations. Past and ongoing achievements include:
-
Supporting a U.S. Supreme Court decision that protected floating-home residents from onerous maritime law.
-
Negotiating the Shoreline Master Program to ensure floating homes remain on Lake Union even if moorage ownership changes.
-
Drafting and securing state legislation defining floating homes as a preferred shoreline use—shielding owners from unreasonable restrictions.
-
Representing the community on major city projects such as the Westlake Cycle Track and environmental planning efforts.
-
Advocating during the low-lake-level crisis of 2015, ensuring residents received timely information and help.
-
Working today on standardizing DNR leases and collaborating with Seattle City Light on code updates that will affect a large portion of the community.
Even if you don’t live on a floating home, this advocacy helps preserve a treasured Seattle landmark—one that enriches the entire city culturally and visually.
Community-Building Events That Connect the Lake
The FHA hosts social events throughout the year designed to bring people from different docks—and even people from outside the docks—together. These gatherings build friendships, strengthen collaboration across the lake, and create a true sense of belonging.
Events may include:
-
Multi-dock mixers and meet-ups
-
Seasonal celebrations
-
Quarterly Dock Leadership Meetings
-
Social gatherings that introduce neighbors from different parts of the lake
-
Community activities that welcome supporters, guests, and local residents
-
Volunteer days and educational events
-
Lectures on things like houseboat history (we have our own historian)
You don’t need to live on the water to attend or to feel part of this amazing community. Your membership helps make these events possible.
Resources, Knowledge, and Connection
The FHA maintains a robust, ever-growing website that documents:
-
Community history
-
Advocacy initiatives
-
Environmental stewardship efforts
-
Safety and security resources
-
Dock leadership guidance
-
News and upcoming events
-
Members also get access to:
-
An updated peer-reviewed list recommended by floating-home residents (2026)
-
Environmentally focused updates and lake-related alerts
-
Details on city, state, and regulatory issues that affect the waterfront community.
These resources help keep the entire Lake Union neighborhood informed, connected, and protected.
Support for Dock Leaders and Moorage Owners
The FHA’s Dock Officers Discussion Board serves as a powerful hub for sharing information and problem-solving. Current topics include:
-
DNR leases
-
Seattle City Light updates
-
Property taxes
-
Historic preservation
-
Dock repairs
-
Emergency preparedness
-
Vendor recommendations
For those who appreciate civic engagement or local planning, this behind-the-scenes work is an essential part of keeping a distinctive neighborhood functioning smoothly.
Timely Updates: FHA Newsletter, FHA E-Alerts & Members-Only
Facebook Group
FHA keeps members in the loop. Through email alerts and a private Facebook group, you’ll be the first to hear about:
-
Local news / Weather warnings
-
Upcoming events
-
New restaurants, spas, shopping, services
-
Community stories
-
Photos and updates from across the docks
-
Social invitations
-
Opportunities to volunteer and engage
Even supporters who don’t live on the lake enjoy this window into one of Seattle’s most colorful and creative communities.
The Annual Meeting: A Gathering of Lake Lovers
Each spring, the FHA hosts its annual meeting—a lively gathering full of updates, guest speakers, elections, and social time. Members meet neighbors, share ideas, and learn about the work being done to safeguard the community. Everyone is welcome, whether you’ve lived on the lake for decades or simply admire its floating character from shore.
Why Your Membership Matters — Even If You Don’t Own a Floating Home
The Seattle floating homes community is more than a neighborhood—it’s a living piece of local history, a cultural jewel, and an environmental resource worth protecting. When you join the FHA, you help:
-
Preserve a rare and historic lifestyle
-
Protect shoreline access and environmental health
-
Strengthen local advocacy and representation
-
Support community programs and education
-
Promote responsible stewardship of Lake Union
-
Build bridges between neighbors, docks, and the wider Seattle community
-
Ensure social events continue to bring people together across the lake
-
Your membership says: I care about this special place and want to help it thrive.
In Their Own Words — Thoughts from FHA Board Members
“FHA connects me to the people & causes closest to me, literally!”
“FHA gives our community a collective voice when we need one most.”
“FHA works with the legislature to preserve our rights.”
“FHA supports docks facing tough issues.”
“FHA keeps me informed about the vibrant, eclectic people in my watered-down backyard.”
“FHA does the work that keeps our community going strong.”
“FHA brings together knowledge and resources you won’t find anywhere else.”
Join or Renew Today
Help preserve, protect, and celebrate one of Seattle’s most iconic neighborhoods.
Whether you live on a floating home, near the lake, in another part of the city, or simply love this unique community:
Your membership makes a difference.
Become a member or renew today
We welcome you—on the water or off it.
Don't just be a member... volunteer!
Volunteering isn’t just good for the community — it’s good for you. Studies from Harvard and the Mayo
Clinic show that people who volunteer have lower stress, better health, and live longer. In one
longitudinal study of people over age 50, those who volunteered ≥ 100 hours/year had a 44% lower
risk of all-cause mortality versus those who didn’t volunteer. Plus, knowing your neighbors makes us
all safer in a crisis.
So — ready to get healthier, help a bit, and meet folks? Here’s where we need some light assistance
right now:
🪚 Handy with wood? Build outdoor cabinets and benches for our new Swap & Share station. And help patch holes inside Keasler Cottage from the last summer’s foundation work.
🍂 Live near Fairview East? Be a Keasler Cottage caretaker. e.g., keep the new deck leaf-free.
🎟 Love organizing? Help our next online or in-person raffle/auction.
📚 Like Research? We still need some help reviewing and scanning our archives.
🐟 Nature lover? Join the Environment Committee—help protect our fish, birds, and lake.
🎉 Social butterfly? Help organize community events and gatherings with FHA Social
🌿 Green thumb? Clear brush and plant fun things around Keasler Cottage.
📚 Reader or Writer? Promote our new houseboat history book by Adam Woog.
Every hand helps — even if for couple of hours. You’ll meet new & fun people, make a difference in our
neighborhood, and strengthen the community we all love. Try it out? Email me at
president@seattlefloatinghomes.org ... and tell us what sounds fun to you!