PORT TOWNSEND (Jan 26, 2024) – The State’s Department of Commerce Housing Trust Fund is investing $312.6 million in affordable housing and homeownership opportunities for Washington residents with low incomes. Among the recipients are three nonprofit organizations serving Jefferson and Clallam counties.
Bayside Housing & Services was awarded $8,689,116 for Vince’s Village, a new construction project composed of 19 units of housing for tenant households that include one or more people with multiple special needs, and 4 units of housing for tenant households earning 31-50% of Area Median Income (AMI). Said Bayside Deputy Executive Director Heather Dudley-Nollette, “Vince’s Village will add vital support and stable, permanent housing for some of our most vulnerable community members, while creating opportunities to build community and strengthen our local safety net systems.”
Habitat for Humanity East Jefferson County received two awards: $880,000 for the Affordability Subsidies Project, and $564,795 for the DPA and Affordability Subsidies Project. The funding will provide down payment assistance and other affordability subsidy for owners of 19 Habitat homes in Port Townsend and Port Hadlock. Said Executive Director Jamie Maciejewski, “This award means 19 more families will raise their children in homes they can afford, where they don’t need to sacrifice healthcare or education for housing. It’s a game changer for those families.”
Olympic Housing Trust was awarded $500,000 for Dundee Hill in Port Townsend, a new construction project offering five green built northwest-modern townhomes situated next to the neighborhood’s beautiful community garden: 2 townhomes will be sold to households earning 51-80% of AMI, and 3 townhomes to households earning 81-100% of AMI. Said OHT Outreach and Development Manager Kellen Lynch, “Dundee Hill is an ecologically conscious, permanently affordable housing project that will provide home ownership opportunities while complementing our community’s values and the work of our fellow housing providers.”
Commerce’s announced the awards on Thursday, January 18, 2024, as part of an historic investment totaling $312.6 million to increase the state’s affordable housing stock by 3,913 multifamily/rental units and new homes for low-income homebuyers.
In its press release, the Department of Commerce noted that in vetting projects for capital awards, it sought to leverage additional local, state, nonprofit and other funding sources. The total residential development costs of the projects receiving grant awards is nearly $1.5 billion – or more than $5 for every $1 invested by Commerce.
Commerce also stated: “There is an urgent need for affordable housing in communities throughout Washington state. Lack of affordable housing and sufficient supportive housing options for vulnerable populations are top contributors to chronic homelessness. It is estimated that over 1.1 million new housing units must be added across Washington state over the next 20 years to meet projected needs at all income levels.”