On Wednesday November 16, 2005 the Island County Commissioners will vote on whether to submit an Application for CDBG(Community Development Block Grant) funds on behalf of the Housing Authority of Island County for operating funding for two direct benefit, local affordable housing activities: the ìWhidbey Island Share a Home Programî (WISH) an existing shared housing program; and land acquisition costs for new construction of affordable senior housing in Freeland.
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The official â legal notice of this public hearing will appear in the South Whidbey Record and the Whidbey News-Times tomorrow.
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What a legal notice cannot convey, and what all of you out there already know, is that we have before us here in rural Island County a real lack of affordable housing and housing options. â Affordable housing has never been easy; but ñ it has also never been more important to deliver: it is our economic and social diversity that is on the line. â And, sometimes itÃs way to easy to ponder, morosely, if where we are headed is to a community where the only entrÃe into it is whether or not you can afford to pay $248,000 for a home. â â I sure hope not , because that simply isnÃt acceptable as the only rung on the housing ladder.
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The great news is that the challenges for delivering affordable housing â options are not overwhelming! â Especially when we have successful models and organizations, such as the Housing Authority of Island County and WISH, that are creating and implementing solutions to meet the housing needs of our community. These are programs that work.
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We welcome your attendance and support at the Commissioners Hearing 9:30 AM Wednesday Nov 16th â as our Island County Board of County Commissioners vote on the CDBG application before them.
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For the long haul we all need to think hard, work creatively, and work together. And weÃll count you in for that as well.
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â Many thanks,
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Debbie Torget
Director, Affordable Housing Program
Goosefoot Community Fund
Affordable Housing: local solutions and local support
15 November 2005 - 3:08pm — DebbieT
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Through the lens
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Before I dine on Tom Turkey
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Total votes: 8
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And the result is...
Hi Debbie!
What was the outcome of the vote?
Affordable Housing: local solutions and local support
The vote was a spectacular and unanimous "yes".
A tremendous thank you to Commissioners Shelton, Byrd, and McDowell for their ongoing commitment on behalf of Island County residents seeking affordable housing, and endorsing solutions to meet these needs. The grant application was delivered to Olympia, and now it's a waiting game until the awards are announced in March.
Saratoga Community Housing - Join Us Dec 13th!
Save the Date - December 13th
You are invited to get acquainted with Saratoga Community Housing (formerly know as Island Affordable Housing Trust.) Our name has changed our mission is still the same:"Stewardship of our land to build affordable communities for generations to come"
Please join us for our 1st Annual Membership Meeting and Community Celebration on Thursday December 13th in the Front Room, at the Bayview Cash Store.
The Membership Meeting is open to everyone and starts at 6:30p.m.
The Community Celebration with Complimentary Desserts and coffee is also open to everyone and starts at 7:00 p.m.
Saratoga Community Housing is a non-profit Community Land Trust dedicated to providing affordable housing opportunities for the wage-earning workforce and other limited income households in Island County.
Our skyrocketing real estate prices and lower wages have resulted in a huge affordability gap that is preventing even our moderate income residents from buying their own homes. Our teachers, police officers, healthcare workers and young families, just to mention a few, are having a tough time establishing homes here on Whidbey Island. We believe that the people who work here providing vital services we all rely upon deserve to own a home in the area where they work.
Homes built within the Community Land Trust (CLT) model offer a long term solution to housing affordability. By following this highly successful model, Saratoga Community Housing will provide a solution that will keep homes affordable generation after generation for our kids and grandkids.
We are excited to have this opportunity to create a CLT in Island County. Currently we are building our membership base and working towards acquiring land to build homes. We encourage everyone to join this conversation about inclusive housing strategies and we invite you to support our mission.
The Annual meeting and Community Celebration on December 13th will give you an opportunity to meet the SCH Board Members and learn more about Community Land Trusts. For more information call: 360- 331-4248