The housing crisis in Chelan and Douglas counties is impacting everyone, one way or another.
Affordable and attainable housing is defined as housing options that are within the financial reach of all individuals and families.
The people who serve our community, at all levels, are increasingly unable to live where they work. In some cases, they move elsewhere.
Businesses and other employers are unable to fill positions because prospective employees can’t find a place to live or find the costs too high.
Even our seniors, who in some cases have lived and worked here for decades, can no longer afford to reside in their community.
Affordable and attainable housing is a multifaceted issue that requires innovative solutions and collaboration across all sectors.
It is getting more challenging for people to afford homes in our region.
Housing is considered affordable if a household is paying no more than 30% of their gross income on rent or a mortgage. Thus, what is affordable varies by each family’s income. Some calculations include basic utility costs, though many do not account for transportation and other needs.
A Regional Housing Summit, hosted by Our Valley Our Future (OVOF) in Leavenworth, explored housing at a regional scale and highlighted the practical, local solutions to increasing supply and affordability on June 11.
The Leavenworth City Council approved up to $500,000 in earmarked funds on June 23 to support an affordable housing project proposed by Upper Valley MEND and builder Matt Melton.
The funding is expected to subsidize at least three units in Melton’s Leavenworth Cottages development this fall, which will be made permanently affordable through Upper Valley MEND’s Community Land Trust (CLT) model. There is potential for the city to approve additional funding for a fourth unit next spring.
Nearly a year after breaking ground, Upper Valley MEND and partners cut the ribbon on two brand-new, permanently affordable homes in Leavenworth on July 8.
The duplex project adds two three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom homes to the community, which will be sold at below market rates.
Seven floor plans have been selected as winners in the Washington Starter Home Plan’s Townhouse Design Competition. Winning designs were chosen from 30 submittals from 19 individuals and firms across the state.
Each winning plan now moves into the next phase: refining the design for manufacturability and shepherding it through review so that plans can be permit-ready for use across the state, reducing overall time and cost.
The Ballmer Group is committing hundreds of millions of dollars to fund 10,000 new affordable rental homes in Washington state, a dramatic investment focused on keeping families out of homelessness.
The money, announced Thursday, will cover up to $150,000 in forgivable loans per unit, which could result in as much as $1.5 billion.
Could a partnership between a school district and developer to build housing for homeless families be a model for removing one of the biggest barriers those students face?
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