NEWS

Home Trust Awarded $600,000 by Washington Housing Trust Fund

March 27, 2008

San Juan Community Home Trust received notice 3/25/08 that it has been awarded $600,000 from the Washington Housing Trust Fund for its proposed project on the Buck Property in Friday Harbor.  The grant comes from the Trust Fund’s new Homeownership program and will help fund construction of 12 of the first 15 homes to be built on the site. These 12 homes will be reserved for sale to households with incomes at or less than 80% of the Area Median Income.  The grant awarded to the Home Trust was the largest single award made in this round of state funding. 

Home Trust Executive Director Nancy DeVaux says the award signals that additional funding will be forthcoming from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to help pay for extending urban infrastructure into the new neighborhood.  The Home Trust is also in the middle of a capital campaign to raise matching funds from the community.  To date, it has contributions and pledges totaling $912,342 toward its goal of $1,100,000 

Work cannot begin until completion of a study of Friday Harbor’s utility capacity and formal annexation of the Buck parcel. The Home Trust is, however, moving forward with plans to design its new neighborhood. Residential contractor Peter Kilpatrick, chair of the Home Trust’s Building Committee, has brought together a team of professionals focused on Low Impact Development (LID).  Sustainable features including water conservation, rainwater harvesting, on-site water reuse systems, and LID stormwater management techniques such as porous pavements and bio-infiltration facilities.  An eco-charette, to be led by the Washington State Department of Ecology, is now being planned for the design team on May 6^th.