Submitted by Family Support Center
Olympia, WA November 15, 2012– The Family Support Center of South Sound’s Smith Building Project will receive $750,000 from the Washington State Housing Trust Fund. The Washington State Department of Commerce announced the awards today, which are conditional on projects meeting specific requirements. Competing against 67 applicants from throughout Washington for 65.29 million dollars, The Smith Building Project was one of 49 projects selected in the State and the only project awarded funds in Thurston County.
“We are very grateful to the Department of Commerce for investing Housing Trust Fund dollars in Thurston County. Securing the funds was a team effort with many individuals and partner agencies and we celebrate our success. We are eager to get started and plan to move quickly to transform the Smith Building into emergency shelter and affordable permanent housing for families with children,” says Rachael Langen Lundmark, Family Support Center Board Chair.
The Family Support Center was awarded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds of $551,000 and the Smith Building property by the City of Olympia in July to develop the vacant former City office building into emergency shelter and affordable housing units for homeless families with children. “We are so proud to have won the support and confidence of both the Housing Trust Fund and the City of Olympia,” says Schelli Slaughter, Executive Director of the Family Support Center. “This project means so much to the families and kids we serve every day. We are seeing record numbers of families seeking shelter and affordable housing in our community. With this great news, we have some hope to give them,” says Slaughter.
“The Family Support Center’s mission is ‘Working Together to Strengthen all Families’ and we look forward to engaging the entire community in this effort as we move forward with the Smith Building Project. We thank the faith community, local government leaders, the Olympia School District, the Housing Authority of Thurston County, our fellow nonprofit partners, and the many individual citizens who have pledged their support of this project and continue to demonstrate their commitment to ending family and child homelessness in our community,” says Slaughter.
Although the Family Support Center has secured the majority of the project financing, additional grant funds, financial contributions, volunteers, and donations of goods and services are needed to make the Smith Building Project a success. To help local homeless families and children, please contact Schelli Slaughter, Executive Director at 360-754-9297 ext. 211 or visit the Family Support Center’s website at www.fscss.org.
