Submitted by The City of Olympia
The City of Olympia and the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) announced today that they are working in partnership to create a new, affordable housing project for the community. The goal is to provide well-designed, attractive apartment homes for homeless veterans, disabled individuals, and homeless youth. An added benefit is revitalization of a currently vacant parcel on downtown Olympia’s State Avenue corridor.
“We are excited to work with the City to provide this much needed housing in the Thurston County area with convenient access to public transportation and other amenities,” says Sharon Lee, Executive Director. “LIHI believes that innovative partnerships, creative project development, and sustainable design features in affordable housing make for a healthy, strong, and committed community. We bring to the project a quarter century of affordable housing expertise and funding from a variety of public and private sources including the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.”
At its Tuesday, April 14 meeting, the Olympia City Council approved the sale of the parcel at 318 State Avenue NE, the corner of State and Adams in downtown Olympia. The purchase price is $100,000 with an option for LIHI to secure an adjacent city-owned parcel within five years.
“Olympia has long supported affordable housing for our most vulnerable residents,” says Olympia Mayor Stephen H. Buxbaum. “The Thurston County housing gap analysis shows that this area is deficient in decent housing for homeless veterans, low income disabled residents, and homeless youth. This partnership will provide these individuals with housing and supportive services in a convenient, central location.”
The proposed housing will consist of 43 one- and two-bedroom apartments and studios, including one for an onsite resident manager. The design includes support spaces for activities that will help the residents become more self-reliant. These include a community room with a kitchen area and computer bank, a classroom, management office and a resident garden. LIHI and the City will reach out to surrounding neighbors and the community to define the project and answer questions.
Founded in 1991, LIHI has grown to be one of the most productive affordable housing developers in the Northwest. LIHI owns and/or manages over 1,700 housing units at 50 sites in six counties throughout the Puget Sound region. A majority of LIHI housing is reserved for households earning less than 50 percent of the area median household income. LIHI provides a variety of supportive services to help residents maintain their housing and develop self-sufficiency. Efforts include providing residents with case management, life skills training, technology access and training, financial literacy training and savings programs, and activities for some of the more than 500 children in LIHI housing.
The City of Olympia has historically supported public and private partnerships to provide affordable housing in the Capital City. Most recently, the City partnered with the Family Support Center to convert the former city office building at the corner of Plum and 8th (Smith Building) into the Pear Blossom Place shelter and apartments for families with children. Olympia also provided funding for Catholic Community Services Drexel House Shelter on Devoe Street for homeless men and women. In addition, the Olympia Council adopted the first ordinance in Thurston County to allow temporary homeless encampments sited in cooperation with the local faith community.
