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A New Affordable Housing Neighborhood is coming.

Welcome home!

Ellensburg City Council Approves Funding for New Water Bender Habitat Project

We are excited about the recent funding we received from the City’s Affordable Housing Fund and eager to bring more affordable housing directly to Kittitas County. The project represents a milestone in the organizations history as we embark on a new chapter as part of our joint efforts with our sister affiliate, Seattle-King County Habitat for Humanity.

The proposal was our first as part of our new strategic partnership with SKC Habitat for Humanity, and really speaks to what we can accomplish together for the hard working families in Kittitas County.

The project, located at 113 W. Bender Road, is expected to break ground in the summer of 2021. It will consist of 18 new homes serving a range of household sizes with all homes sold to those making less than 80% average median income (AMI), with three of the homes reserved for those making 60% AMI or less.

When completed, each of the 18 units will offer three bedrooms and 1- 1/2 bathrooms, allowing for flexibility in buyer needs for multi-generational families, couples, as well as accommodating small and large families.

The properties will be placed in Habitat’s Land Trust, ensuring permanent affordability for future generations and families. Through this 99-year renewable, inheritable lease that includes resale restrictions and a resale formula, this allows for equity creation that provides the owner an average of $48,300 in equity creation, based on past land trust resale properties.

We will utilize in-kind contributions for the project including donated appliances, paint, house wrap, and foam board as provided by a large-scale partnership Habitat for Humanity International provides to Kittitas County. Volunteer labor will be a large part of this project so stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved.

Information on the homeowner application process is available on buyhabitat.org and we will be contacting interested families by April 2021.

We hope you’ll join us for the groundbreaking celebration this summer and we will have more exciting details to come!

Rebuilding Our Home Repair Program

Habitat Home Repair Program is coming back to Kittitas County

One-third of all the housing in Kittitas County was built before 1970.

Kittitas County Habitat’s Home Repair Program works with homeowners who need assistance with critical repairs that will alleviate health and safety issues. Habitat also offers Home Preservation as a component of the Repair Program to address minor home maintenance and repairs to the home and Aging in Place services for seniors and those with physical or mental impairments to better enable people to live and age safely in their homes.

We have been without our home repair program in the county since 2018 and are eager to be able to bring this back largely due to the recent strategic partnership with Seattle-King County Habitat for Humanity.

In addition, we have developed a partnership with HopeSource, that will allow us to identify and qualify potential homes and eligible clients more efficiently and be able to serve more families in need in Kittitas County.

“Our home repair program will serve a critical need for families, seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and others in our community. It is at the heart of what Habitat for Humanity is and we are looking forward to helping those who need it.”

Kelle Vandenberg, Kittitas County Area Director

The KCHfH Home Repair Program should be ready to launch late Spring working to process home repair applications, seeking volunteer help, and helping families preserve their home.

We have moved!

Our administration and construction offices have a new home.

In January, we relocated our main offices to 605 N. Main Street, to support our staffing changes and growth as we rebuild our Home Repair Program and Home Construction in Kittitas County. In addition to space to support staff, we also hope to add (post Covid-19), a service desk for interested families to use and help them access online application processes for affordable housing and our home repair program. We are settling in and looking forward to being more accessible to our families we serve. The Store location and phone number remain the same. The Store is located at 212 S. Railroad Ave and their number is 509-925-7378

Cost of Home 2020

Today across Washington, 1 in 7 households will spend more than half of their income just on housing. Having such a large percentage of people’s income going towards housing often forces people to choose between housing and food, or housing and childcare. This needs to change. Your home shouldn’t take half your paycheck. Nobody should have to choose between a place to live or their child’s education. When the cost of home forces people to pick between housing or their children’s future, you know we have a problem.

In 2019, we launched a “Cost of Home” campaign. Together with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the country, we are mobilizing volunteers and community members to help us push for policies that will give more people more access to affordable housing. And we need your help!

Over the next five years, the campaign will improve home affordability by promoting policy and systemic change in four key areas: supply and preservation of affordable homes, access to credit, land use, and communities of opportunity. Through this campaign, Habitat will look to engage housing advocates, Habitat homeowners, volunteers, and supporters — as well as federal, state, and local policymakers. Together we can help increase access to quality affordable housing!

To learn more about how you or your company can get involved, reach out to Ryan Donohue, Advocacy and Policy Director at ryan.donohue@habitatskc.org or 206-577-7949.