County adds to housing help

By Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published July 14, 2008

More apartments and rentals for low-income families will be added to Thurston County in the next five years, according to a plan commissioners approved Monday.

The Thurston County Home Consortium's plan includes adding 48 new low-income rental housing units countywide and providing seven $10,000 down payments to first-time home-buyers, said Connie Rivera, capital finance manager for the county.

"I think we've come up with a really good plan to increase affordable housing in the community," said Commissioner Cathy Wolfe, who leads the consortium, which is made up of representatives from the county and its seven cities.

The group makes decisions on how to spend federal and state housing grants for homeless and low-income residents. Rivera said research shows a need for more affordable housing.

About 45 percent of families with children in the county are living in poverty — nearly triple the state average, according to the 275-page plan. Both small and large families bear a disproportionate share of substandard housing conditions, the report says. In addition, the county has a 2.8 percent vacancy rate, according to the 2006 American Community Survey. Rivera said the ideal vacancy rate is 10 percent.

"It's telling us that we don't have enough affordable units," she said.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HOME program will provide the county with $800,000 per year, beginning this fall.

From 2003-08, Thurston County rehabilitated nine units to serve homeless youths, completed rehabilitating 16 homes owned by lower-income people, helped 12 first-time homebuyers purchase homes and distributed dozens of rental vouchers.

The updated plan focuses more on expanding affordable housing than on vouchers. Instead, the county will take the fees people pay to record documents in county offices to finance the voucher program.

Diane Huber covers education and features for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-357-0204 or dhuber@theolympian.com.