City selects Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing on Boulevard Road

The city of Olympia announced Friday that it has selected the nonprofit South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity to develop affordable housing on the 10 acres it owns at 3900 Boulevard Road SE.

In January, the city launched the process to find a development partner for the site. It received 12 responses that were reviewed and discussed by the City Council in March, according to the city’s news release. The council set its top priorities as housing affordability, home ownership opportunities and the inclusion of a neighborhood center — all of which the Habitat proposal addresses, the release says.

Habitat for Humanity, which has the ability to keep the housing designated as affordable in perpetuity, is focused on creation of owner-occupied housing that is affordable for people making 30-80% of the area median income. Habitat home buyers purchase their homes for an affordable price and the organization uses grant funds to subsidize the cost of the development and sale of homes.

According to the city, South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity’s proposal envisions a mix of 100-110 owner-occupied townhomes and “senior cottages” with a small neighborhood center. Over 50% of the homes will be ADA accessible, and all units will be built to the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard, which safeguards health and safety, increases durability, promotes sustainable living, preserves the environment and increases energy and water efficiency, according to the city’s news release.

The city now will begin to work with Habitat on an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement that will outline shared commitments between the two parties for the next 180 days, according to the news release. During that period Habitat will complete their due diligence for future development of the site and the two parties will negotiate a purchase price for the land.

Additionally, Habitat will create a process to engage the neighborhood, refine their development concept and financing plan, and identify an additional development partner to assist with the neighborhood commercial center.

The news release points out that the partnership aligns with the Olympia Housing Action Plan on five of its seven identified housing gaps: affordability, supply, variety, stability, and housing options for seniors. The project also aligns with its plan to increase the supply of permanently affordable housing for households that make 80% or less of area median income.

This story was originally published April 9, 2022 at 1:48 PM.