Annual awards recognize outstanding work in community planning and development Olympia, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Commerce has opened nominations for the 18th annual Governor’s Smart Communities Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding work by local governments and their partners on long-term community planning and development. Nominations feature the best our state has to offer in collaborative community development and local comprehensive planning. Community leaders look to this…
Additional grant funding is available through March to support regional planning for vulnerable residents at the lowest income levels OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $240,000 to five community partnerships across the state to support coordination of land use planning and homeless services planning. Each city or county-led partnership will use the funds to coordinate resources and plan for their lowest income housing needs, including residents…
Commerce is initiating a Request for Proposals from firms interested in helping to develop a Community Benefits Plan as part of the application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Home Energy Rebates funding authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The consultant will help engage communities of interest on the forthcoming federal rebate programs to identify community need, barriers to access, and more generally to receive input into…
Team spotlight: Contracts Fiscal Every month, we highlight the work of a team within the Multifamily Housing Unit (MHU). This month, we’re proud to spotlight the Contracts Fiscal team: Manager Taylor Burton, Nathan Hayes, Michael Miranda, Leilani Hesser, Beau Hamilton, and Cam Ho. 2023 was an exciting and busy year for the Contracts Fiscal Team in the MHU. Contracts Fiscal received a near record-breaking amount of projects, a new supervisor,…
US DOE – Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program Qualifying Applicants – Manufacturers of advanced technology vehicles that achieve defined fuel economy targets, and manufacturers of components or materials that support eligible vehicles’ fuel economy performance. Qualifying Projects – Must 1) manufacture eligible vehicles or components that are used in eligible vehicles, 2) build new facilities; reequip, modernize, or expand existing facilities; and/or for engineering integration performed in the US…
Wheeler has nearly 20 years’ experience working with Tribes and underserved communities OLYMPIA, WA — Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Aaron Wheeler to serve as director of the Washington State Broadband Office within the Department of Commerce. Wheeler is an information technology professional with 18 years of experience working with the Suquamish Tribe’s government. “Rural internet access is a priority in Washington, and Aaron’s experience will help everyone get connected no…
The Washington State Department of Commerce is hosting three public listening sessions this month to help communities provide us with direct feedback on a new grant program intended to foster greater participation in local policy decision-making. We need input from local community-based organizations representing overburdened communities and vulnerable populations to design a pilot grant program that helps with community engagement. Please share this notice with community-based organizations in your network…
The second round of middle housing grants supports communities creating a greater variety of housing types to respond to housing needs at all income levels OLYMPIA, WA – The Department of Commerce today announced an additional $685,000 in grants for 14 jurisdictions to support the adoption of local comprehensive plan policies and zoning codes to allow more middle housing in residential neighborhoods. These awards follow the first funding round that provided…
Funding strategies to reduce community firearm violence Community firearm violence can be generally described as deliberate acts of interpersonal violence in public spaces by a person or persons not intimately related to the victim. This type of firearm violence occurs in a small number of neighborhoods among a small number of individuals. In Washington and elsewhere, community gun violence has a dramatically disproportionate impact on young boys and men in…
Housing Investment Team Spotlight With the announcement of historic awards from the Housing Trust Fund, we wanted to take the time to highlight the leadership of the Housing Investment Team at the Multifamily Housing Unit (MHU). This brand-new team is now a unified group that designs and administers our funding rounds, provides technical assistance throughout the application process, and helps orient MHU’s funding towards racial equity, balance of investment to…