Commerce commits $83.5 million to address homelessness through affordable housing construction
First-ever Apple Health and Homes Capital plus additional funding advance new projects to serve people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in communities across Washington state
Olympia, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce announced new funding awards totaling $83.5 million to provide affordable housing opportunities in communities across the state.
The new Office of Apple Health and Homes and Commerce’s Multifamily Housing Unit awarded $43.7 million to create 484 multifamily housing units. Commerce is reserving 113 units for permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and health or behavioral health challenges. Performance-based contracts require that the new housing units created with this funding remain in service for the intended purpose for at least 40 years.
“These capital investments will help fund the most important step in healthy recovery for individuals across the state who need it most, and improve healthcare outcomes for Medicaid recipients,” said Corina Grigoras, Assistant Director for Commerce’s Housing Division.
See the list of Apple Health and Homes awardees. [Box PDF]
In addition, $39.8 million remaining from the Rapid Capital Housing program will fund projects on the Housing Trust Fund waitlist from prior funding rounds to keep the state’s affordable housing pipeline strong for years. Construction will be able to move forward on 291 new affordable housing units in communities from Walla Walla and Mattawa in Eastern Washington to Raymond and Lopez Island in Western Washington. With these awards, Commerce addresses the gap for all of the partial funding commitments made last year.
See the list of waitlist projects awarded funding. [Box PDF]
“Commerce used extensive public input from stakeholders, other public funders and legislatively authorized flexibility to fund the waitlist and move projects toward the finish line,” Grigoras said. “We distributed funding to ensure that every region receives needed resources to tackle our state’s affordable housing crisis.”
Commerce’s latest awards and funding opportunities for affordable housing are available on the Applying to the Housing Trust Fund web page. Email any questions about applying for funds to htfapp@commerce.wa.gov.
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