On April 29, Alder House celebrated its grand opening in South Bend. While new to the 35 seniors moving in, this property has come a long way from its previous use as an assisted living facility. Made possible by Washington Housing Trust Fund Rapid Capital dollars, the property has been resuscitated due to efforts by skilled housing specialists in the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Alder House is the product of nimble strategy that transformed an independent living facility into a newly rehabilitated property for low-income seniors in Pacific County, an area with limited access to affordable housing and resident services. Like much of Washington, the existing stock of affordable housing in Pacific County is precious, as demand rises as wages and social security income falls behind the cost of living.
Alder House initially operated for 25 years with an investment from Commerce. In 2021, the site operator made the tough decision to shutter Alder House during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Commerce received notice of this project’s closure, Commerce’s Multifamily Housing Unit portfolio manager and asset manager worked diligently to locate an eligible organization willing to revitalize and save the property. Soon, they began identifying partners in Pacific County to support the resurrection of this much needed housing. In quick succession, the Joint Pacific County Housing Authority (JPCHA) agreed to manage the redevelop of this property and apply for new state funding.
The hospital adjacent to the property had entered a long-term land lease for the original development and agreed to sell the land at a reasonable price. Most impactfully, Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington secured federal housing choice vouchers for some of the units to help ensure that tenants could live without rent burden while the Housing Authority could receive enough funding to cover operations.
Once all parties executed a new contract, rehabilitation of this aging building began in order to provide an environment that would best serve their future tenants. Contractors applied structural repairs, installed new solar panels, and converted two common spaces into new units. Additionally, they refurbished each unit to include a stove and full-size refrigerator, empowering independent senior tenants to make nutritional choices for themselves. They also ensured refurbished common rooms provided community spaces for tenants to engage in active social lives.
Commerce awarded $7.5 million dollars into this project via the Rapid Capital program – a unique program that greatly sped up the time this project sat vacant. This project is the process of hard and creative work and will have real impact, creating 35 units for vulnerable seniors who may otherwise not find stable housing. “What seemed like a daunting task, beginning with removing tons of supplies and furniture from the former assisted living facility, is now complete and a beautiful home for seniors with a view of the river proudly stands on the hill above South Bend, Washington,” said Jennifer Westerman, Executive Director of JPCHA. “We are happy that this facility, which served so many, has been preserved and will continue to provide refuge for many years to come.”