Kennewick Tri-City location launches “headquarters and hubs” model for increasing agency presence and access in communities across the state OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce will host an open house on Monday, Oct. 17 from 3 to 5 p.m., welcoming the public to its first regional hub office located in the Tri-Cities Business Center at 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick. The agency is leasing space from…
Tag Archives: News release
Commerce awards nearly $5 million to 12 projects through Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced a third round of Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) grants that will help expedite construction of 1,102 affordable housing units in 12 counties statewide. The nearly $5 million in funding awarded to local governments can be used to pay for water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure…
New industrial site readiness program has $2.5 million available for counties, cities, port districts and tribal governments throughout Washington state OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce has launched an Industrial Site Readiness grant program designed to support counties, cities, port districts and tribal governments with plans to develop and revitalize properties for manufacturing or other industrial uses. Eligible public entities throughout the state can apply for grants…
Homeownership Disparities Work Group releases findings, strong recommendations for Washington State Legislature, government leaders at all levels OLYMPIA, WA — A new Washington state report highlights the stark reality that Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) would need to buy more than 140,000 houses in the state to achieve parity with white homeownership on a percentage basis. The housing gap is even more significant today than in the 1960s,…
As construction costs rise, Housing Trust Fund investments help keep multifamily projects moving forward OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced it would supplement 22 multifamily affordable housing projects with an additional $26.6 million from the state Housing Trust fund. This additional funding will bridge the gap created by steep increases in construction costs and help support developers in maintaining a needed pipeline of affordable housing…
Washington Commerce Director Lisa Brown recently appointed former Palouse Mayor Michael Echanove as the new chair of the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB). In addition to serving as mayor and city council member from 1994-2019, Echanove is currently employed at Washington State University’s Pullman Campus. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho. “Michael brings a unique blend of experience in local government and rural community and economic that…
Solar panels coming to more schools, public buildings statewide with latest round of Commerce grants
$1.4 million awarded to fund 14 projects that will produce sustainable energy and energy savings in communities across Washington state OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $1.4 million in grants to state and local government agencies to install solar panels at public buildings in communities throughout the state. The 14 projects awarded funding in this round will support community efforts to move toward sustainable energy…
More than $562 million in sales attributed to State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) since inception OLYMPIA, WA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded the Washington State Department of Commerce a tenth year of funding to help state small businesses grow through exporting. The $1.4 million grant to Washington, part of the SBA’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), is one of the two largest awarded from a total…
State grants to 81 organizations will fund over 3,100 units of permanent supportive housing for people with disabling physical and behavioral health conditions OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $20.8 million in new grants to 81 nonprofit organizations providing the state’s most vulnerable people with permanent housing units and services. Funding will be used for operations and maintenance of 3,135 permanent housing units statewide, along…
ConnectionsWA will select site by end of year with capacity to serve 2,000 people annually OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced a $4.2 million grant to ConnectionsWA for a new 16-bed crisis stabilization facility in King County. The facility will leverage $5.3 million in non-state funding to complete the project. ConnectionsWA will select a site in King County to purchase by the end of this…