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Respuesta de OPAL al COVID-19

Es mejor encender una pequeña vela que enfurecerse con la oscuridad.

- Proverbio chino

El virus COVID-19 está cambiando nuestras vidas. Su equipo en OPAL está haciendo todo lo posible para ser parte de una respuesta de apoyo. Aquí hay una actualización rápida para hacerle saber lo que estamos haciendo:

OPAL es parte de la Equipo de respuesta de orcas, un esfuerzo colaborativo de organizaciones isleñas sin fines de lucro que abordan las necesidades de la comunidad. El equipo se reúne semanalmente para revisar las necesidades y desarrollar planes. Una herramienta es un sitio web donde las personas pueden publicar sus necesidades y ser voluntarias o donar bienes y servicios. Es un sistema de isleño a isleño. Compruébalo en orcas.recovers.org.
OPAL también forma parte de la Fondo de Recuperación de la Fundación Comunitaria. El panel asesor del Fondo se reunirá semanalmente para revisar las necesidades financieras provenientes de organizaciones sin fines de lucro y para hacer distribuciones de fondos semanales. En una fecha posterior, es posible que haya fondos disponibles de fuentes gubernamentales, pero la primera ola de necesidad es mejor atendida por la población local.
El papel de OPAL es ayudar a los isleños de Orcas que no pueden pagar su hipoteca o alquiler.. Trabajaremos con cada persona que lo necesite para encontrar la solución adecuada. Nos pondremos en contacto con los bancos o los propietarios para ver si pueden retrasar la recepción del pago. Si no, haremos préstamos o pagos condonables a su arrendador o banco. Nuestro trabajo puede facilitarse un poco si el gobernador Inslee promulga una moratoria estatal sobre desalojos y ejecuciones hipotecarias debido a la falta de pago, pero finalmente será necesario pagar los alquileres y las hipotecas.

Las donaciones al Fondo de Recuperación de Orcas para ayudar a las personas afectadas financieramente por la pérdida de salarios u otros impactos relacionados con COVID-19 se pueden realizar a través de Community Foundation aquí.
El personal y los síndicos de OPAL continúan trabajando. Aunque nuestra oficina está cerrada al público, estamos usando el teléfono, las videoconferencias, el correo electrónico, etc. Estamos agradecidos por el Internet de fibra óptica robusto y confiable, y agradecidos de vivir en una comunidad con una red de apoyo tan sólida.

Si puede ayudar a que OPAL siga funcionando durante este tiempo, le damos la bienvenida tu apoyo.

–Tu equipo en OPAL

Gracias por 2019

This is my favorite picture from 2019. I’m with my two-year old granddaughter, Alice. We’re at the edge of the April’s Grove construction site where buildings are taking shape and some of the preserved trees are visible.

This picture has me think about the kids who need a healthy place to live. I believe that we borrow this place from future generations. I want to make it a better place for them. I wonder if that is one of the reasons why you support OPAL too?

While I often look toward the future, I don’t want to rush there too quickly without first expressing my gratitude for all that we accomplished together this past year.

Most of the buzz last year was about April’s Grove, the site for 45 new rental townhomes in Eastsound. In May and June the existence of the County’s new Home Fund adopted by voters in 2018 and your donations pushed the project to full funding.

We started construction in May and by the end of the year we were half way done!

All the foundations and most of the site work are in place.
3 of the 11 residential buildings are fully enclosed, wired, plumbed, and have drywall and interior paint.
Another 3 buildings are nearly fully framed.

We’ll start accepting applications from people who want to live at April’s Grove in March (there are currently 152 households who have inquired about renting). We expect tenants to move in during the fall.

And as big an accomplishment as construction at April’s Grove is, there are sixty other reasons to feel grateful about last year:

4 families purchased an existing OPAL home through resale;
2 families purchased a home that was new to OPAL in the Rosario area. These homes will remain affordable for future generations. There are now 108 OPAL ownership homes on the island;
2 individuals borrowed from the new Island Loan Fund One was able to finish building his home, and the other renovated his home so that he could provide another person with year-round housing.
52 additional individuals or couples participated in financial counseling or homebuyer education.

Thank you for helping families in their quest for a home where they can rest and get replenished. By housing our neighbors we are making Orcas Island a healthier and more resilient community.

~ Lisa Byers

Bruce Pavitt será anfitrión de Dance-a-Thon a beneficio de April's Grove

Get your dancing feet ready for an eight-hour journey through musical history.

With tracks that range from Frank Sinatra to Billie Eilish, DJ Bruce Pavitt is hosting a dance-a-thon to benefit OPAL Community Land Trust.

“This is something I have wanted to do for years, and I’ve been looking for the appropriate opportunity,” Pavitt said. “As a music fan, I am omnivorous. I appreciate music from every era and genre. This is also a way to get different generations together to enjoy music and learn more about the OPAL project.”

To read the full article in the Islands’ Sounder haga clic aquí.

Campaña especial GiveOrcas para April's Grove programada del 29 de junio al 8 de julio

From June 29 through July 8, the Orcas Island Community Foundation will be hosting a special online GiveOrcas campaign to benefit OPAL’s April’s Grove project of 45 new rental townhomes.

During this special GiveOrcas campaign, OICF encourages the community to become “Partners in Philanthropy” and help raise funds for affordable housing on Orcas. OICF covers all credit card fees, so 100% of your gift will go directly to support OPAL’s April’s Grove.

Between June 29 and July 8 go to www.GiveOrcas.org and help April’s Grove cross the finish line!

To read more about this campaign in the Islands’ Sounder haga clic aquí.

To read more about this campaign on Orcas Issues haga clic aquí.

La construcción de April's Grove comienza en mayo; Aún se necesitan donaciones

Thanks to the voters of San Juan County who adopted a new Real Estate Excise Tax last November, a legacy contribution from Bob Henigson, and to creative problem solving by many, including staff members of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, OPAL Community Land Trust will begin construction of the 45-rental townhome project called April’s Grove in May.

To read the full article on Orcas Issues, click here.

Community Foundation invierte en Island Loan Fund

Left to right: Hilary Canty, executive director of OICF, Julie Brunner, OPAL housing manager and Jamie Cier, branch manager at Washington Federal Bank and member of the Island Loan Fund committee.

The Island Loan Fund, a new program created by OPAL Community Land Trust, makes it possible for islanders who are creditworthy, but not yet eligible for a bank loan to access construction and mortgage financing. The Orcas Island Community Foundation has become the lead investor in the second pool of funding for OPAL’s new program.

To read the full article on The Islands’ Sounder Click Here.

To read the full article on Orcas Issues Click Here.

Entendiendo REET

When OPAL board president Tim Fuller read the article “San Juan islanders look to REET funds as affordable housing savior” in the Journal of the San Juans, he was concerned that readers would get the wrong impression.

To read Tim’s full Letter to the Editor click here.

OPAL vuelve a licitar el proyecto Grove Townhome de abril

OPAL is holding a full rebid including a general contractor and sub-contractors. During the first bidding process, the majority of bids came in over budget, with numerous trades having not submitted bids at all.

To read the full article in the Islands’ Sounder click here.

To read the full article on Orcas Issues click here.

Los isleños de San Juan miran a los fondos REET como salvadores de viviendas asequibles

Last year, the groundwork for a solution to the housing crisis in San Juan county was laid when voters approved a tax to fund affordable housing projects. Local nonprofits, which already help to solve the housing crisis, are considering requesting funds to provide more reasonably-priced residences in the county.

OPAL Community Land Trust Executive Director Lisa Byers said staff plans to apply for REET funds for its 45-unit rental property on North Beach Road on Orcas. The site, called April’s Grove, will consist of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom townhomes. Construction is scheduled to start in 2019.

To read the full article from the Islands’ Sounder click here.

Trabajo en el sitio en curso: la construcción ofrece un nuevo obstáculo para April's Grove

In mid-November site work began on April’s Grove, OPAL’s planned 45-home rental neighborhood, when Island Excavating began clearing brush and felling trees. The crew is working carefully to remove trees where buildings will be constructed while maintaining the “preserve and protect” areas surrounding the trees and undergrowth that will remain.

Also in November, OPAL’s general contractor, Dawson Construction, solicited bids from subcontractors. The majority of bids came in over budget, with numerous trades having not submitted bids at all.

To read the full Islands’ Sounder article click here.

To read the full Orcas Issues article click here.