OPAL Community Land Trust

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OPAL and PSCCU Explore Joint Venture

The A Street building that PSCCU purchased.

Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union (PSCCU) recently purchased the building at 221 A Street in Eastsound, where the post office is located. The credit union wants the current business tenants to remain in the building and plans to establish a retail branch for the credit union on the same property.

PSCCU also wants to help the community with a critical need, which is housing. There may be the potential to provide rental housing on the property for individuals who could live and work in town; perhaps reducing or eliminating the need for a car.

If housing could be included as part of the project without using government grants, then the rentals could serve any income level. This would create housing for anyone who needs a place to live but can’t afford what is available in the traditional market.

OPAL and PSCCU have agreed to work together on a feasibility study for the property. Can the site be redesigned to accommodate the existing activities with housing on an upper story? To explore options, PSCCU and OPAL will work collaboratively with an architectural firm to evaluate the possibilities.

Stay tuned for updates!

Founded in 1934, PSCCU is a not-for-profit member-owned financial cooperative that offers traditional banking services and has been a leader in making loans for energy efficiency projects.

Celebrating the Roots of Home

OPAL Gala Returns Focus to Homeownership

The OPAL Gala kicks off at noon this Friday, June 24 and runs through Sunday, June 26. The theme for this year, Celebrating the Roots of Home, lifts up the power of homeownership opportunities for islanders.

For the past decade, OPAL has focused mainly on rental housing; both through the construction of April’s Grove as well as through acquiring existing rental properties on Orcas Island. The purchase of the Northern Heights Apartments is the most recent example.

With so many Orcas residents struggling to find a place to live, and the growing list of homeowner applicants, OPAL has decided to get back to its roots. For the next few years, the organization is refocusing on creating homes that islanders can afford to own.

A new neighborhood on Kidder Way is now in the planning phase. OPAL’s goal is to design houses that are accessible for all ages and abilities, and that are sustainable and reusable in order to decrease costs.

As OPAL looks to the future of housing on Orcas, the goal is to provide a range of options that meet people’s needs. When islanders have a stable place to live that is within their means, the whole community benefits.

To continue supporting strong roots of home here on Orcas Island, please join OPAL for its annual Gala. For more details on the event, visit the Gala2022 web page, www.opalclt.org/coming-soon-gala2022/, then come back for a live virtual session on Saturday, June 25 starting at 4:55pm. The event runs all weekend long.

OPAL’s Purchase of the Northern Heights Apartments is Fully Funded!

Thanks to the support of many islanders, the Northern Heights Apartments across from the library will continue to be year-round and affordable rental housing. OPAL Community Land Trust will purchase and then renovate the property. The current tenants will be able to stay.

After learning last December that the Washington State Housing Trust Fund would not award grant funding, islanders re-grouped and donated to fill the funding gap.

The Orcas Island Community Foundation pledged grant funding; San Juan County increased their grant to the maximum allowable amount. OPAL dedicated an anonymous unrestricted donation to the project, and then hundreds of islanders contributed. 

The response from community members exceeded expectations. It showed a strong dedication to solving the local housing crisis and the importance of keeping island residents in their homes.

This shift in support has also become an added benefit as it allows for more flexibility regarding tenants. Not having state funding means these apartments will be available to people with a wider range of incomes.

Now the contract to purchase moves forward. Once OPAL has purchased the property, renovation work will begin. Current tenants will be able to stay onsite during the work, as it is not projected to be overly disruptive.

The continued support for island neighbors ensures this property will provide affordable year-round rentals for many, many years to come.

OPAL guides new CLT to build first home

The Door County Housing Partnership, a new community land trust in Wisconsin, celebrated the completion of their first home in mid-December. A new housing model in the area, board members reached out to OPAL for advice.

“OPAL offers a picture of how the model could potentially function on Washington Island. Of the more than 250 community land trusts nation-wide, at least three are on islands: OPAL, the Mackinac Island Housing Corporation in Michigan, and the Island Housing Trust on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. While the model can work just as well on the mainland, islands do share some unique challenges when it comes to housing.”

Click the link below to view the full article.

Washington Island Observer, December 23, 2021

Islanders fund purchase of affordable rentals

Motivated by their concern about the loss of affordable housing for local families, islanders Maia and John Vechey and Dave Roberts partnered with OPAL Community Land Trust in early May to buy seven apartments on Mt. Baker Road.

“When these units went on the market, there was the very real possibility that the people living there — one household for 20 years — would lose their homes,” said Lisa Byers, OPAL executive director. “Maia Vechey approached us about donating the money to buy the property. The long-time tenants could remain living there and the units, as part of OPAL, would be preserved for the long-term benefit of the Orcas community.”

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

To read the full article on The Orcasonian click here.

Gifts enable OPAL to acquire 30 acres for future affordable housing

OPAL Community Land Trust recently purchased nearly 30 acres of land in Eastsound.

In keeping with OPAL’s long-term strategy of thoughtfully stewarding land for the benefit of the community and assuring that Orcas islanders will have access to homes they can afford, the board of trustees took action to acquire the property with a vision of affordable housing in future years.

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

To read the full article for The Orcasonian click here.

April’s Grove residents are moving in

The first nine households moved into April’s Grove at the beginning of September. It was a day filled with joy, exuberance and relief. On move-in day one woman arrived at 8 a.m., because she had borrowed a friend’s van and needed to return it that morning. Two single parents now have homes with bedrooms so their kids can be with them. A number of tenants had been couch-surfing or homeless.

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

To read the full article from The Orcasonian click here.

Lisa Update: Keeping Islanders in Their Homes

It’s a new world, and your team at OPAL is adapting. We’re learning new ways to stay connected, new “work from home” routines, and are striving to take frequent, deep, full breaths. Speaking of which, how about we each take this moment … one big breath in … one big breath out … thanks for joining me!

 

A brief update:

 

  1. Julie and Jeanne are meeting (virtually) with any islander who asks for help to pay the rent or mortgage on their home. Numerous state and federal actions have been announced to help people pay their bills, and we’ll assist folks in navigating those programs. In addition, thanks to generous donations to the Community Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund, OPAL will be able to make some direct payments to landlords or banks when that’s the best solution. Our top priority is to keep people in their homes.
  2. The Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order identified exemptions for certain essential activities. Projects like April’s Grove that are providing much-needed affordable housing are considered essential. Therefore, construction will continue as long as suppliers are able to deliver. The crews working on site have adopted new protocols to keep workers healthy.

 

Despite the difficulties and challenges, I’m feeling grateful every day.

  • Grateful to live in a neighborhood where we’re looking out for one another with shared grocery, pharmacy and take-out food runs.
  • Grateful for your support and belief that housing is a basic human need.
  • Grateful that our island community is pulling together to make it through this challenge.

 

Stay well, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about OPAL’s activities.

 

From my home to yours,

Lisa

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Contact Us

Call: 360.376.3191
Email: office@opalclt.org

MAILING ADDRESS:
OPAL Community Land Trust
P.O. Box 1133
Eastsound, WA 98245

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
286 Enchanted Forest Road, #B101
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