Contributed by Justin Roche
Executive Director of Homes for Islanders
On December 21, Nancy Brown, John Howard, Bonnie Mahony, Rene Sturk, Dan Vierthaler and Antonio Zapeta-Itzep and Bernice Arevalo purchased building sites on Bella Luna Lane and have now begun construction of their own homes. These homes are the latest self-help affordable housing development by Homes for Islanders, the second on Orcas Island and fifth in the county in five years. Located off of Shady Lane beside North Beach Road, the development has been named “North Beach Gardens.” The building group has made great progress to date with foundations poured and floor framing well underway. Please consider volunteering and help these families reach their dreams of owning their own home.
Self-help is an opportunity to turn hard work into home ownership and substantial home equity. Home builders, including friends and family, must devote at least 35 hours a week for a year during construction. They work in teams under HFI supervision to build all homes in the group. No one moves in until all six homes are 100% complete. Rick Holtman is the HFI construction manager responsible for organizing, training and directing the work. Orcas Excavators constructed the site improvements: clearing, grading, water lines, electrical services, sewer, gas, stormwater and foundation preparation.
HFI acquires land, designs the site plan, obtains local government approvals, pays utility connection fees, provides site engineering and contracts site construction. At the same time, HFI recruits prospective home builders, assists the preparation of loan applications, and assembles funding for site acquisition & development. During home construction, HFI provides home construction plans, secures building permits, manages the home construction budgets, and. Once a home builder team is assembled, HFI provides home ownership training, construction training, purchases materials and organizes the work. Then, the home owners show up rain or shine and build their homes.
HFI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that receives support from the U.S. Dept of Agriculture – Rural Development in the form of a technical assistance grant and subsidized mortgage loans to qualifying home builders. HUD funds through Community Frameworks – Self Help Opportunity Program (SHOP) are also involved.
HFI is now accepting applications for the next Orcas Island self-help development. For application information, contact Ginny Beaudoin at 370-5944 or visit the website www.homesforislanders.org.
Your fine editorial convinces me the 20 dollars month would be an excellent investment and I will be voting a big YES on the Bond and Levy issue. You mentioned energy “conversation” and I think there will be a lot of that to complete the endeavor but I think you might have meant to write “conservation”–no matter really for I believe in both!
Your fine editorial convinces me the 20 dollars month would be an excellent investment and I will be voting a big YES on the Bond and Levy issue. You mentioned energy “conversation” and I think there will be a lot of that to complete the endeavor but I think you might have meant to write “conservation”–no matter really for I believe in both!
Your fine editorial convinces me the 20 dollars month would be an excellent investment and I will be voting a big YES on the Bond and Levy issue. You mentioned energy “conversation” and I think there will be a lot of that to complete the endeavor but I think you might have meant to write “conservation”–no matter really for I believe in both!