||| FROM JESSICA CHAFFEE |||
I write to you today not just as a concerned resident of San Juan Island, but as one voice among many grappling with a pressing issue threatening our community’s future: affordable housing.
For over 30 years, I have called San Juan Island home—a place of unparalleled beauty and tight-knit community spirit. However, like so many others here, I find myself in the heartbreaking position of being unable to afford a home of my own. The dream of homeownership feels increasingly out of reach, forcing me to consider leaving the island I love due to the lack of affordable housing options.
Stephanie O’Day, a respected land use and real estate lawyer in our community, stands out as the beacon of hope we desperately need. I have known Stephanie for almost three decades, and her candidacy for county council is not just about promises, but about real, tangible solutions to our housing crisis. Stephanie has already taken steps to tackle the affordable housing issue by initiating two development projects on our island. She understands the complexities of land use and development regulations, and she has the expertise to navigate these issues effectively.
Additionally, Stephanie has garnered impressive bipartisan support, reflecting her ability to unite diverse perspectives in pursuit of common goals.
More than her qualifications, Stephanie embodies integrity and a deep commitment to serving our community. She listens to our concerns, understands our struggles, and is dedicated to finding sustainable solutions that benefit all residents, not just a select few.
Stephanie O’Day is the leader we deserve. Her vision for affordable housing gives me hope that future generations can continue to call San Juan Island home without the constant threat of displacement or financial strain. I urge my fellow islanders to join me in supporting Stephanie O’Day for county council.
Together, let’s ensure that our voices are heard and that our community thrives for years to come.
The big problem with Stephanie O’Day is that she appears to be proposing the construction of public housing on parcels owned by the Land Bank.
If so, that’s an absurd proposal that the voters of this county should strongly reject, and nobody should ever bring it up again.
Land Bank properties should never be taken out of conservation status unless there is some exceedingly urgent need and zero alternatives.
Affordable housing does not fall into that category.
Contrary to popular belief, building more housing isn’t going to solve the so-called housing crisis. It may result in a temporary financial windfall for certain individuals, such as the person who wrote this plaintive op-ed, but it’s a net loss for anyone who values what’s left of the existing rural character of the islands.
Most people who live here want to see less development, not more. When I see that a candidate has initiated “two development projects,” that makes me more likely to vote for someone else. And we certainly don’t want public conservation lands — which we’ve paid for with taxes over the years — be turned into private housing.
There will always be more people who want to live here than the housing market can support. The county has a number of options for bringing down the cost of housing that don’t involve new construction, especially if this would require the usage of existing conservation lands.
We cannot build our way out of this “crisis” no matter what the pro-growth, pro-tourism, pro-development lobby tries to tell us.
My goodness do you have the facts wrong! How in the world did you surmise that I am proposing public housing on land bank property! Here are the facts: San Juan County owns 93 parcels of land which are in addition to Land Bank owned properties. Not all of those properties are being used. Why not sell off unused (surplus) properties and use the money to support affordable housing projects? (I know of one right now that could be sold for over $1million). This is being done elsewhere. The fact of the matter, Mr. Bowman, is that we have scores of millennials as well as other generations that have no place to live. They are the engine that drives our community. They are the teachers, the deputies, the servers, the tellers, the yard workers, the painters, the excavators – the fabric of our community. You may have “yours” – but it appears you want to shut the door and send all these folks away.
Now as to my “developments” – five little one bedroom cottages and two manufactured homes are what Pat and I “developed”. We started with raw land, hired the workers to install the infrastructure and found a way to provide affordable housing at an affordable price. I’m proud of those accomplishments – and we did it without a handout from the government. We need to find a way to keep the missing middle. This is not a pro-growth or pro-tourism or pro-development point of view. It is reality.