San Juan County Alliance of Community Land Trusts met in Friday Harbor

||| FROM SANDY BISHOP and CLARA COSTA |||  

On January 15, 2025, 30 individuals from five local community land trusts (CLTs) gathered at Brickworks in Friday Harbor to share their current greatest needs and upcoming projects, and to discuss revisions to the Housing Element of the San Juan County (SJC) Comprehensive Plan.

Representatives from San Juan Island Home Trust, OPAL Community Land Trust, Lopez Community Land Trust (LCLT), Community Land Trust of Waldron Island, and Shaw Island Community Land Trust were present and joined by County staff, including Ryan Page and the SJC housing coordinator and Housing Advisory Committee board members.

The group opened the session by defining each trusts’ greatest needs and highlighting their current projects. An impressive body of work was presented, and insights were gained from each other’s experiences. Projects ranged from home ownership, rentals, farmland and food security initiatives, to other community-based efforts such as partnering with a food bank and resource center, a local bakery and cottage industries, cooperatives, electric car shares and solar generation.

Challenges included the increasing demand for affordable housing, securing funding for land acquisition, increasing infrastructure and construction funding and the increased need for stewardship endowments.

“Infrastructure is one of the costliest components of any home, especially in San Juan County,” said Home Trust Executive Director Amanda Lynn. “We need increased funding for infrastructure to create environmentally sustainable and permanently affordable housing.”

Some of the stated purposes of the CLTs include a commitment to maintaining island character, protecting the natural environment, developing permanently affordable housing, stewarding the built environment, and engaging in other community-based initiatives that help create a more resilient community.

When looking at the Comp Plan revisions the group acknowledged it could only go so far with state mandated projections, specifically related to density.

“Providing more density does not, by itself, enable more affordability. Most of the costs are set per structure, including water and septic connections.” OPAL CLT Executive Director Lisa Byers said. “Density can help a little bit, but it will not, on its own, ensure more affordable housing.”

“As a community, we love the rural comfort of our islands,” said Shaw Island CLT Board Member Carol Criss. “As such we need to maintain the economic diversity, including the small businesses and services that serve our island communities. Protecting our natural environment is an equally important aspect of maintaining the rural characteristics and quality of life.”

Waldron Island’s CLT noted non-ferry-serviced-islands’ unique barriers to infrastructure development for affordable housing. “Current regulations limit the ability to utilize innovative, site specific technologies for septic systems, which can make affordable housing projects on outer islands even more financially unfeasible,” said CLT of Waldron Island Board Member Rebecca Moore. “There is a pressing need for appropriate technology when dealing with basic housing needs.”

Local community land trusts have been operating in the San Juan Islands since 1989 and are committed to permanently affordable housing, holding land in trust and serving other community-based needs. Community land trusts require bold investments, deep commitment to long term stewardship and comprehensive community visioning with an emphasis on permanent affordability and meaningful community control.