Olympia to receive about $400K from housing fund

The City of Olympia expects to receive around $400,000 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which will fund projects that focus on rehabilitation and maintenance of low-income housing and support public services.

In a presentation at the Community Livability and Public Health Committee (CLPH) meeting on Wednesday, May 11, CBDG program specialist Anastacia Everett said Olympia has not yet received the award letter from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

But she said the typical award amount for the city ranges from $391,000 to $400,000.

Everett said she had drafted the action plan for project in 2022, divided into housing activities, public facilities, and public services projects.

She said they are partnering with local service providers.

For the housing activities program, Everett proposed a CBDG fund allocation of $25,000 for Thurston County Rebuilding Together Safe at Home Program.

To receive assistance, Everett said the homeowner must either be a senior citizen, have a family with young children, veterans, or have a family member in the home with a disability.

“Rebuilding Together provides critical home repair, including ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility improvements, roof replacements, plumbing, emergency repairs and other safety modifications,” Everett told the committee members.

She also proposed a $50,000 fund to support South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity Critical Home program.

“Funds will be used for rehabilitation activities, such as repairs to windows and siding, patching and replacing roofs, flooring accessibility modifications, foundations, plumbing and electrical,” said Everett. The money will also support administrative and staffing costs.

Another proposal is to fund solar installation on seven homes owned by Homes First, which has rental houses for low-income families.

According to Everett, CBDG was used to fund the project in 2021 partially.

“The fund [$63,813] in 2022 will close the gap to finish the project,” Everett said, adding solar installation is expected to be completed by 2023.

For public facilities, the proposed allocation to Community Youth Services is $120,000.

She informed the committee members that the Community Youth Services is in the process of buying a building in downtown Olympia for its counseling division and behavioral health and substance use disorder services.

The fund will be used for an elevator installation to ensure accessibility to all participants and staff.

The Downtown Ambassadors annually received funds from CBDG, Everett said.

For 2022, the proposed allocation for Downtown Ambassadors is $50,000 for street outreach; and $90,000 for program administration, support downtown residents and businesses.

The committee approved the recommendation to allocate CBDG funds and will forward it to the city council.