By JC Medina
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners approved a $950,000 contract with the Housing Authority of Thurston County (HATC) to rehabilitate 24 units of affordable senior housing in Tumwater.
The board made the decision on Tuesday, May 20.
The funding will address urgent health and safety concerns that emerged during renovations. It will also support upgrades at the Sterling Pines development, formerly the Tumwater Inn, located at 5895 Capital Blvd. SW.
The property was acquired by HATC through the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Rapid Capital Housing Acquisition Fund.
According to Dr. Jen Freiheit, Director of Public Health and Social Services, unexpected contamination and abatement costs, including asbestos and methamphetamine cleanup, exceeded the original project budget.
“This project meets all the criteria of an emergent need,” Freiheit told the commissioners. “Without this funding, the rehabilitation work could not move forward.”
HATC submitted the application in March to the Regional Housing Council’s (RHC) Affordable Housing Advisory Board Opportunity Fund, a set-aside fund created for urgent housing projects not anticipated during the annual funding cycle.
The application was reviewed and recommended for approval by the Thurston Affordable Housing Advisory Board on April 3. The RHC unanimously supported the recommendation on April 9.
The newly approved contract ensures that, once complete, the project will deliver 24 permanent rental units for seniors earning at or below 50% of the area median income.
The units will be held to affordability standards for at least 20 years, as required under the Local Home Fund, which provides the funding through a local sales and use tax.
The board also granted authority for the Director of Public Health and Social Services to sign amendments to the contract that do not exceed a 10% increase in cost.
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