PORT ANGELES — It took a village and months of hard labor.
On Friday, it was finally time to celebrate.
Eight families received a shiny set of keys to their new homes as the Housing Authority of Clallam County dedicated Peninsula Village I in east Port Angeles.
About 100 gathered for a short ceremony in the driveway of one of the houses near the intersection of Village Place and Village Circle, off Lindberg Road.
Each family put in at least 65 percent of the labor to build the houses. They worked on each other’s homes in a collaborative effort.
“I’m just thrilled,” said Harriet Coventon, who described a sense of camaraderie among the group.
“We’ve got wonderful neighbors. We know each other — the good and the bad.”
Tammy Sifford thanked her neighbors who helped build her house.
“We have a family up here,” she said.
To qualify for the program through the Housing Authority, the homeowners’ income had to be less than 80 percent of median.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development provided $477,640 in grants for the lots, materials, technical assistance and helped underwrite the loans.
“I’m just excited,” said Monique Swain. “You work nine months looking for it to end, then the end comes and you want it to slow down.”
Each homeowner received the blueprints and the keys to their house.
Kay Kassinger, housing resource and development manager for the Housing Authority of Clallam County, led the ceremony and thanked the various project partners, including USDA Rural Development.
Bruce McCoppen and Roger Feten were the construction supervisors for the project.
The Rural Community Assistance Cooperation assisted the Housing Authority and the USDA with technical assistance, Kassinger said.
The Housing Trust Fund — a branch of the Department of Commerce — helped the families with their down payments.
The Federal Home Loan Bank, First Federal of Port Angeles and the Port Angeles Realtors Association provided additional help with down payments.
Melanie Drecksel, area director for USDA Rural Development, said the homeowners’ payments are no more than 30 percent of their income.
“That makes the house affordable for people who may not be able to go to a bank to get a conventional loan,” Drecksel said.
“It takes a lot of guts to work a day job, and then after you get off work come out and work in the rain some more, and give up your weekends,” Drecksel said.
“I really admire people who can utilize this program and get out there with their family and friends and put in all the hours that it takes.”
McCoppen thanked more than a dozen local companies that offered discounts and helped with the project.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some really good suppliers and subcontractors that have helped us with good pricing and prompt service, and made a lot of this possible,” McCoppen said.
After the ceremony, the homeowners posed for pictures in front of their new houses and enjoyed hot dogs and coffee.
“I want to just say congratulations to the homeowners and wish you many years of happiness in your new homes,” Drecksel said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.