PORT TOWNSEND — A small two-story apartment complex is scheduled to arrive in Port Townsend Bay on Wednesday after being brought across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Victoria to serve as affordable housing.
According to city officials, the barge carrying the four-unit apartment complex will arrive at about 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon at the beach near the corner of Decatur and Washington Streets in front of the Pourhouse taproom.
The complex then will be moved onto a truck and spend the night by the water. At 9 a.m. Thursday, it will be moved to its permanent placement on a lot on the corner of Cherry and Van Ness Streets.
The Olympic Housing Trust project is a way to quickly bring in affordable housing options to Port Townsend, city officials have said.
The project was made possible by a loan approved by the Port Townsend City Council in late April to help cover the estimated $210,000 it took to acquire and move the apartment complex.
The apartment building has four two-bedroom, one-bath units that, once the building is placed and cleaned up, would be available to households earning no more than 80 percent of the median income, which ranges from about $36,000 to $52,o00.
According to the Housing Trust’s proposed plan, the 900-square-foot units would cost $900 to $1,100 per month, including utilities.
Floating in affordable housing from Victoria isn’t a new idea for Port Townsend.
The apartment project was actually inspired by Joe Johnson, owner of Johnson Family Properties, who floated in four recycled homes in October and placed them on foundations near 20th Street and Sheridan Street.
Johnson said floating in the homes allowed him to sell the homes for cheaper without sacrificing the quality of the home or construction materials.
The route for moving the apartment complex hasn’t been announced yet but there will be backups since entire roads will be shut down in order to move the complex safely, and slowly, to its final destination.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
