PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners has approved $1.46 million in funding for affordable and homeless housing in 2026.
The funding was approved as a part of Monday’s consent agenda at the board’s regular meeting.
A total of 13 projects from eight housing and shelter providers will be awarded from two county funds, $1.3 million from Fund 148, the county’s affordable housing fund, and $160,000 from Fund 149, its homeless housing fund.
“We’ve got a great team of service providers,” Commissioner Greg Brotherton said. “I wish we could fund them all fully. There’s no hesitation about wanting to fund them all fully.”
While 13 of 14 project applications will receive funding, none of them will receive the full ask amount, according to the motion approved request on the consent agenda.
Bayside Housing and Services requested $512,671 and will be awarded $375,000 for Vince’s Village. It requested $95,359 and will see $64,000 for maintenance of its 25 tiny shelters in Port Hadlock and Port Townsend, and the residents occupying the transitional housing units. Bayside also requested $111,265 to fund two staff positions focused on evaluation and intake, which was not approved for funding.
Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) had three requests approved for funding. Caswell Brown Village’s (CBV) phase two operations will see $171,000, about $80,000 short of its request. CBV’s congregate shelter will be funded at $85,000, short of OlyCAP’s $101,978 request. The Haines Street Cottages will receive $49,000 of the $59,210 requested by the service provider.
Olympic Housing Trust will receive $190,000 for its Chimacum Commons project.
Habitat for Humanity will see $40,000 for critical home repairs and $90,000 for Landes Terrace.
OWL360 will be awarded $115,000 of the $133,800 it requested to continue offering transitional housing and services to youth and young adults, ages 17 to 25 years old.
Dove House Advocacy Services was approved for $46,000 to provide shelter for people fleeing domestic violence. Kearney Block Hub, which includes two units of transitional housing, Recovery Cafe and a clothes closet, will receive $35,000. All three programs are located in close proximity, with the first two on Kearney Street.
Gateway to Freedom was approved for $40,000 of the $142,120 it requested for its Victory Villa supportive housing. Opened last May, the house can support housing for up to seven homeless men who are in recovery from substance use disorders.
Finally, Jefferson Interfaith Coalition’s Winter Welcoming Center asked for $18,000 and was approved for $17,000.
Welcoming center founder Julia Cochrane, who served on the housing fund board and took part in assessing projects for funding, did not assess the welcoming center’s application.
“Thank you for the funding you’re giving us and know that what is going on is just growing,” Cochrane said in public comment Monday.
Support also is growing, she added.
“We had someone walk in, my staff told me, who handed us a $500 check,” Cochrane said.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynews.com
