QUILCENE — Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County will venture into this economically challenged community next year for the first time to do what the local chapter of the nationally known nonprofit organization does best — build and remodel homes for needy families.
“We feel like there’s a need to serve the people in south county,” Port Townsend-based Habitat Executive Director Jamie Maciejewski said of the choice of Quilcene for the local program of a new Habitat International pilot project called Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.
“We’ve had people who have terrible housing situations in Quilcene and they didn’t want to move.”
Given that, the program now will be brought south to Quilcene, a community with aging school buildings, a limited number of tourism-related and shellfish-industry jobs, a small market and no gas station.
While Habitat has built or recycled 22 homes — 19 in Port Townsend and three in Irondale about eight miles south — none has ever been built or restored in Quilcene.
The existing homes house families with 47 children.
Other reasons that the Habitat board cited in its selection of Quilcene included the close proximity of services such as schools, places of worship, post office, parks, the health clinic and the community food bank, opportunities for partnership, the current state of housing in Quilcene and residents’ commitment to revitalization.
Habitat for Humanity International in June selected the East Jefferson County affiliate, making the local agency one of 55 affiliates nationwide, and one of only five rural affiliates in the country, to pilot the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.
The initiative is Habitat’s three-year commitment to serve more families by responding to community needs with an expanded array of products, services and partnerships.
The local Habitat board this month voted to approve Quilcene as the pilot community for Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.
With initial one-on-one and small group discussions already taking place, Habitat plans a community meeting in early February at the Quilcene Community Center on U.S. Highway 101 in the heart of the community, to help develop more affordable housing solutions.
The specific day and time will be announced later.
The community meetings should help Habitat learn the specific housing needs in Quilcene, Maciejewski said.
One thing Habitat has learned so far in initial conversations, she said: “There’s a lot of commitment people have to that community.”
At this point it is unclear whether new homes are wanted or if other housing rehabilitation is needed, she said.
Habitat, according to Maciejewski, also offers critical repairs to homes, such as new roofs, weatherization or additions to existing homes, or just common exterior and interior remodeling.
“When everyone can do it together and focus on it, I think there is a lot more momentum,” Maciejewski said.
Habitat’s volunteer-based Furniture and More Store, 2001 W. Sims Way in Port Townsend, raises enough to acquire land and build a new home each year.
The homes average in price at about $130,000.
While land is expensive in Port Townsend, Maciejewski said, a home built outside the sewer system in the city and requiring a septic system can cost the same or more to build.
Habitat builds simple, decent houses in partnership with people in need, Maciejewski said.
Participants put in 400-500 “sweat equity” hours as a down payment on their home, and pay for the cost of materials through a 20- to 40-year mortgage.
Those interested in the Quilcene program, or who want to donate or volunteer, can phone 360-379-2827 or visit www.habitatejc.org.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.