Ten families building a neighborhood in Port Angeles

Published 1:30 am Sunday, October 27, 2019

PORT ANGELES — Ten families will soon embark on a community build on West 11th Street in Port Angeles.

They aren’t just building homes, they are building a neighborhood.

Everyone involved attended the Mutual Self Help groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday.

This program, which helps working families achieve their goal of home-ownership, is a sweat equity program sponsored by the Peninsula Housing Authority (PHA).

Next year at this time these families hope to be living in 10 brand new homes that they will construct on adjacent lots in the 1700 and 1800 blocks of West 11th Street.

Each family had to meet certain income and credit requirements to be approved for this build, said Priscilla Leffler, coordinator of the program.

The lots are cleared and work will begin soon after permits are issued.

All 10 families will build together under the guidance of a construction supervisor provided by PHA.

In keeping with the theme of building a neighborhood, no one will move in until all of the homes are completed, Leffler said.

The families will work side by side, each contributing 32 hours a week to creating their community.

“This will be an environment where everyone will know their neighbors, and all of the children know each other as well,” Leffler said.

To date the PHA has assisted in the construction of over 100 homes in Clallam and Jefferson counties.