The Washington State Department of Commerce is soliciting proposals from qualified Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) interested in completing planning and predesign projects that will support readiness to apply for a Commerce capital grant program. The selected applicants will receive grant funding for planning, technical assistance, and predesign projects that would directly benefit populations and communities that have been historically underserved by capital grant programs. No less than $5.45 million in grant…
Tag Archives: affordable housing
Affordable Housing Advisory Board releases 2023-2028 Housing Advisory Plan: Affordable Housing Needs in Washington Olympia, Washington – The lack of affordable housing options has reached critical levels in communities throughout Washington, according to the recently released Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB) Five-Year Housing Advisory Plan. The AHAB report highlights the need for action, detailing that the state must add over a million new homes within the next 20 years to…
Background In 2022, the Legislature created the Community Reinvestment Account, setting aside funding to address racial, economic, and social disparities in communities disproportionately harmed by the historic design and enforcement of state and federal criminal laws and penalties for drug possession (the “war on drugs”). The Legislature directed the Department of Commerce to invest the funds in four program areas: economic development, civil and criminal legal assistance, community-based violence intervention and…
Funding will help make repairs to keep 873 units in service for vulnerable populations in 14 counties OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Department of Commerce this week announced $19.8 million in awards to 31 applicants to preserve 873 affordable housing units through the Housing Preservation Program. These projects provide critically needed housing to some of Washington’s most vulnerable populations. Nine of the awarded projects are in King County, and the other…
Annual awards recognize outstanding work in community planning and development Olympia, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Commerce has opened nominations for the 18th annual Governor’s Smart Communities Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding work by local governments and their partners on long-term community planning and development. Nominations feature the best our state has to offer in collaborative community development and local comprehensive planning. Community leaders look to this…
Additional grant funding is available through March to support regional planning for vulnerable residents at the lowest income levels OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded $240,000 to five community partnerships across the state to support coordination of land use planning and homeless services planning. Each city or county-led partnership will use the funds to coordinate resources and plan for their lowest income housing needs, including residents…
Funding is through Continuum of Care program, which is part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development OLYMPIA, WA — Washington communities have another $110 million for new and existing housing projects thanks to funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Competition. Providers across Washington are working on 205 new and existing projects that provide temporary or permanent housing assistance and/or supportive…
Commerce grants help Washington communities take another step toward meeting projected need for 1.1 million new housing units over next 20 years OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced $47 million in funding for infrastructure improvements to support 43 construction projects that will provide more than 3000 units of affordable housing statewide. Washington state is projected to need 1.1 million new units of housing over the…
Historic funding to increase state’s affordable housing stock by 3,913 multifamily/rental units and new homes for low-income homebuyers OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced historic investments totaling $312.6 million to address the urgent need for affordable housing in communities throughout Washington state. Lack of affordable housing and sufficient supportive housing options for vulnerable populations are top contributors to chronic homelessness. It is estimated that over…
Focus on equity runs throughout significant funding increases serving range of priorities from housing to clean energy, broadband expansion and helping secure federal funding OLYMPIA, WA — Gov. Jay Inslee’s supplemental budget released today proposes a $1.2 billion increase for the Department of Commerce, including $415 million in operating funds and $775 million in new capital dollars. The proposed budget funds all of the agency’s upcoming legislative requests. Commerce is…