Adam RollinsIn its latest effort to expand housing availability, the Washington State Department of Commerce (DOC) has opened the application window for $212.4 million for affordable multifamily rental housing projects. Applicants have until Oct. 16 to submit projects for approval.
The DOC’s Multifamily Housing Unit will allocate the awards across two funding opportunities:
- Housing Trust Fund (HTF).
- HOME and National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF).
Both programs are designed to support affordable housing capital projects, ultimately expanding the state’s available housing options. Applicants that may apply for funding include local governments, local housing authorities, nonprofit community or neighborhood-based organizations, federally recognized Indian tribes and regional or statewide nonprofit housing assistance organizations.
The HTF will provide up to $204.5 million to support projects that either result in an increase of affordable housing stock or to preserve existing affordable housing stock through rehabilitation. The projects must meet the criteria for being a multifamily rental property to qualify. Examples of qualifying homes would include:
- A single building with two or more distinct units inhabited by an unrelated household.
- At least two structures that were originally built as housing for unrelated households and are now managed as a single functional unit.
- A building – or set of buildings – that is used to provide sleeping accommodation for more than one individual. The structures must include shared living, food preparation and sanitary facilities.
The Washington State Legislature appropriated the funds from the Capital Budget to advance specified project types. These allocations are intended to ensure a variety of projects are implemented tailored to the needs of marginalized and underserved communities. These affordable housing project types include projects that:
- Serve low-income and special needs populations, including people with mental illness or behavioral health conditions, farmworkers, people who are homeless and those who need permanent supportive housing.
- Serve low-income residents with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
- Build or buy property for conversion into permanent supportive housing units for individuals eligible for community support service benefits.
- Build facilities to house low-income migrant, seasonal or temporary farmworkers.
The HOME and NHTF will provide the remaining $7.9 million to expand the existing supply of quality rental housing, the capacity of nonprofit housing providers, strengthen government capability to offer housing and leverage private sector collaboration. All funds will be used to ensure low-income and very low-income households will be able to find housing suited to their needs.
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