RCAC Home Page > News and Publications > Self-Help Builder News October 2012 Volume 5, Issue #3 >

Grantee of the Month: Housing Kitsap

By Billie Heath, RCAC self-help housing coordinator

Since 1973, Housing Kitsap, formerly known as Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority, has helped more than 1,400 families become homeowners through the self-help housing program. Building in the western counties of Kitsap, Jefferson and Mason counties of Washington State, this grantee is the second oldest consecutive producer for the program in the state.

Housing Kitsap’s mission is to foster healthy housing communities by building and preserving safe, decent and affordable housing for their clients while ensuring fiscal integrity in all programs administered by the Housing Authority. The self-help housing program has been a central component of the comprehensive housing services provided by this organization.

“The Mutual Self-Help Housing Program relies on its partners to be successful,” said Casey Pleskun, Housing Kitsap’s single family housing director. “Housing Kitsap’s team has been committed to building the most efficient home possible with modest budgets. The focus has been on energy savings to the families and providing a healthy, sustainable and affordable home.”

The Mutual Self-Help Program is made possible through partnerships with USDA Rural Development, Community Frameworks, Kitsap County HOME Investment Partnership Program and technical assistance from RCAC.

This organization’s interest in providing a cost effective product for the self-help families and their mission to foster healthy communities led them to become very involved in building energy efficient homes. For the past four years, Housing Kitsap has been dedicated in implementing the Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes Program and green sustainable construction practices in their mutual self-help homes within their modest budget. By constructing Northwest ENERGY STAR rated homes, Housing Kitsap is able to provide low-income families with better built, safe and healthy homes, while saving energy and reducing monthly utility costs.

“Housing Kitsap recognizes after residents pay their mortgage or rent, energy costs take the next largest amount out of their monthly income. Housing Kitsap is committed to reducing those costs at every opportunity for our residents and participants in our programs,” said Tony Caldwell, executive director for Housing Kitsap. In 2011, Housing Kitsap was the Northwest ENERGY STAR Regional “Builder of the Year.”

Housing Kitsap has been a pioneer in use of the Internet for marketing and information purposes. They were one of the first grantee’s to establish a webpage which contained application and house plan choices. This added to their reputation in the community as a professional builder. They have also worked to provide affordable lots through their subdivision development which they then use to advertise on the website for the next build. Finally, their public relations are further enhanced with formal move-in ceremonies that help to recognize new residents and the larger community they are joining.

As with many grantees, Housing Kitsap is facing the challenge of losing eligible building areas with the adoption of the new rural definition by USDA Rural Development. Several of the areas in Kitsap County have populations that exceed the 10,000 population and there is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). But there are areas that are rural in the unincorporated areas and a few small towns that are less than 10,000 and parts of the MSA that still meet the rural in character definition up to 20,000 despite the growth over the last decade. Housing Kitsap is working with their congressional delegation to change the regulations to recognize the rural areas and provide continued service to these locations and families. Meanwhile they are working with USDA to identify the rural boundaries as the agency is required to develop a new lending map for implementation on October 1 unless the implementation of the regulations are deferred by congressional legislation.

Learn more about Housing Kitsap at: http://housingkitsap.org/

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PowerOfChoice wrote:

The “NEW” rural definition? Do you not mean the item which would increase the definition of rural development as noted in the Senate Farm Bill whereby asking for a population level of 35,000 to be considered rural. Sorry … that would be a small city and our country which is currently 16+ Trillion dollars in debt does not nor should not consider such an option. The program was implemented to insure small rural communities were assisted until they reached a point of being self-sufficient and not to become a Welfare Program for self-sufficient communities wanting more.

The Mutual Self Help Housing Program has potentially become corrupt and abusive. In my state they are not supposed to obtain property by fraud or misrepresentation, engage in any unfair or deceptive practice towards any person, or defraud any person. A prime example of how Americans are having their life savings and property investments ruined you can consider the following: http://thebusinesstimes.com/public-funding-private-housing-homeowner-raise-concerns-over-land-purchases-for-affordable-housing-2/ . Per this article the owner put $384,000 into their house and after their Property Rights were violated sold for $245,000 a few months later. This is wrong!!!

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Sunday, December 2, 2012 7:27 PM

 

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