Upcoming meeting to discuss affordable cottages project
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, November 11, 2025
A nonprofit is seeking donations as it continues to chip away at an affordable housing project in Langley.
Whidbey Island Living Legacy, or WILL, is planning the development of six cottage homes for purchase that will be permanently affordable. Known as Grace Landing, the project is on less than half an acre next door to Tiny Houses in the Name of Christ, or THINC, a nine-home development affordably priced for renters.
The organization will host an informational meeting at 2-3 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 15 at the fire station on 5579 Bayview Road.
In recent months, WILL’s board of directors has hired a contractor for the project. The site plan and the arborist’s report are both complete, and an architect is finalizing the plans for the cottages. Based on current building costs, the estimated price of each home is $170,000 – though this is subject to change.
As WILL Founder Coyla Shepard explained, the goal is to raise enough money to offset the cost of the homes for the low-income buyers. WILL is now seeking applications from people interested in owning one of the Grace Landing cottages. To qualify, applicants must meet a certain income threshold, undergo a background check, provide references and participate in an interview process.
Beth Farrell, one of WILL’s board members, explained that much like a wedding gift registry, donors will be able to choose where their contributions will go toward, such as purchasing a refrigerator for one of the cottages.
“We’re trying to think outside of the box, as far as a nonprofit and how to raise awareness and attention to this,” Farrell said.
At 600 square feet, the cottages are more than twice the size of the tiny homes built for the THINC development. Current plans show a primary bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom with a washer and dryer on the first floor. A second-floor loft could potentially be used for multiple purposes, such as a second bedroom, and contains a half bathroom. Up to four people could potentially live in each cottage. The homes also have a porch, which is covered by the overhang of the structures.
Shepard said the nonprofit is still working on getting permitting approved by the city of Langley and the installation of utilities on the Camano Avenue property. The plan is to build the homes in a semi-circle around the towering trees currently located there; just three will have to be removed. The hope is to begin construction starting next year.
For more information about WILL and the project, visit whidbeywill.com.
