Oak Harbor Mayor Jim Slowik’s vision of affordable housing is beginning to take shape, and that could spell J-O-B-S for Oak Harbor.
In January, the city council approved a resolution that allowed the mayor to work with the Housing Authority of Snohomish County to develop an affordable housing project.
At the same meeting, the council authorized the mayor to submit a grant application to the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, for funding to develop a manufactured home community.
In the meantime, Slowik met with the Housing Authority to review possible sites for the project. The ideal site will be close to town, near public transit, and have utility hook ups, Slowik said.
The state plans to award $60 million in spring grants and $30 million in fall grants to CTED funding applicants, Slowik said.
Oak Harbor is requesting $3.5 million of the $90 million budgeted for affordable housing, and city officials hope Oak Harbor will make the spring round of funding.
“Our request for $3.5 million does not include the houses,” Slowik said. “It’ll pay for the infrastructure, roadways, power hookups and storm water drains, which means jobs for local electricians, local engineers, local construction workers.”
Everything is on track to go forward and the city is working with a landowner who expressed interest in selling their property.
“We hope to have a purchase and sale agreement by March 12,” Slowik said.
CTED accepted the first application on Feb. 17 and invited Oak Harbor to take part in the second stage of the application process, which requires the city to submit a project proposal.
For the first time in about a year, council met in executive session to discuss the purchase of property for two different projects, including the affordable housing project and a right-of-way property for road construction.
City officials felt their discussion warranted an executive session — a meeting that excludes the public — because public knowledge of the details they discussed could lead to an increase in price of the two properties the city hopes to purchase.
