HomeMy WebLinkAboutCONSENT Letter of Support Bayside grant JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Heather Dudley-Nollette, Commissioner District 1
DATE: July 14, 2025
RE: Consent: Letter of Support for Bayside Housing & Services' funding application
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
In late 2024, the Board of County Commissioners was made aware that two local mobile home
parks in Jefferson County, Olympic View Mobile Home Park and B&R Mobile Home Park, were
at risk of being sold to hedge fund operators outside this community; and that these sales could
put over 150 existing residents in low-income housing at risk of eviction due to rising costs.
Many of the existing tenants in these two villages are senior citizens. The parks also house
young adults and families with children.
ANALYSIS:
Bayside Housing & Services, a local non-profit affordable, transitional, permanent supportive
and shelter housing organization has been in negotiations with the existing owner of two
mobile home parks in Jefferson County. Bayside is currently in the process of securing $6.25M
toward a $10M purchase price for one of the parks—Olympic View Mobile Home Park. They are
also working with the owner to preserve an opportunity to purchase the B&R Mobile Home
Park in the next year, which would require additional funding sources.
The next funding sources that Bayside is currently pursuing are through the Washington State
Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) and the Washington Community Reinvestment
Association (WCRA). They are seeking letters of support to include with those and future
funding applications to fill the remaining $3.75M funding gap to purchase the first park by the
end of 2025.
Owning one or both of these parks would facilitate the preservation of 76 existing units of
affordable housing at Olympic View Mobile Home Park, and up to 150+ units total —if Bayside is
successful in purchasing both parks in the next 12-18 months. Olympic View also has capacity to
add up to 40 more units for future growth. This purchase could also facilitate the addition of a
positive revenue source to sustain the additional housing programs that Bayside operates in our
county.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
RECOMMENDATION: Sign the letter of support and send the original to Bayside Housing &
Services for use in their funding application packages.
REVIEWED BY:
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Josh ters, County Administrator Date
Coss Board of County Commissioners
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O Heather Dudley-Nollette,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour,District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3
July 10,2025
To: Bayside Housing& Services
Subject: Letter of Support for Bayside Housing& Services' funding applications to
purchase Olympic Village Mobile Home Park(Port Townsend)
We are writing to express our strong support for Bayside Housing& Services' applications to fund the purchase
of the Olympic Village Mobile Home Park in Port Townsend. The Jefferson County Board of County
Commissioners is immersed in the issues created by our county's affordable housing shortage. We are deeply
impressed with the proposed project's potential to preserve 76 existing units of affordable housing,with the
opportunity to add up to 40 new units after purchase.
Jefferson County suffers a 0-1%vacancy rate for affordable housing rentals. Bayside's project not only
proposes to preserve and grown a significant number of units,but also creates the opportunity to provide a
much-needed revenue source to support Bayside's other affordable,transitional and shelter housing programs.
Bayside Housing& Services has served people experiencing homelessness since 2016 by offering safe housing
with case management services. They bring the expertise and resources to successfully implement their
proposed project,demonstrated in part by the increase in housing units under its control—from 6 to 60 since
they began operations.Bayside has also acquired land for the construction of new affordable housing units,one
of which is already under way.
Studies by the Department of Commerce have shown that Jefferson County—designated a rural and
economically distressed county by the state's Department of Employment Security—needs to add 3,985 units of
housing between now and 2044 to keep pace with the growth of its population and economy.Of this number,
2,848 will be needed by people making 80%or less of Area Median Income.The Jefferson County Board of
County Commissioners is keenly aware of the challenges inherent in meeting these targets,and shares the sense
of urgency with which Bayside treats homelessness and the need for affordable housing.
We are confident that this proposal from Bayside Housing& Services will yield significant and lasting positive
results for people in need of affordable housing. We urge you to give their application your full consideration
and support.
Sincerely,
Heather Dudley-Nollette, Dist. 1 Heidi Eisenhour, Dist. 2-Chair Greg Brotherton,Dist. 3
Phone(360)385-9100 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us