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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHabitat - Critical Home Repairs $75,000Application Affordable and supportive Housing & Homeless Housing and Assistance Funds For use from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026 GENERAL INFORMATION –It is understood that if awarded funding for this period, there is no guarantee of future funding beyond this award. We estimate the available funding for this period to be approximately $160,000 for 5386 Homeless Housing and Assistance (operating) funds; $780,000 for 1590 Affordable and Supportive Housing development funds; and first year operating funds; and $520,000 for 1590 Affordable and Supportive Housing operating funds. Note that 1590 operating funds may be used for all housing-related services. Name of Project or Program oor Program: Critical Home Repairs Requested total amount for this application: $75,000.00 Area of the County to be served: All East Jefferson County with special focus on Brinnon and Quilcene (South County) Name of Applicant/Agency: Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County Federal Tax ID #: 91-1885667 Contact Person: Liesl Slabaugh Title: Director of Development Address: PO Box 658 City: Port Townsend State: WA Zip: 98368 Phone Number: (360) 379-2827 Fax Number: E-mail: lslabaugh@habitatejc.org CERTIFICATION by Authorized Agency Representative (Board President, CEO, or another person authorized to bind the agency in a contract). Name of Authorized Agency Representative (print):________________ Jamie Maciejewski________________ Title: _________Executive Director___________________________ • Applicant certifies that these funds will be used as described in this application unless a change has been mutually agreed upon between Contractor and Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners. Substantive amendment requests will also require the approval of the Housing Fund Board (“HFB”). • Applicant certifies that the information in this application is true and correct. • Applicant certifies that it has no outstanding obligations to the County with respect to housing funds. ____________________________________________________ __October 15, 2025__________ Signature of Authorized Agency Representative Date SPECIFIC INFORMATION Please separately tab each section of the application submission as to Project or Program Description, Capacity, Alignment, Approach, Impact of Funds, Budget. PROJECT DESCRIPTION • Name of Project or Program (please include HMIS name/number if applicable): Critical Home Repair • Amount requested: _______$75,000_________________________________________ • Provide a brief description of the Project or Program: (LIMIT 200 WORDS) Between January 1 and December 31, 2026, Habitat EJC plans to perform a minimum of 10 Critical Home Repairs for homeowners in East Jefferson County, focusing especially on those living in Quilcene and Brinnon and other rural areas of East Jefferson County. We request the County provide $75,000 to help fund those critical repairs. These funds will be used to complete projects on homes owned by persons at or below 60% of area median income, and for whom these repairs make it possible for them to remain in their homes, which otherwise might not be habitable. Examples of such repairs include updating of electrical wiring that may be hazardous and/or not to code; repair or replacement of failed septic systems; and roof repair or replacement. A no-interest note, forgivable after 20 years, will be attached to the home, ensuring the subsidy allows the current owner to remain in the home, rather than profit by fixing up the house to sell it. Habitat EJC shall provide all project and construction management: we will select projects, screen for income qualification and repair scope of work; manage subcontractors; and coordinate any volunteer involvement that may be appropriate. • Specify the Project or Program goals and expected outcomes. Specify the measures of success by which the Project or Program will be assessed. (LIMIT 300 WORDS). Goals 1. 10-15 homes will be repaired. Measures: Scope of Work is developed on each selected project to address critical repairs; permits are secured as necessary; homeowner signs off on completed project. 2. The qualified owners of each repaired home will be able to remain safely in their home at the completion of the repairs. A lien in the amount of the cost of repairs is attached to the mortgage and repayable to Habitat EJC upon sale of the home, or fully forgiven after 20 years. Measures: Homebuyer is certified at or below 60% AMI; a no-interest lien is placed against the home upon completion; no payments are collected for 20 years, or until the home is sold; after 20 years, the note is forgiven in full if the original owner continues to occupy the home; homebuyer completes required sweat equity, modified as necessary for age and disability. • Specify the number of units of housing to be created or number of individuals who will be served by the Project or Program. 10-15 households will be served by the program, depending on the cost of each repair. Threshold Requirements: • Identify the specific eligible use(s) under 5386 and/or 1590 for which the Project or Program qualifies, as listed on pages two through four of the RFP. If you are submitting for both operating and development funds, please submit separate budgets for each. This project qualifies under 1590, Operating Funds. The eligible use for which this project qualifies is #2 on page 2 of the RFP that reads, “Operations: The remaining proceeds shall be used for the operation, delivery and evaluation of... or housing- related services.” Critical home repairs are housing related services that prevent homelessness and are provided to households at or below sixty percent AMI. All eligible households are at risk of homelessness and are covered by the following groups: Persons with mental illness • Veterans • Senior citizens • Homeless (or at-risk of being homeless) families with children • Persons with disabilities • Domestic violence survivors • Provide a brief description of recent, relevant and successful experiences in delivering similar programs and/or projects. In 2011, our affiliate joined Habitat International’s Neighborhood Revitalization initiative, a holistic program that focused on partnership with volunteers, homeowners, neighbors and local organizations to help serve people in remote areas. Through research and feedback from our community, we decided to focus our efforts on South County, where we saw an enormous need for home repairs. Fourteen years later, our repair program is flourishing. We have repaired 59 homes with more than 30 of those in South County. Each year we complete about 10 repair projects scattered throughout East Jefferson County. We’re helping families whose homes have affected their health and safety. With the completion of each repair, we empower them to safely stay in their homes for at least another 5 years. Some examples from this past year include partnering with the County on a septic system installation on the Coyle Peninsula, installing a wheelchair ramp, removing dangerous trees, multiple roof replacements, and completing a bathroom. • Briefly describe how the project aligns with the priorities and objectives of the Five-Year Homeless Housing Plan and the community outreach conducted for the project or program. (LIMIT 400 WORDS) Habitat EJC’s Critical Home Repair Program supports the priorities of the Jefferson County 5-Year Plan by rehabilitating homes of residents earning below 60% of the AMI – and often significantly lower than 50% AMI – thereby reducing the potential for home loss and homelessness and preserving the stock of lower-cost housing. This supports Objective #6 – Supportive Efforts Aimed at Ending Homelessness by ensuring residents can safely stay in their homes. Many homeowners in rural East Jefferson County, especially but not exclusively south of the Tri-Area, are vulnerable to homelessness and displacement, due to several key factors. These include: ▪ Fewer resources. The median income in Brinnon is just over $52,000, less than the state median of $77,000. Quilcene and Brinnon have poverty rates of 10-11%. ▪ Older residents. The median age in Brinnon is 64.4. ▪ Aging housing stock. The median age of Quilcene’s housing stock is 69 years old and Brinnon’s is 41 years. ▪ High rate of homeownership. In Brinnon, more than 85% of residents own their homes and over 65% in Quilcene. The picture is one of aging residents caring for aging homes with extremely limited resources. The typical homeowner who contacts us for home repair assistance is over age 80; they no longer have the capacity in terms of health and funds to care for their own home repair and maintenance needs. For many, their spouse once performed the primary repair and maintenance function but is no longer living. The surviving spouse may never have been exposed to the work necessary to repair the home and has no idea how to go about securing a contractor. Thus, even those with some financial resources can be wholly unable to manage the process. ▪ By repairing critical systems, we have been able to keep residents safely at home and extend the life of the structure by at least five years. This work prevents homelessness and displacement, without constructing additional housing. Investment in the current stock of housing makes practical and financial sense. ▪ This project addresses maintaining affordable housing throughout rural East Jefferson County. A. APPROACH - Completeness of Proposal and Readiness (5 Points) (LIMIT 400 WORDS) Habitat EJC’s Critical Repair Program has become significantly more robust over the past year. Construction Manager Mark Fritts collaborates with Homeowner Services Manager Leanne Smith to identify and evaluate repair projects, define scope of work and create project timelines. • Is the Project or Program ready to use the funding now or are there actions to be taken before the Project or Program can begin? If so, what are those actions? Yes. No additional actions are needed. • Will the requested funds fully fund the Project or Program? If not, how does the organization intend to fill the gap? For fiscal year 2026, which began on July 1, 2025, $153,000 has been budgeted for critical repairs. The requested grant will fund half the budget and pay for between 6-8 critical repairs in 2026. These funds would be matched by a donation of $75,000 that we have already received. This grant will significantly help Habitat EJC’s efforts to keep East Jefferson County residents safe, dry, and warm in their homes. • Could the Project or Program be scaled (include the per unit cost of the Project or Program)? Yes, the project could be scaled if more funds are received through grants or donations. Each repair costs $10,000 to $15,000. We have budgeted for 10-15 repairs but, it is easy to increase or decrease the number of repairs depending on the funds we receive. If we do not receive adequate funds, we will repair fewer homes, which means more households are at risk of homelessness. • Have additional funds been requested or will be requested. Identify the sources for those requests and the status of the requests. Several generous donors have directed donations to Habitat’s Critical Repair program totaling over $75,000. These funds have been received and would match this grant, fulfilling our budget goal. B. IMPACT OF FUNDS - Leverage of Other Funds and Number of Persons Assisted (10 Points) (LIMIT 400 WORDS) 414 • How would the project contribute to positive movement in Commerce's Homeless System Performance Measure? Repairing critical systems keeps residents safely at home and extend the life of the structure by at least five years. It prevents homelessness and displacement, without constructing additional housing. Investment in the current stock of housing makes sense. • What other funds, donors, or community support are involved with the project? Will these funds leverage other funds? Identify other sources of funds that would be leveraged with the requested funds and/or how these funds will be used to leverage other funds. We have received $78,000 in private donations that will be matched with this grant to fulfill the budget for the year. Since we can easily scale the number of repairs, and the demand is high, we will likely continue to solicit private donations and apply for grants, using this Affordable Housing Fund grant as leverage to increase our capacity. • How many new units will be brought online. How many existing units will be preserved? What services will be funded and how is sustainability achieved? The funds would be used for critical repairs on existing homes. Critical repairs are defined as needed to extend the life of the home by at least five years. We would anticipate extending the life and livability of 6-8 homes through this funding. This program is funded by grants and donations on a year-to-year basis which we have found to be a sustainable approach. • How many individuals will be served by these funds? Approximately 15-20 • Will these funds serve any special populations such as youth or domestic violence survivors? It will serve seniors • How does this project serve marginalized populations and address risk of harm and barriers to housing stability? Our Critical Home Repairs program empowers marginalized communities by helping them maintain safe and healthy homes which allows for continued housing stability. Habitat EJC approaches our programs from a strengths-based model, not a needs-based model, which reduces harm. We are deliberate with the way we use language when talking about our work. Our services aren’t ‘charity’. Our homeowners are not ‘clients;’ they are our partners. We don’t just build projects and do repairs; we bring people together and develop community. We focus much of our outreach to underserved and marginalized communities, including tabling at various community events, and posting flyers at local sites such as food banks and laundromats. We also promote fairness and opportunities for groups disproportionally impacted by housing discrimination in our service area by providing translation services, making adaptations to home design and doing repairs for people with disabilities. Many of our repairs make a home livable for senior residents with very low incomes, such as installing wheelchair ramps. What is your plan for continuous improvement in order to serve historically underserved populations? HFHEJC is actively working to close the racial/ethnic homeownership gap in East Jefferson County. BIPOC / Latinx families apply to Habitat homes in a greater proportion than their presence in the qualified renters pool and they’re accepted to become Homebuyer Families at an even higher rate. Overall, HFHEJC is serving a more diverse clientele than the county as a whole: 21.3% of our partner families are BIPOC / Latinx, almost triple their representation in the county. HFHEJC also participates in Habitat for Humanity International's programs focusing on closing the Black homeownership gap. HFHEJC staff members have received training , and we will continue to incorporate elements of the initiative into our organization. We also work with Usawa Consultants LLC to continually improve our outreach efforts. C. PROJECT OR PROGRAM BUDGET – A Feasible Financial Plan (5 Points) BUDGET FORMS Funding period begins January 1, 2026, and ends December 31, 2026. Please use the attached budget templates. If you need additional space, you may insert rows. “Proposal” refers to the funds requested from these funds that will be applied to this specific Project or Program. Blank spaces are provided for additional categories. Justification for budget items must be specific, and that same specificity should be reflected in subsequent billings. A maximum 10% Administration fee is allowed for projects if needed, however, Administration fees are not allowed for Capital Projects. CAPITAL BUDGET FOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT USES Financing Categories Estimate Basis of Estimate Total Acquisition Costs $ Construction $153,000 Repair costs for at least 10 projects Construction Fees $ Financing Fees and Charges $ Guarantees and Reserves $ Developers Fee $ $ Subtotal $ TOTAL $153,000 SOURCES Financing Categories Estimator Indicate if Committed or Application has been made. If not made indicate date application is to be submitted Private Loan $ Jefferson County Funds $75,000 Grant application Public Sources (State or Federal Funds) $ Foundations $ Donations $78,000 Received Low Income Housing $ Tax Credits (indicate 9% or 4%) Historic Tax Credits $ New Market Tax Credits $ Gap (if any) $ TOTAL $153,000 Please include any budget narrative that is descriptive or helpful to explain any part of your proposed expenditures in your capital budget(s). (LIMIT 300 WORDS) 84 Uses Construction $153,000: Based on a minimum of 10 projects (homes) at an average of $15,000/project, which includes direct contractor costs and time from the construction manager in scoping, contracting, and managing projects. Sources Private contributions $78,000: These funds have been received and would be matched with the County’s grant to fully fund the program. Gap: With a grant of $75,000 from Jefferson County Affordable Housing Funds, there will not be a funding gap for the project. ATTACHMENT A Required Insurance Coverages 1. Commercial General Liability. • Recipient shall maintain commercial general liability coverage on a form acceptable to Jefferson County Risk Management for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage, in an amount not less than two million dollars per occurrence ($2,000,000) and an aggregate of not less than four million dollars ($4,000,000), for bodily injury, including death, and property damage. • The commercial general liability insurance coverage shall contain no limitations on the scope of the protection provided and include the following minimum coverage: o Broad form property damage, with no employee exclusion; o Person injury liability, including extended bodily injury; o Broad form contractual/commercial liability, including completed operations and product liability coverage; o Premises – operations liability (M&C); o Independent contractors and subcontractors; and, o Blanket contractual liability. • Recipient’s commercial general liability policy shall include employer’s liability coverage. • The County and its elected officials, officers and employees shall be named as an additional insured party under this insurance policy. 2. Automobile Liability. • Recipient shall maintain business automobile Liability insurance on a form acceptable to Jefferson County Risk Management with a limit of not less than a combined single limit of $1,000,000 each occurrence. Coverage shall include owned, hired, and non-owned automobiles. 3. Workers’ Compensation (Industrial Insurance). Recipient shall maintain workers’ compensation insurance at its own expense, as required by Title 51 RCW, for the term of this Agreement and shall provide evidence of coverage to Jefferson County Risk Management, upon request. If the County incurs any cost to enforce the provisions of this subsection, all costs and fees shall be recoverable from Recipient. o Recipient shall provide Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability on a state approved policy form providing benefits as required by law with employer’s liability limits no less than $1,000,000 per accident or disease. o This coverage shall extend to any contractor or subcontractor that does not have their own workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance. o Recipient expressly waives by mutual negotiation all immunity and limitations on liability, with respect to the County, under any industrial insurance act, disability benefit act, or other employee benefit act of any jurisdiction, which would otherwise be applicable in case of such claim. 4. General Insurance Requirements. • Insurance coverage shall be evidenced by one of the following methods: o Certificate of insurance; or, o Self-insurance through an irrevocable Letter of Credit from a qualified financial institution. • Any deductibles or self-insured shall be declared to and approved by the County prior to the approval of this Agreement by the County. At the option of the County, the insurer shall reduce or eliminate deductibles or self-insured retention, or Recipient shall procure a bond guaranteeing payment of losses and related investigations, claim administration and defense expenses. • Failure of Recipient to take out or maintain any required insurance shall not relieve Recipient from any liability under this agreement, nor shall the insurance requirements be construed to conflict with or otherwise limit the obligations concerning indemnification of the County. • Recipient’s insurers shall have no right of recovery or subrogation against the County (including its employees and other agents and agencies), it being the intention of the parties that the insurance policies so affected shall protect all the parties and shall be primary coverage for all losses covered by the above described insurance. • Insurance companies issuing Recipient’s insurance policy or policies shall have no recourse against the County (including its employees and other agents and agencies) for payment of any premiums or for assessments under any form of insurance policy. • All deductibles in Recipient’s insurance policies shall be assumed by and be at the sole risk of Recipient. • Any judgments for which the County may be liable, in excess of insured amounts required by this agreement, or any portion thereof, may be withheld from payment due, or to become due, to Recipient until Recipient shall furnish additional security covering such judgment as may be determined by the County. • Any coverage for third party liability claims provided to the County by a “Risk Pool” created pursuant to Ch. 48.62 RCW shall be non-contributory with respect to any insurance policy Recipient shall provide to comply with this Agreement. • The County may, upon Recipient’s failure to comply with all provisions of this Agreement relating to insurance, withhold payment or compensation that would otherwise be due to Recipient. • Recipient shall provide a copy of all insurance policies specified in this Agreement. • Written notice of cancellation or change in Recipient’s insurance required by this Agreement shall reference the project name and agreement number and shall be mailed to the County at the following address: Jefferson County Risk Management, P.O. Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368. • Recipient’s liability insurance provisions shall be primary and noncontributory with respect to any insurance or self-insurance or self-insurance programs covering the County, its elected and appointed officers, officials, employees and agents. • Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the insurance policies shall not affect coverage provided to the County, its officers, officials, employees or agents. • Recipient’s insurance shall apply separately to each insured against whom claim is made or suit is brought, except with respect to the limits of the insurer’s liability. • Recipient shall include all subcontractors as insured under its insurance policies or shall furnish separate certificates and endorsements for each subcontractor. All insurance coverage for subcontractors shall be subject to all the requirements stated in this Agreement. The insurance limits mandated for any insurance coverage required by this Agreement are not intended to be an indication of exposure nor are they limitations on indemnification. • Recipient shall maintain all required insurance policies in force from the time services commence until services are completed. Certificates, insurance policies, and endorsements expiring before completion of services will be promptly replaced. • Recipient shall place insurance with insurers listed to business in the State of Washington and having A.M. Best Company ratings of no less than A-, with the exception that excess and umbrella coverage used to meet the requirements for limits of liability or gaps in coverage need not be place with insurers or re-insurers licensed in the State of Washington. • Certificates of insurance as required by this Agreement shall be delivered to the County within fifteen (15) days of execution of the Agreement. To the extent a certificate lists or refers to any endorsements solely by name. description or number it shall be the responsibility of Recipient to obtain and provide to Jefferson County Risk Management a full and complete copy of the texts of such endorsements. • The County shall be named as an “additional insured” on all insurance policies required by this Agreement. • Recipient shall furnish the County with properly executed certificates of insurance that, at a minimum, shall include: o The limits of coverage; o The project name and agreement number to which it applies; o The certificate holder as Jefferson County, Washington and its elected officials, officers, employees and agents with the address of Jefferson County Risk Management, P.O. Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368; and o A statement that the insurance policy shall not be cancelled or allowed to expire except on thirty (30) days prior written notice to the County.