HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 01 31 JC PR CHIP award
Funds Awarded for City Sewer Extension to Caswell-Brown Village Housing Facility
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jefferson County, WA, January 31, 2025 –
The Washington State Department of Commerce has informed Jefferson County and the City of Port
Townsend of a grant award of $776,139 from the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP)
to enable the provision of sewer service to the Caswell-Brown Village (CBV) Permanent Supportive
Housing facility located just outside of city limits. CBV is included in the newly established
unincorporated urban growth area (UGA) adjacent to the City of Port Townsend as part of the county’s
2024 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle.
The governor’s office issued a press release on January 30, 2025 announcing CHIP awards throughout
the state. The statement says that the grants will support projects ranging from affordable housing for
seniors to permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Jefferson County Commissioner Greg Brotherton is quoted in the governor’s press release:
This award helps Jefferson County move the needle on affordable housing in a real and tangible
way that has remained a struggle in our rural county – developing the infrastructure that will
facilitate the density that is needed to turn the tide on the housing crisis. We will not be able to
work our way out of this housing crisis with single-family homes. Especially in rural areas such as
Jefferson County, we need the density that urban infrastructure affords. This grant allows us to
grow.
CBV is a Permanent Supportive Housing facility located on Jefferson County property and operated by
Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) under a long-term lease. The facility is located on Mill
Road in unincorporated Jefferson County, just outside the municipal boundary of the City of Port
Townsend. OlyCAP has acquired funding to complete additional phases of the project, and this CHIP
award is essential to providing the level of infrastructure needed for a successful outcome that meets a
variety of local housing needs.
Pursuant to its General Sewer Plan, the City of Port Townsend will manage the capital project to extend
sewer service to CBV.
For more information on the CHIP award, please contact Jefferson County Community Development
Director Josh Peters at <jpeters@co.jefferson.wa.us>.
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Links:
Governor Bob Ferguson press release January 30, 2025
https://governor.wa.gov/news/2025/making-things-happen-affordable-housing-gov-
ferguson-commerce-invest-146-million-reduce-costs
Jefferson County 2024 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle
https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1721/2024-Annual-Amendment-Cycle
City of Port Townsend General Sewer Plan
https://cityofpt.us/engagept/page/general-sewer-plan
Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP)
https://olycap.org/about-olycap/