Island County is searching for a developer to complete work on a housing project expected to bring 58 new affordable homes to Oak Harbor.

The county will issue a request for qualifications for an affordable housing developer to complete construction of 17 buildings, each with three to five town home style units, on a county-owned parcel located at 1215 Southwest Swantown Avenue in Oak Harbor.

The county purchased the property last year with federal funds allocated to the county through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Joanne Pelant, housing supervisor in the county’s Department of Human Services, said at a county work session June 14 that the city of Oak Harbor approved the construction under its planned residential development provisions.

Commissioners discussed the buildings including a mix of units for purchase and rental units. Commissioner Jill Johnson said the homes created in this project are meant to bridge a critical housing gap for those who don’t meet qualifications for subsidized housing but can’t afford to buy a home in the current housing market.

“It’s stabilizing that workforce in a way that subsidized housing doesn’t,” she said.

The irregularly shaped parcel is 5.57 acres. It was the site of a mobile home park until 2012, according to county documents.