Island County Human Services once again hopes to connect local service agencies with government funding.
The county department, which oversees assistance services, issued several requests for proposals last week to address affordable housing and homelessness.
The requests, or RFPs, are done annually since 2012 according to Housing Program Coordinator Cather-ine Reid, and are part of the county’s continuing efforts to assist low-income and homeless individuals.
“Any eligible agencies or organizations in the county can submit an RFP and apply to receive the funding,” Reid said. “Basically, we’re looking for entities that will use the funds to provide shelter, housing, rental assistance and other projects to address housing needs.”
The county will draw from three sources to fund the potential proposals.
The Consolidated Housing Grant and Homeless Housing Fund will provide up to $500,000 to outreach and temporary services, rental vouchers and transitional and permanent housing.
Other eligible uses are broad, Reid said, as long as the services address housing needs. Additionally, the Affordable Housing Fund will provide up to $90,000 for the acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of housing projects that are affordable to very low income households.
Both funds will be made available for the 2017 calendar year and RFPs to access both sources are due Sept. 19.
“The money for both of these funds comes from document recording fees from certain real properties that get filed,” Reid said. “We get a certain amount of money per document and that’s where the funding comes from.”
According to Reid, the third source is a new Pre-Development Fund that will offer up to $300,000 for the development of affordable housing, supportive housing and other related projects.
“The RFPs for the pre-development fund aren’t time-limited the way the other two are,” said Reid, noting that the funding period and application deadline have not been set for the Pre-Development RFPs.
While the county has expanded the number of agencies that receive funding over the years, Reid said the proposals usually far exceed the available funds.
“Our objective is to end homelessness, but homelessness throughout the state is actually increasing,” she said.
A subcommittee from the Housing Advisory Board, which broadly oversees affordable housing projects, will select RFPs that best serve the departments priorities outlined by the Island County Plan to End Homelessness and allocate the funds accordingly.
At the top of that list is assisting the unsheltered and, while broad, Reid said this point relates to a larger state priority.
In the last two years, Reid said, the state is supposed to have moved 35 percent of the population they serve out of temporary shelter or homelessness, and into permanent housing.
To do that, according to Reid, will take more than the available funding and current agencies in place. It will take the participation of property owners throughout the county.
“If some of our community members want to work with an agency to provide housing, that’s a possibility,” Reid said. “At this point, that’s one of the best ways for us to increase the housing and address the need.”
Though private citizens can’t access the available funding, Reid said Human Services can connect interested property owners with agencies that can rent their housing and then make available to those in need.
“If someone has a house they want to rent out to help with this, that’s something that we would consider for funding through these RFPs,” she said. The big need is just housing that’s affordable to folks who are working hard in the community, but are underemployed.”
Property owners can contact Reid for information on renting out housing, and agencies can access RFP applications and submit materials to Island County Human Services via mail or electronically.
