CHIP program can fund just 25% of all applications it received – One of 62 applications is from San Juan County
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
by Jeff Noedel
The Washington State Department of Commerce received 62 applications from cities, counties and public utility districts for the 2024 Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP), which closed on Oct. 31.
One of the 62 applications is San Juan County requesting $340,000 for utility improvements at the site where 20 affordable townhouses will be built in the Cottages at Pea Patch on Orcas Island. The project is headed by OPAL Community Land Trust. The 20 townhouses will meet the definition of affordable for 40 years.
To read more about the Pea Patch Community campus, which will include the Cottages at Pea Patch, click here.
With only $12.7 million available statewide, applicants are requesting more than $48 million for the infrastructure needed to support new affordable housing development. These projects seek to create 4,067 affordable housing units, half of which would support housing options for those earning less than 50% area median income (AMI).
Washington will need more than 1 million homes in the next 20 years. This is equivalent to approximately 55,000 new housing units each year for the next 20 years to keep up with anticipated population growth and the demand for housing. Of these new units, half need to be affordable to those earning less than 50% AMI, which aligns with requests for current CHIP funding.
Award decisions coming in January 2025
Over the next few weeks, Commerce will review applications to ensure the limited amount of available funding is awarded based on our commitment to equity, readiness for capital construction, and leveraging of private and local funds to provide housing.
To date, CHIP has invested $88 million to support the development of more than 8,000 affordable housing units. CHIP grants can support the development of affordable housing by paying for water utility improvements or system development charges associated with new affordable housing units. Projects receiving CHIP funding must include at least 25% affordable units that must remain affordable for at least 25 years. Future CHIP funding is contingent on appropriation in the 2025-27 State Capital Budget, which will be developed in the 2025 legislative session that begins Jan. 13.
