Nonprofit hopes to build affordable housing in Coupeville
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 28, 2026
County commissioners approved a $1 million contract on Tuesday to fund a Langley-based nonprofit’s purchase of land in Coupeville for an affordable housing development.
Funding comes from an affordable housing sales tax adopted in Island County in 2022. Under the agreement, Island Roots Housing plans to acquire the approximately eight-acre property located at 501 Northeast Third Street, near WhidbeyHealth and Regency Coupeville.
Dennis Bright owns the land, according to the Island County Assessor, and it has an assessed value of $959,336.
Construction on the affordable housing development is slated to begin in June 2029 and finish in December 2030, the contract states.
Current zoning means the land can accommodate around 20 housing units, but Coupeville can upzone the property to allow about 80 units. Mayor Molly Hughes explained that the town identified the land as “moving from low to medium density” in the last Comprehensive Plan update.
“If that change is made in this upcoming comp plan, it should not be a surprise to anyone,” she added. Town Council would have final say on that decision.
According to the contract, Island Roots Housing intends “to build with the upzoned density allowance.” If the zoning change isn’t adopted, Island Roots can simply return the money to the county, according to Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson.
Rose Hughes, managing director of Island Roots Housing, stressed to the News-Times the importance of building affordable housing on the island. Citing the county’s five-year homeless housing plan, she explained that “rising rents, lack of living wage job opportunities and a lack of diverse housing options” spur homelessness locally.
The land is ideal for an affordable housing development because it is largely undeveloped, Rose Hughes explained. She expressed gratitude for the county and Coupeville’s efforts in identifying the land’s potential for such a development.
“We see our work as homelessness prevention, and providing stable rental housing is our particular niche,” she explained.
While the project is in its early stages, Rose Hughes explained that the design will be “thoughtful” of the surrounding community. That means the needs of incoming and surrounding residents will be considered, public input will be valued and the structure itself will be designed to ensure visual compatibility with the rest of Coupeville.
“Our goal is always to have very context-sensitive designs that meet the hyper-local needs for wherever we’re providing the housing,” Rose Hughes added.
This is not the first time Island County has helped fund an Island Roots Housing development.
The nonprofit is an initiative of South Whidbey organization Goosefoot. Island County allotted $1.1 million to the group in 2021, then called the Goosefoot Housing Group, to purchase land in Langley for affordable rental apartments, according to Island Roots Housing’s website.
Construction of that development, known as Generations Place, began in September 2025 and is anticipated to wrap up this summer.
