Last week, Langley’s first new permanently affordable rental development in more than 35 years officially broke ground.
On the afternoon of Sept. 16, Island Roots Housing, city of Langley staff and community members celebrated a special milestone for Generations Place, a new project in the Village by the Sea.
According to a press release, Generations Place has received tremendous community support at all levels, which has enabled it to start construction a mere two years into the project, and two years into the founding of Island Roots Housing. With funding from five public sources, ranging from a Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program grant from the state Department of Commerce via the city of Langley, to federal HOME money via Skagit County Consortium and a state legislative Local Project Appropriation via the State Housing Trust Fund, this project proves that a local, grassroots organization can achieve what some said was impossible – building new permanently affordable rental housing at a “village” scale.
Fourteen two- and three-bedroom apartments will serve households earning up to 60% and up to 80% of Island County median income.
With well over 500 local donors who contributed nearly 30% of the total budget, it’s an important example of small-scale, permanently-affordable rental housing created by and for the local community.
As of today, Readiness to Learn is reporting 109 children/youth within the South Whidbey School District area are unstably housed. This is community wide and includes babies, toddlers, preschoolers and homeschooled children. Most are living doubled up with family or friends. Generations Place will be the first family-sized affordable rental apartments built in Langley since the 1980s, and these statistics point to why this project means so much to the community as a whole.
Final permitting is imminent, public financing arrangements will conclude by the end of September, and construction will commence in the beginning of October. Island Roots Housing is already planning for the ribbon cutting ceremony at construction conclusion, which is scheduled within 10 months from start.
The groundbreaking ceremony featured state legislators, county commissioners, city officials and representatives from the broad swath of community supporters.
