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Otra Casa “Reciclada”

Llega la última casa de Lake Union

OPAL’s eleventh “recycled house” arrived on island August 17th. Previously, it was located on Lake Union in Seattle, where Peter Erickson y Brigitte Bertschi raised their family. After learning about OPAL’s history of relocating houses, they decided to donate their much-loved home, along with funding to help pay for the move. Peter and Brigitte are delighted to know that it will become a home for another family.

Look for the house at 54 Mountain View Street in Eastsound.

Picnic & Rally — Let’s Hear It for Affordable Housing!

Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib and Sen. Kevin Ranker Address OPAL Rally

Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib and Senator Kevin Ranker spoke in support of affordable housing at the OPAL Rally at the Village Green on July 12th.

“OPAL, for years, has been the driving force in making sure that we maintain the diversity in our community,” said Ranker. “What we need to do is support OPAL so we can continue to have that diverse, thriving community that we love.”

Read the complete Islands’ Sounder article here

Creating Affordable Housing — 2017 Proposed Legislation

Increase the chances for getting new rental housing on Orcas Island by asking your Washington State legislators to vote for policies that help create affordable housing.

Prohibit income discrimination. Currently, in Washington State, a landlord may refuse to rent to someone who uses a housing voucher to pay for rent. Learn more and send an email to your legislator by clicking aquí.
Support funding for new affordable housing. Help end homelessness. Invest $200 million in the Housing Trust Fund so funds can be granted to Juan County projects. Send an email by clicking aquí.

OPAL Recaps Busy Year, Honors Lisa Byers at 2016 Annual Meeting

Celebrating Lisa Byers’ 20th year as OPAL’s executive director are (left to right) OPAL co-founder and trustee Penny Sharp Sky, Lisa Byers, returning trustee Helen Bee, and newly elected trustee Anne Bertino.

Following a recap of OPAL Community Land Trust’s activities in 2015 and the election and recognition of new and retiring trustees, a highlight of OPAL’s 26th annual meeting on April 26 was the surprise celebration of Lisa Byers’ 20 years of leadership as executive director..

“Lisa became executive director of OPAL in 1996,” said co-founder and trustee Penny Sharp Sky, who told the story of first meeting Byers back East through mutual friends and encouraging her to move to Orcas.

“Over the past two decades Lisa’s hard work and devotion to the people and life of this island have been extraordinary,” said Sky. “She has helped make possible every one of the 114 affordable houses and apartments that OPAL has added since she arrived.”

More than 70 islanders packed the Episcopal Parish Hall for OPAL’s annual review of affordable housing activities. Byers reported that in 2015 OPAL moved, renovated and sold to new owners five “recycled” houses from Orcas, Seattle, Poulsbo and Belfair. In addition, OPAL staff facilitated the resale of seven other OPAL homes.

New homeowners include islanders who work in restaurants, retail, carpentry, photography, education and social service.

It was reported that last year 360 households and businesses supported OPAL with contributions of $302,469. In addition, OPAL was awarded grants of $166,461 from federal, state, county and private foundation sources.

“Last year was also significant in that OPAL received more than $1.5 million in bequests from strong, steadfast supporters,” said Byers. “Those dollars were added to OPAL’s endowment to secure the organization’s long-term sustainability.”

Out-going trustees Rollie Sauer, Suzanne Olson and Douglas Ellis were recognized and thanked for their many contributions.

Anne Bertino, a member of OPAL’s building committee, was elected to her first three-year term as a trustee. She brings experience in green building and design, energy efficient systems, and interior space planning.

Helen Bee, who heads the OPAL fundraising committee, and previously served as a trustee for nine years, was welcomed back to the board after term-limiting off last year.

Board president Bob Gamble and trustee Vicki Brems were re-elected to three-year terms.

Incorporated in 1989, OPAL serves 132 rental and ownership Orcas Island households and continues to accept applications from people who are not able to purchase a house in the traditional market. For more information, go to: www.opalclt.org or call (360) 376-3191.

Please Join Us … OPAL 2016 Annual Meeting

The OPAL 2016 Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 26 in the Parish Hall of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Eastsound. The event begins at 5 P.M. and the first hour includes hors d’oeuvres, a brief business meeting and the year-in-review presentation by Lisa Byers. At approximately 6 P.M., we’ll enjoy a potluck meal and social hour.

All OPAL supporters are welcome!

Look at What You Made Possible

Your donations covered the costs of moving and renovating this house. Here you see it arriving by barge on Orcas Island.

And here’s how it appears today, providing a loving home for a single mom who has lived on Orcas most of her life.

She joins nine other homeowners who have been able to purchase a moved-and-renovated house through OPAL since 2011. All of these wonderful older houses were saved from the landfill and will continue to provide island families with a home they can afford for generations to come.

You did it — thanks!

Two More Houses Move to Orcas

June 2015 – Two more houses arrived by barge on the same day – one from West Seattle and the other from Langley, B.C.

The house from West Seattle was the topic of a news clip on King5 news.

The reporter followed up by coming to Orcas to create another news story highlighting the need for affordable housing on the island.

25 Years of Affordable Housing

April 2014: As part of celebrating OPAL’s 25 year anniversary, we decided to create a report to send to all the businesses and individuals on Orcas Island, Our Report to You- 25 Years of Affordable Housing. The report reveals some of the milestones for the organization and is enhanced by Carla Stanley’s whimsical illustrations.

In case you don’t get mail on island, follow this link to a PDF. If you’d like to have your own professionally printed copy please contact us at (360) 376-3191 or oficina@opalclt.org and we’ll drop one in the mail to you. Enjoy!

El dueño de la propiedad busca el plan B para la preservación de la casa de Edith Macefield; El Fideicomiso de Tierras Comunitarias de OPAL no puede obtener fondos para mudarse de casa a la isla Orcas

Casi dos meses después de que se anunciara que OPAL Community Land Trust, una organización sin fines de lucro, tendría la primera oportunidad de recaudar fondos para trasladar Edith Macefield House de su ubicación actual en Ballard a Orcas Island, OPAL finalizó sus esfuerzos para recaudar los fondos necesarios. OPAL tenía la esperanza de renovar la casa con el fin de proporcionar un hogar permanentemente asequible para una familia necesitada. Lamentablemente, eso no sucederá.

“Estábamos entusiasmados con el potencial de que la casa de Edith proporcionara viviendas asequibles de forma permanente, pero no hubo suficientes donaciones para nuestra campaña en línea o a través de llamamientos personales para que esto sucediera”, dijo Lisa Byers, directora ejecutiva de OPAL. “Nos entristece no ser quienes cuidarán de esta casa en el futuro y, por lo tanto, honrarán el legado de independencia de Edith”.

El actual propietario de la propiedad ha ofrecido la oportunidad a otra parte interesada en un esfuerzo por asegurarse de que la casa no se enfrente a la demolición. El propietario se compromete a encontrar un lugar donde la estructura pueda convertirse en un hogar para una familia local.

Constituida en 1989, OPAL atiende a 132 hogares de alquiler y propiedad de la Isla Orcas y continúa aceptando solicitudes de personas que no pueden comprar una casa en el mercado tradicional..

Con su ayuda, 'Up House' de Edith Macefield flotará hacia un nuevo hogar en la isla Orcas

OPAL’s proposal to move the famous Edith Macefield “Up House” from Ballard to Orcas has been accepted by the current owners.

We are thrilled by this opportunity to help perpetuate Edith Macefield’s legacy and to create another permanently affordable home for the island.

Now, we have to raise the funds and move the house. To do that, a crowdfunding campaign begins immediately so everyone who loves the story and the concept of Edith’s love for her home can help make the move a reality.

Owners Accept OPAL’s Proposal

Help OPAL move Edith’s “Up House”. Photo by Nino M. on Yelp.

The owners of the Edith Macefield House in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle accepted OPAL’s proposal to save the house and move it to Orcas.

This is a unique opportunity for OPAL to provide another permanently affordable home for Orcas Island, while preserving a much-adored building with a unique history. The house has had widespread media attention, including stories in The Seattle Times, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, NPR, CBS Evening News and others. When Disney/Pixar released the movie UP!, they did a promotional photo shoot of Edith’s house. As a result, many people have come to call this Seattle’s UP! House.

Our Crowdfunding Campaign Must Succeed

Now we need to complete a successful crowdfunding campaign. We have launched the campaign to raise money to buy the lot, get the permits and move the house on an ocean-going barge. Our belief is that many people have come to love this house, and will support a campaign to save it. Anyone may donate.

We hope the donors to this campaign will be people who want to see Edith Macefield’s house saved. If you know someone who cares about this house, its story, or what it represents, would you please let us know? We would like to invite as many people as possible to contribute to make it happen.

We need many helpers to lift Edith’s house. If you help us find donors at the $100 or greater level, they will get five balloons and a thank you note to express our gratitude for their help. Click here to send us an email telling us who you think may want to help.

If you are as captivated by the house and its story as we are, you might enjoy these links:
New York Times article
USA Today video

And visit our crowdfunding page to donate today!