Five New Homes on Lydia Lane by Year End OPAL will soon begin its first new single-family home construction since 2010 — five three-bedroom, two-bath houses on five lots purchased in 2020 on Lydia Lane near Rosario. Most of the funding is already in place, thanks to state and county grants totaling $1,875,000. The modular, […]

The unified social services hub meets critical needs for food, shelter and wellbeing With the buds and blooms of Spring, Pea Patch Community Campus is also coming alive! Site work has begun and construction of the 20 new rental townhomes is scheduled for late summer. The campaign to build Pea Patch is gaining momentum with […]

SUMMARY: The Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) is responsible for overseeing the business operations of OPAL Community Land Trust. The DFO manages Finance (processes, controls and reporting), and Operations (internal procedures, information technology, human resources, and compliance with grantors). The DFO oversees performance of financial analysis, budgeting, reporting, makes improvements to mitigate risk, determines […]

For Rylee Heppe, housing has never simply meant four walls and roof. It has meant uncertainty.It has meant packing up and wondering how long “home” would last. Growing up in Arizona, Rylee’s family moved often. When her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and couldn’t work, they were evicted from their childhood home. From there, […]

Thanks to Representative Debra Lekanoff for her sponsorship and support! When Governor Ferguson signed the capital budget last week, it included $824,000 for completion of the first phase of site work for the Pea Patch Community Campus! This means that site preparation work, installation of utilities, stormwater detention, a new entrance road, signs and the […]

We warmly invite you to join us for OPAL’s 2026 Annual Meeting, an opportunity to hear updates, celebrate milestones, and connect with the community that makes affordable housing possible on Orcas Island. Thursday, April 23 · 5:00–6:30 PM · Emmanual Episcopal Parish Hall During the meeting, we’ll share highlights from the past year, introduce new initiatives, and talk […]

Rep. Debra Lekanoff shares her support and belief in the project The sun was bright and the Orcas Island community came out in droves to help celebrate the Pea Patch Community Campus as the project prepares for site work to begin! More than 140 people of all ages walked onto the campus to warm up […]

OPAL is pleased to welcome Lily Goldberg as our new Associate Homeownership Director. Lily joined the team in January and brings extensive experience in affordable housing and community development. She lives on San Juan Island and previously served as Director of Housing at the San Juan Community Home Trust. Originally from Philadelphia, Lily earned her […]