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OPAL guides new CLT to build first home

The Door County Housing Partnership, a new community land trust in Wisconsin, celebrated the completion of their first home in mid-December. A new housing model in the area, board members reached out to OPAL for advice.

“OPAL offers a picture of how the model could potentially function on Washington Island. Of the more than 250 community land trusts nation-wide, at least three are on islands: OPAL, the Mackinac Island Housing Corporation in Michigan, and the Island Housing Trust on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. While the model can work just as well on the mainland, islands do share some unique challenges when it comes to housing.”

Click the link below to view the full article.

Gifts enable OPAL to acquire 30 acres for future affordable housing

OPAL Community Land Trust recently purchased nearly 30 acres of land in Eastsound.

In keeping with OPAL’s long-term strategy of thoughtfully stewarding land for the benefit of the community and assuring that Orcas islanders will have access to homes they can afford, the board of trustees took action to acquire the property with a vision of affordable housing in future years.

To read the full article from the Islands’ Sounder click here.

To read the full article for The Orcasonian click here.

Lisa Update: Keeping Islanders in Their Homes

It’s a new world, and your team at OPAL is adapting. We’re learning new ways to stay connected, new “work from home” routines, and are striving to take frequent, deep, full breaths. Speaking of which, how about we each take this moment … one big breath in … one big breath out … thanks for joining me!

A brief update:

1. Julie and Jeanne are meeting (virtually) with any islander who asks for help to pay the rent or mortgage on their home. Numerous state and federal actions have been announced to help people pay their bills, and we’ll assist folks in navigating those programs. In addition, thanks to generous donations to the Community Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund, OPAL will be able to make some direct payments to landlords or banks when that’s the best solution. Our top priority is to keep people in their homes.
2. The Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy Order identified exemptions for certain essential activities. Projects like April’s Grove that are providing much-needed affordable housing are considered essential. Therefore, construction will continue as long as suppliers are able to deliver. The crews working on site have adopted new protocols to keep workers healthy.

Despite the difficulties and challenges, I’m feeling grateful every day.

• Grateful to live in a neighborhood where we’re looking out for one another with shared grocery, pharmacy and take-out food runs.
• Grateful for your support and belief that housing is a basic human need.
• Grateful that our island community is pulling together to make it through this challenge.

Stay well, and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about OPAL’s activities.

From my home to yours,

Lisa

OPAL’s Response to COVID-19

It is better to light a tiny candle, than to rage at the darkness.

– Chinese Proverb

The COVID-19 virus is changing our lives. Your team at OPAL is doing our best to be part of a supportive response.  Here’s a quick update to let you know what we are doing:

1. OPAL is part of the Orcas Response Team, a collaborative effort of island non-profits addressing community needs. The team is meeting weekly to review needs and develop plans. One tool is a website where people can post needs and volunteer or donate goods and services.  It’s an islander-to-islander system. Check it out at orcas.recovers.org.
2. OPAL is also part of the Community Foundation’s Recovery Fund. The Fund’s advisory panel will meet weekly to review financial needs coming from non-profit organizations and to make distributions of funds weekly.  At some later date funding may be available from government sources, but the first wave of need is best served by local people.

   OPAL’s role is to help any Orcas islanders who are unable to pay their mortgage or rent.  We will work with each person in need to find the right solution. We’ll contact banks or landlords to see if they can delay receipt of payment. If not, we’ll make loans or forgivable payments to their landlord or bank. Our work may be eased a bit if Governor Inslee enacts a statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures based on lack of payment, but eventually rents and mortgages will need to be paid.

   Donations to the Orcas Recovery Fund to help people impacted financially by loss of wages or other COVID-19 related impacts can be made through the Community Foundation here.

3. OPAL’s staff and trustees are continuing to work. Although our office is closed to the public, we are using the phone, video conferencing, email, etc. We are grateful for robust and reliable fiber optic internet, and grateful to live in a community with such a strong support network.

If you are able to help keep OPAL operating during this time, we welcome your support.

–Your team at OPAL