The Olympic Housing Trust recently announced its partnership with Anderson Homes of Sequim, which will serve as the general contractor for Dundee Hill Community Homes, a “sustainably designed, permanently affordable” housing project in Port Townsend.

According to Kellen Lynch, director of development and communications for the Olympic Housing Trust, Anderson Homes will construct five “high-quality homes for local families, seniors, and individuals who earn a local income, but cannot compete in the current housing market.”

Lynch explained that the homes would be energy-efficient, keeping operating costs low for residents.

Lynch said that while the project team had recently been waiting for a decision on their request for special appropriations from Olympia for the final funding needed as of May 2, he’d been informed that the project funding had made it into the official state capital budget that was heading to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk for approval.

Lynch cited Ferguson’s statement on April 27 outlining increased investment in affordable housing as one of his key priorities for a budget passed by the state legislature.

“We’ve been careful to avoid federal funding wherever we can,” Lynch said. “We’ve been bracing for changes in materials access and pricing, because there’s no way to completely insulate ourselves from those. But it helps for us to be smaller organizations, working toward more modest goals.”

Lynch expressed confidence that Anderson Homes had prepared for the consequences of tariffs on trade and supplies through its own networks.

Kathy Morgan, executive director of the Olympic Housing Trust, described herself as “thrilled” to bring such a project to Port Townsend.

“Affordable housing is critical to the vitality of rural communities,” Morgan said. “It’s about more than just building houses. It’s about creating a thriving, close-knit community for generations to come.”

Lynch and Morgan agreed that this project should support the local economy by generating jobs, engaging local contractors and businesses, and providing those who are earning local wages a means to continue living in Port Townsend.

Caleb Anderson, vice president and chief operating officer of Anderson Homes, likewise praised this project for addressing the “key issue” of affordable housing on the Olympic Peninsula, and deemed it “a big win for our community, in terms of both sensible land use and permanently affordable housing.”

Anderson described the housing design process as collaborative, and said that the resulting homes would provide “a great balance of quality, affordability and energy efficiency.”

As part of that “sensible land use,” the site is expected to preserve its existing green space through a shared community garden, which is planned to be retained “as an asset to the neighborhood.”

Lynch told The Leader that construction is scheduled to begin this summer, to make homes ready for occupancy by the summer of next year.

Applications for prospective homebuyers have not yet opened, but Lynch clarified that this is by design.

“We want to minimize disappointment by minimizing risk,” Lynch said. “We’re waiting at least until construction has started, so we don’t promise anything we can’t deliver.”

During the current pre-application phase, Lynch encourages anyone interested in owning one of the homes in the Dundee Hill project to complete a survey on the project’s webpage at the Olympic Housing Trust site.

Lynch ultimately expects a “random lottery” and a formal application process to winnow down the candidates by turns, but only after efforts have been made to reach out to “all corners of the county” for prospective applicants.