Recently I joined Jefferson County Housing Solutions, an action group that meets regularly to discuss issues around affordable housing and homelessness in Port Townsend and Jefferson County.

Among many interesting topics, the idea of dream homes came up at the last meeting. Many of the people in the room are paying high rent for crappy housing, and someone asked what our ideal home is, with the goal of making that happen for everyone.

My dream home criteria are: to sleep in a different room than my refrigerator, have a guest room or space for a pull-out couch so “You can sleep on my floor” becomes “You can stay with me,” and great natural light.

In my imagination, this all takes place in 800 to 900 square feet. I would also like an ADU to help house a friend and make the mortgage payments a little easier.

I am actively looking to buy a house, or buy land and build a house, and it seems like my dream home is similar to a lot of people’s. When a house exactly like what I want comes on the market, it sells in less than a day for more than the asking price, and usually a third more than I could ever afford anyway.

Land is just as difficult; most of the lots in town either don’t have utilities on them or cost as much as a house.

My dream home is fairly modest and yet nearly impossible to realize in Port Townsend, or most anywhere. I look around town and see vacant homes and empty lots and wonder if I’ll ever make it work.

We are at a threshold of being able to define our town for the future, and I hope there’s plenty of room for everyone’s dream home.

CHRISTINE JACOBSON

Port Townsend