We should support Bayside Housing | Letter to the editor

Posted

I live near the proposed tiny home community, Pat’s Place. There is quite a stir in my community about this plan. Most of my neighbors understand the urgency of housing for our local workforce, and affordable housing for young families.

However, fear of property value decline, safety, and sanitary issues has led many neighbors to rise in protest to the proposal. So they understandably ask why West PT — again?

Our neighborhood has long been a neglected part of town. Until recently there were camps hidden away in the woods in Bishop Park and across the street in the land trust, and business park areas that exposed us to many safety and hygienic hazards before the move to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

We shared these concerns about Pat’s Place until we met with Bayside Housing. We learned that the population of the proposed project will house carefully screened, fully employed adults, vetted for substance abuse and mental health problems. Essentially, the population at the fairgrounds will not be the residents of this housing project. 

The project will last no longer than two years at this location, with a plan to build an apartment complex for working families on the site permanently. The need for this is undeniable.

The current rush for landlords to cash in on the hot housing market and sell their properties out from under renters puts even more pressure on us as a community to provide affordable housing. Prevalence of short-term Airbnbs also prevent many workers from finding homes.

I hope that those landlords realize that they are contributing to the problem, and not the solution.

The efforts of Bayside Housing need to be applauded and supported, and not vilified, they are, at least, trying to find a solution to the urgent need for housing in Port Townsend.

Susan Uballe
PORT TOWNSEND