OHT: A Brief History

Founded in 2005, the Olympic Housing Trust, began as the Homeward Bound Community Land Trust under a mission to retain and create permanently affordable housing. In following the lead of other successful Washington community land trusts, the organization became an official 501(c)3 non-profit in 2006 and began operating in Clallam and Jefferson County.

In 2008, the Board was awarded a grant through the Housing Trust Fund with the Department of Commerce. Following this allocation, a partnership with the City of Port Angeles was formed and the organization saved four houses that the City needed to be moved or demolished. Eventually, three of the four houses were auctioned. The fourth house was completely repaired and sold to the organization’s first homeowner in 2009. This home was quickly followed by three more in 2010 which established the portfolio of homes. Each house was sold to individual homeowners who agreed to certain resale restrictions in exchange for the affordable price. In 2012, the organization added a fifth home in Port Angeles. As of 2023, these homes have supported seven different homeowners in establishing equity that would have been unattainable otherwise.

In 2017, the City of Port Townsend solicited the Board of Trustees to partner on an affordable housing project. The proposed project was ambitious: barge an existing 1950’s era apartment complex, The Carmel, from Victoria BC to Port Townsend, and renovate it for affordable rentals under the organization’s management. The project stalled after the building landed at its Port Townsend site due to unrealized structural and infrastructure complications which would need to be addressed in order to comply with modern American building code. These complications greatly escalated the cost and impacted the project’s feasibility. After reaching this impasse, the organization, under new leadership, developed an agreement with the City of Port Townsend to take the project back over, which sought another housing organization to manage the project. As of 2022, the City is deciding how to proceed with the project.

The newly re-formed Board learned from the work of the previous Board members and understands that the work must go on, especially when the issue of housing is as critical as it is. The new Board has aligned in a fresh direction that is focused on building organizational capacity with staff and contractors, receiving professional guidance from regional housing advisors, and building stronger ties to stakeholders in our community. The Board also re-named the organization under the name, Olympic Housing Trust, which emphasizes clearly our work and our home.

In 2022, the Board officially announced to the organization’s members and community stakeholders the launch of what will be our first construction project in Jefferson County: the Dundee Hill project. This project has been made possible by the generous donation of land from local housing advocate and first Board President, Pete Von Christierson. This new construction project will feature five homes available for ownership by locals earning under an income threshold and as of spring 2023, is in pre-development.

The Olympic Housing Trust, with the support of our community and the network of excellent community land trusts around Washington, is committed to retaining and creating permanently affordable housing on the Olympic Peninsula now, and into our future.