By: Tom Crawford | TCAT Board President

Thurston Climate Action Team understands that we cannot fully address the climate crisis without at the same time addressing social justice and equity in our communities.  This includes providing homes that are energy smart while being healthy, safe, and affordable for everyone.   

Pursuing this goal, South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity has submitted a proposal to build affordable housing on land owned by the City of Olympia. SPS Habitat is one of the local housing agencies that’s working with TCAT on developing a residential clean energy program for Thurston County, and is committed to housing that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable.  

SPS Habitat’s proposal supports homeownership while offering the highest number of affordable units, for families earning as low as 30% of the area median income. Using the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards, their homes are energy efficient (supporting the City’s climate action goals and greenhouse gas reduction targets) and their design promotes a sustainable community and intergenerational housing. They proposed 110 permanently affordable homes which would include:

• all of the homes made permanently affordable using a land trust model;
• a 55+ senior community featuring 48 garden-style ADA cottages;
• a more traditional Habitat community featuring 62, 3- and 4- bedroom townhomes;
• a cafe/community center, a public park, community gardens, and access to LBA woods.

The SPS Habitat proposal is now being considered, along with several others, by City of Olympia officials. Here is the link to the city website about the property and here is a link to an article summarizing all of the proposals the city received.  

To weigh in on this development and the SPS Habitat proposal, it is suggested that comments be sent by end of day today, Tuesday, March 15th, to the following officials: City Manager Jay Burney (/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">) and Economic Development Director Mike Reid () with a cc to the City Council (). 

For more information on the SPS Habitat proposal, contact Carly Colgan, Executive Director at .