Working to Solve the Housing Crisis for Lopez Island Residents

Behind the beautiful landscapes and the wonderful community of people, Lopez is struggling with a housing crisis.

2020 Census data and local surveys show:

450+ Lopez households earn less than 60% of AMI, making it difficult to afford the average rent on Lopez. This includes 227 senior households, many of whom are homeowners but are finding it difficult to maintain their homes.

 

About 40% (137) of all Lopez renter households are spending more than a third of their monthly income on housing costs, which often means that they don’t have enough money for other basic needs such as food, childcare, transportation, and health care. This is referred to as “housing cost-burdened.”

For a more detailed analysis of the data, you can read the full report here.

About
Housing Lopez

Housing Lopez is a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the rental housing crisis on Lopez Island by developing dedicated, affordable, sustainable rental housing communities.

 

We believe everyone deserves a safe, stable place to call home.

 

Through a dedication to equity, caring support, and sustainability, we seek to strengthen our community through stable affordable rental housing.

A Healthy Community
Begins at Home.

The lack of stable, affordable rental housing threatens the stability of our community. With your help, Housing Lopez seeks to address this concern and ensure the availability of safe, affordable rental housing so that hard-working Lopezians and the island community as a whole can thrive.

Renter occupied trailer on Lopez Island. Photo used with permission. 

Amy S.

Amy is a teacher, EMT, and firefighter on Lopez, and has lived on the island for over 8 years. Since coming, she has moved multiple times — “bouncing around” between various unstable, often substandard, rental situations. She has been fortunate enough to have been helped by many “angels in the community” who have provided housing opportunities, including her current housing arrangement, but would prefer that a dedicated, sustainable option be available to essential workers such as herself. Homeownership is out of the question; Lopez’s real estate prices are out of reach for many Lopezians. Due to this instability, Amy anticipates that “housing will eventually drive me off the island.” Why stay? “Living on Lopez is not easy, but it is dear.” She loves the sense of place and community, as well as being there for her students and seeing them grow up. The FishBay Cottages project is for people like Amy — the people who make this island work. Amy is currently in a stable housing situation, but worries for others in similar circumstances.

Rose & Arthor

Rose came to Lopez to join her partner, a baker for BarnOwl. She is a 2017 college graduate who works as a caregiver at Hamlet House, as well as privately. She would take EMT training, but it requires a 2 year commitment to the island, which is not possible given the rental situation. So far, she has lived in two rentals, and has found the cost of living too high given health insurance costs and student loan debt. She and Arthur were looking for a rental with basic facilities like: running water heat Rose and Arthur were lucky to have an “angel” purchase a home to serve as a rental for them. Clearly, Lopez can’t rely on “angels” stepping in to solve all our rental problems. Rose has summarized her experience this way — “it seems a lot of people have to live in places without basic amenities or with difficult relationships for the sake of affordability.”

Amy

Amy is the new Executive Director of the Lopez Historical Society. She has a Masters Degree from UW specializing in Museum Studies. Recruited for the position from Oklahoma in January 2019, she has: moved three times in 9 months will need to move again in June 2020 has been unable to save due to high cost of rent and health care insurance. These frequent moves makes it impractical to buy furniture and settle in to a “real home,” and the high cost of health insurance and rent makes it hard to save. She’s starting to wonder: “Why would you work here at non-profit wages, if you can’t live here?”

Kaycee

Kaycee has been a caregiver at Hamlet House for more than four years. She is a valued employee who has risen to a senior position. To keep her job on Lopez she has lived in a: school bus small cabin used trailer (purchased with family help) on rental property and (currently) in trailer park off island and staying during the week, on a temporary basis with a colleague, to minimize an expensive, time consuming, sometimes unreliable ferry commute.

Lopez Needs Your Support

More than one-third of our budget must come from private donations. Your contribution directly supports the success of our organization. We can’t do this without you!

Donate Today