HOME Impact Story in Vancouver, Washington
During National Community Development Week, NAHRO celebrates the hard work of communities across the country by sharing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) impact stories, highlighting the importance of these federal affordable housing and community development programs at the local level.
| Project name | Isabella Court I  |
| Location | Vancouver, WA |
| District | WA-03 |
| Project Year | 2015 |
| Project Description | Spearheaded by REACH, one of the largest and most successful Community Development Corporations in Oregon, Isabella Court offers affordable, senior living in Vancouver, Washington. Isabella includes 46 one-bedroom and 3 two-bedroom apartments and is built to the Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard (ESDS), with its focus on energy efficiency and promotion of sustainable living. The Isabella offers vibrant living in the Fourth Plain Corridor, with nearby restaurants, shopping, movie theater, and parks. |
| Use of HOME Funds | New construction and development costs for multifamily rental housing. |
| Target Population | Apartments are reserved for households 62 years of age and over earning 60% or less of the area median income. |
| HOME Funds | $2,518,734 were provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce, the City of Vancouver and Clark County Community Services. |
| Other Funds | 10 Project-Based Section 8 vouchers valued at $331,200; LIHTC; Tax-exempt bonds; State Housing Trust Fund. Total project cost: $12,476,777. |
| Project Impact | The investment of these HOME funds and other leveraged dollars brought one of the first rent-restricted senior developments to the City of Vancouver in almost ten years and supplied the area economy with construction jobs with a living wage. The affordable housing provided much needed apartments to a City with one of the highest percentage rent increases in the nation between 2015 and 2016. Other impacts of this project include municipal economic development, job skills training, apprenticeship and neighborhood revitalization for one of the poorest Census Tracts in Clark County. |
| Contact | Ben Sturz – bsturtz@reachcdc.org www.reachcdc.org |