Link source: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/news/commerce-to-make-historic-investments-in-affordable-housing-projects-statewide/
Applications open now for over $300 million in capital to develop multifamily rental housing projects
OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce today opened applications for projects seeking capital to develop affordable housing across the state. At more than $302 million, it is the state’s largest single funding round to date.
Funds are available to eligible non-profits, local governments, community housing development agencies, tribal governments and housing authorities. Over $290 million comes from the Washington Legislature’s historic appropriation for the 2023-25 biennium, including a $24.2 million set aside for projects serving persons with disabilities and $107.4 million from the Apple Health and Homes program.
“Stable housing is the foundation for self-sufficiency,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong. “These historic investments are crucial to tackling a decades-long deficit in housing that is affordable and available to those who need it most.”
Fong joined Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and others yesterday to celebrate opening of the YWCA’s 800 East Denny Way project, a 91-unit apartment building designed to address barriers to affordable housing for low-income households and households at risk of or experiencing homelessness. The project received $20 million in capital from the Housing Trust Fund in 2022.
The new investments, expected to be announced in December, will align with the 2023-25 investment strategy for affordable housing projects. The strategy explains how Commerce plans to administer the funds and was recently updated and released today, following months of input from the public, community partners and stakeholders. Read the 2023-25 Biennial Investment Strategy.
In addition to the state Housing Trust Fund applications, another $12.4 million is available from federal National Housing Trust Fund and HOME program funds administered in Washington state by Commerce. This funding will also support multifamily rental housing projects across the state.
Detailed information and application materials for both affordable housing funding opportunities are available on the Commerce website at Applying to the Housing Trust Fund – Washington State Department of Commerce.
Commerce is hosting in-person and virtual workshops for potential applicants in July and August. To learn more, visit the Housing Trust Fund Resources and Trainings webpage at https://www.commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/housing/housing-trust-fund/resources-trainings/.
Since 1986, the Washington State Housing Trust Fund, administered by Commerce, has invested more than $1 billion in capital to help build or preserve more than 60,000 units of affordable housing statewide.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS.
Pierce County contractor fined $56,000 for multiple water quality violations--DOE
$2.2 million in grants awarded to improve water management and watershed restoration in the Walla Walla River Basin.
SPOKANE –
The Washington Department of Ecology is awarding $2.2 million in grant funding for watershed restoration and water management projects in the Walla Walla River Basin. The selected projects will help to address the basin’s decades-long challenges of meeting water needs, managing floodplains and restoring habitat.--DOE
Washington’s average wage increased to $84,167 in 2022.
The current maximum unemployment benefit was initially reported as $1,109 in the original June 28 press release. The release below has been updated to reflect the correct current maximum unemployment benefit of $1,019.
The term “minimum weekly benefit” was used in the unemployment benefits section to describe the value calculated from 20% of the average weekly wage. The meaning of that term changed as a result of Senate Bill 5061.--ESD
WDFW calls on boaters to Be Whale Wise with reports of several Southern Resident killer whales in poor condition.
OLYMPIA – With numerous Southern Resident killer whales in poor body condition, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today issued an emergency rule requiring commercial whale-watching vessels to stay at least one-half nautical mile away from 11 vulnerable whales this summer, and the Department encourages all boaters to Be Whale Wise and do the same. --WDFW
WDFW to use prescribed burns on south Puget Sound wildlife areas to restore prairie habitat.
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will conduct prescribed burns to restore prairie habitat on two wildlife area units in Thurston County starting July 10, 2023.--WDFW
2) NEWS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
Murray, Wyden, Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Allow Americans with Disabilities to Work Without Worry--details
Senator Murray Announces Nearly $14 Million in Federal Funding for Mt. Adams and Kittitas County Forest Conservation Efforts.--details
Cantwell, Murray Announce More Than $59 Million for Clean Energy Bus Grants to Washington State Transit Agencies--details
Cantwell Welcomes DOJ’s Announcement of New Federal Resources in WA to Address MMIWP Crisis--details
KILMER, BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS PROPOSE VALID ACT TO HELP VETERANS ATTAIN HOMEOWNERSHIP
NEW LEGISLATION AIMS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND ACCESSIBILITY OF VA HOME LOANS FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES--details
KILMER ANNOUNCES CRITICAL FEDERAL FUNDING FOR GRAYS HARBOR TRANSIT UPGRADES
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION GRANT GRAYS HARBOR TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO UPGRADE FLEET AND SERVICE QUALITY--details
3) WORLD & NATION
General Assembly Adopts Resolution Establishing Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, as Speakers Debate Text’s Merit
Prior to adopting two draft texts by consensus, the General Assembly voted on a contentious resolution that created a new mechanism to respond to the missing persons crisis in Syria, with some speakers arguing it could contribute to national reconciliation and sustainable peace and others stressing that, not only was Damascus not consulted, but the mechanism interferes with Syria’s internal affairs.--UN PRESS RELEASE
Transformative Action, Funding across Peace-Development Nexus Key to Forming Prosperous Societies, Speakers Tell Economic and Social Council, Peacebuilding Commission
Transformative actions, adequate financing and cooperative work across the entire peace, security and development nexus are urgently required for much-needed progress on sustainable development, speakers reported today during at a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and Peacebuilding Commission.--UN PRESS RELEASE
Remarks at a UN Security Council Meeting Called by Russia on Threats to International Peace and Security.--USUN
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Closing Plenary Session with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov--US STATE DEPT.
DOD: No Changes in Russian, U.S. Strategic Posture After Wagner Security Situation.
NATION
Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information Databases--DOJ
California County Organized Health System and Three Health Care Providers Agree to Pay $68 Million for Alleged False Claims to California’s Medicaid Program--DOJ
FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Actions to Promote Educational Opportunity and Diversity in Colleges and Universities--Dept. of Education
HUD Makes $75 Million in Funding Available to Tribal Communities for Community Development
Funds support development of infrastructure and community facilities in Tribal Communities--HUD
CDC Recommends RSV Vaccine For Older Adults.
CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations for use of new Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines from GSK and Pfizer for people ages 60 years and older, using shared clinical decision-making. This means these individuals may receive a single dose of the vaccine based on discussions with their healthcare provider about whether RSV vaccination is right for them.--cdc
4) BUSINESS
Biden-Harris Administration Partners with Agricultural Producers to Promote Competition, Strengthen Food Supply Chain and Rural Economies.--USDA
Florida Contractors and Owner to Pay More than $7.7 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Procurement of Small Business Contracts--DOJ
Philadelphia Business Owner Charged with Fraud and Tax Evasion.
A federal grand jury in Philadelphia returned a superseding indictment today charging a Pennsylvania man with seven counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and three counts of tax evasion. He was previously charged with the wire and mail fraud counts in an indictment unsealed on Jan. 3, 2023.--DOJ
Financial Stability and Economic Developments
Chair Jerome H. Powell
At the Banco de Espana Fourth Conference on Financial Stability, Madrid, Spain--THE FED
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AWARDS MORE THAN $58M TO SUPPORT DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO HELP HOMELESS VETERANS REENTER WORKFORCE.--Dept. of Labor
IN FOCUS
Making “internet for all” possible in Washington
How the state and federal governments are working together to bring high-speed internet to every corner of the Evergreen State.
Link source: https://medium.com/wagovernor/making-internet-for-all-possible-in-washington-3160670364bd
President Biden’s administration announced this week that Washington will receive over $1.2 billion to expand high-speed internet networks statewide.
“I’m thrilled to see the federal government stepping up to invest in the work we’ve been doing for years to expand equitable access to high-speed internet,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “We’re going to put this funding to work connecting Washingtonians across the state to broadband, with all the opportunities this technology brings.”
Washington consistently ranks among the ‘best connected’ states in the country when it comes to internet access. But there are still nearly 230,000 households in Washington that do not use broadband services, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
These households face multiple barriers. For some, it’s a lack of infrastructure in rural areas. For others, it’s an affordability issue — the monthly subscription fee or the cost of an internet-enabled device just doesn’t fit in their budget. For still others, it’s a question of technical knowledge — they need to develop certain digital skills that many of us take for granted.
Today, with the increasing availability of remote work, tele-medicine, online education and workforce training, access to the internet is essential. The price of staying disconnected is high and rising. And despite record state-level investments in broadband programs, those without access have continued to fall further behind.
The projected cost to fully address remaining gaps in internet service throughout the state runs to billions of dollars. Private companies haven’t expanded service to some less populated parts of the state simply because the construction and maintenance work required is too expensive and not profitable.
As a result, the state government stepped in over the past several years to partner with communities and bridge the digital divide across Washington. With the influx of federal funding, the state will be able to scale up these efforts and serve more Washingtonians.
Programs tailored to the communities they serve
The Nisqually Tribe’s leadership looked at broadband expansion the same way they had looked at building out the electrical grid a century earlier. They recognized it as a necessity for the Tribe to fully engage in the social and economic opportunities afforded by new technology. They drew that parallel explicitly in planning meetings.
“We called it ‘lighting up the rez,’” said Joe Cushman, an economic development director with the Nisqually.
In 2017, the Tribe applied for funds from Washington state to build their own high-speed internet network. Through creative public and private partnerships, they also started a training program to create the workforce necessary to build out broadband infrastructure — drilling, excavating, splicing wires, and installing lines. The workforce training program has become a permanent fixture on the reservation and has a 90% job placement rate for graduates, according to Mike Mason, the Tribe’s manager of economic development.
“This is a big picture strategy: it’s about making connectivity affordable; it’s about working with communities so they can take advantage of high-speed internet; it’s about training to bring workers into the industry,” said Mason.
Those living on the Nisqually Tribe’s land now have access to advanced, one-gigabit broadband — faster than what is available in many U.S. cities. And the Tribe is now working with others, including the Chehalis Tribe and Thurston and Pierce counties to expand their network beyond the reservation’s borders.
Innovative efforts like this are being replicated across the state. In 2018, Washington’s Utilities and Transportation Commission provided $800,000 to help bring broadband to the Quileute Tribe and to the residents of La Push. The new federal Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will provide significant funding to enable Tribes to continue doing this work.
Thanks to legislation passed in 2021, certain public entities can provide broadband services directly to their constituencies. Some Washington cities and counties, including the city of Anacortes and Jefferson County’s public utility district have started their own internet service providers, rather than waiting for private companies to build out the infrastructure.
“We’re taking that extra step to be that retail ISP… so that, in our rural areas, we can ensure our customers that if we build it, there will be someone there to provide that service and take care of that service in case anything goes wrong,” said Will O’Donnell, communications director of Jefferson’s Public Utility District.
The Washington State Public Works Board supported the Jefferson County PUD’s project with a $1.8 million loan last year to help connect hundreds of businesses in and around Port Townsend — the county’s only incorporated city — to high-speed internet.
The SBO’s crucial role
The State Broadband Office (SBO) within the Washington State Department of Commerce oversees this crucial work. It coordinates public and private investments, and ensures that resources are deployed efficiently and equitably. Approved by the Legislature in 2019 at Inslee’s request, the office is driven by a legislative mandate to ensure that all businesses and residences in Washington have access to some form of internet service by 2024 and that all businesses and residences have access to high-speed internet service by 2028.
The state has been steadily providing grant funding to projects around the state. Recent rounds include $121 million in grant funding for 19 projects that will bring access to nearly 15,000 people in unserved and underserved communities across Washington.
The SBO understood what was at stake in the run-up to the federal government’s decision regarding funding. Commerce and the SBO worked with closely with federal partners, including the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to map out where new infrastructure would be necessary to reach the goal of ‘internet for all’ in Washington.
The surveys they conducted, which included official ‘challenges’ to the FCC’s initial maps, were crucial to insuring that the FCC understood just how great the need for funding was in Washington. The survey efforts and other outreach work helped secure federal grants for counties in Washington in the past and increased the amount of federal money that Washington received as part of the BEAD program announced this week.
“All of our schools… have fiber-optics connected. That’s half the equation. The other half is when the kids go home, they don’t have good internet access,” said Mark Cockerill, a community councilmember in Key Peninsula. “In some cases they don’t have internet at all. And the same is true for some of our teachers. [Without internet access at home] they can’t do what they need to do, to progress and stive forward.”
Promoting digital literacy
The SBO’s goals extend beyond building out infrastructure. Their digital equity programs also provide Washingtonians with the opportunity to learn how to use broadband-enabled devices, through the Washington’s Digital Navigator Program.
Since its inception in 2022, the office’s Digital Navigator team has served tens of thousands of clients. Services run the gamut from basic digital literacy trainings for activities like online banking and telehealth appointments to more advanced lessons in advanced activities like database design and building mobile apps — the kinds of skills that can lead to family-wage jobs and careers.
“Telecommunications technology relieves the tyranny of distance by connecting people. Bridging the digital divide is about more than providing fiber optic lines or wireless infrastructure. It’s about bringing communities together” said Mark Vasconi, the director of Washington’s State Broadband Office.
CLALLAM COUNTY MEETINGS
Clallam County Commission work session for 7/3/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07032023-861
* No regular meeting on the fourth.
Housing Solutions committee meeting for 7/7/23
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07072023-860
SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE
Water/Wastewater Cost of Service
Monday July 10th, 2023 9:00 a.m.
Clallam PUD will hold a special meeting for an in-depth review of the Water and Wastewater Cost of Service Study conducted by the PUD’s consultant, FCS Group, including different strategies for recouping cost of service and their associated rate impacts.
Clallam PUD Water and Wastewater customers will have an opportunity to make public comment following a presentation and discussion. This will be a hybrid meeting taking place at the Lake Crescent Boardroom at 104 Hooker Road at the PUD Main Office and available virtually. In-person attendance space is limited.
OMC BOARD MEETING for 7/5/23
https://www.olympicmedical.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/AGENDA-July-5-2023-Work-Session.pdf
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Jefferson County Commission meeting for 7/3/23
https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/f60b13ad-665a-47c7-a64c-3824118696a9
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA For 7/3/23
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=3537
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