Table Talk Q&A with Sarah from MHT
Hello! I’m Sarah and I am the Director of Outreach here at the Methow Housing Trust. I’m also a MHT homeowner. Last month I talked to many wonderful community members while tabling at grocery stores. I wanted to share some of the frequent conversations had. I imagine many of you have similar questions to those I spoke with. I’m available anytime to chat, you can reach me at sarah@methowhousingtrust.org or at the office 509 996 5943. I’ll be posting the Table Talk Q&As over the next few days on our MHT Instagram and Facebook pages. Read on to see them all here. :)
Is the Methow Housing Trust thinking about rentals?
Who all is working on housing solutions here in the Methow Valley?
Do people applying to the Methow Housing Trust get to own their house?
Who is eligible for a Methow Housing Trust home?
How long does it take for someone to buy a Methow Housing Trust home?
A. Yes. The housing crisis of our Valley requires all of us working together to create multiple solutions for our community. It is bigger than any one group can solve on their own. Working in parallel to the development of permanently affordable homes, the Methow Housing Trust instigated the Housing Solutions Network, initially including the Methow Housing Trust, Room One, TwispWorks, Methow Conservancy and the Methow Valley Citizens Council, who are exploring housing solutions from other communities that might work here in the Methow Valley. Long term rental solutions are a critical piece of this larger puzzle. Stay tuned for a date for a local housing community event in early September, that will be the culmination of this team's many months of work.
MHT is still committed to continuing to build permanently affordable, quality homes for ownership by local Valley residents. The well proven community land trust model of homeownership makes it so that the average mortgage and fees for a 2-bedroom Methow Housing Trust home is less expensive than a comparable rental. see photo above for what that means over time.
A. The housing crisis is bigger than any one group can solve on their own. We are inspired by the people and organizations who are showing up to work towards housing solutions for our Valley.
The Methow Housing Trust: develops and preserves permanently affordable, quality housing for residents of the Methow Valley. Our applicant wait pool has grown exponentially since we began accepting applications in 2018, by the end of this year MHT will have built and sold 21 permanently affordable homes to locals. MHT plans to build up to 70 homes within the next 9 years.
The Housing Solutions Network: A team of community leaders from the Methow Housing Trust, Room One, TwispWorks, the Methow Conservancy, and the Methow Valley Citizens Council exploring housing solutions in other communities that may work here in the Methow Valley. Stay tuned for a date for a local housing community event this Fall, that will be the culmination of this team’s many months of work.
Senior Assessment for Support and Housing (SASH): A working committee of community leaders, both individuals and organizations, initiated by Jaime’s Place, to assess the needs for support and housing for our senior community members. Participating members include representatives from: Methow At Home, Methow Housing Trust, Room One, the Methow Valley Senior Center, Lookout Coalition, Confluence Clinic, Family Health Centers, TwispWorks, Aero Methow Rescue Service, Frontier Health and other community members.
Image part of the housing crisis awareness campaign led by Methow Valley Housing Perseverance
Methow Valley Housing Perseverance Facebook Group and Instagram: This is a grassroots call to action, to raise awareness of the housing crisis in our Valley. We all know someone impacted by the lack of housing in the Methow Valley. Real life stories influence hearts and can reorient minds towards action rather than complacency.
Click here for an overview of housing resources that currently exist in the Methow Valley, from homeownership, to rentals to emergency housing.
A. Yes. We offer a community land trust model of homeownership. Which often leads to the next question…
Q. How does homeownership through a community land trust work?
A. See photo —>
A. Our eligibility expanded greatly this year IF YOU DON’T THINK YOU QUALIFY, PLEASE LOOK OVER OUR ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES. Many are surprised to find they actually are eligible. See photo —>
A. At this moment there is about a 2-year wait period between when someone completes their application and a home is ready for purchase.
This is due to the number of households currently in the applicant wait pool and the number of homes the Methow Housing Trust currently builds each year. We have land to create up to 70 permanently affordable homes for ownership in the next 9 years. Everyone in our waitpool at this time will have a home, it is just a matter of how quickly we can build them. It is not an immediate housing solution, but it is a secure, affordable and permanent one. Based on our home sales thus far, it does take households anywhere between 4 months to over a year to become 'purchase ready', so we encourage anyone whose goal is homeownership to apply today and get started.
A. See photo —>