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Regional housing council approves $103,568 for Fleetwood Apartments elevator modernization
Summary
The Thurston County Regional Housing Council approved TAHAB’s recommendation to award Lehigh about $103,568 from the Opportunity Fund to replace a 35‑year‑old elevator at Fleetwood Apartments, citing accessibility and coordinated‑entry importance.
Thurston County’s Regional Housing Council on July 23 approved a recommendation from the Thurston County Affordable Housing Advisory Board to award Lehigh $103,568.10 from the Opportunity Fund to modernize an elevator at Fleetwood Apartments.
TAHAB presented the request as a targeted accessibility investment. The presenter said the building’s elevator is about 35 years old, that Lehigh had contributed roughly $10,000 from its reserve toward the project, and that more than half of the residents on the second floor are elderly or have disabilities. The advisory board recommended funding the project unanimously.
The council discussed whether Lehigh, as a larger organization, should be prioritizing internal reserves or seeking external support. TAHAB members and municipal representatives said they had reviewed the application materials and scored the submission using the opportunity‑fund rubric. "They submitted an application, a full application that the TAHAB has created for the opportunity fund," a staff member confirmed during the meeting.
Council members also noted the broader context of aging affordable housing stock and the constraints many property owners face in preserving long‑term affordability while covering maintenance costs. One council member said the cost to operate older properties has increased and that keeping rents affordable limits owners' ability to build large reserves.
After discussion, a motion to approve the funding recommendation was made and seconded; members voted in favor and the motion passed.
The award will reduce the Opportunity Fund balance but, according to the presenter, the fund will retain capacity for future emergent projects. The council did not set additional conditions on the award during the meeting.
Votes at a glance: the council recorded approval of the Lehigh funding recommendation (motion made and seconded; outcome: approved). No roll‑call tally of individual votes was recorded on the transcript.
The council’s staff said they will continue to monitor similar requests and that TAHAB will revisit Opportunity Fund priorities if the frequency of similar capital requests increases.
