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County approves three HOME Fund awards and authorizes CHIP grant application for Argyle housing project
Summary
San Juan County approved $2.43 million in HOME Fund awards to three island housing projects and authorized county sponsorship of a Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) grant application for the Argyle project; council supports phased funding and additional state grant applications.
San Juan County Council approved three recommended awards from the 2025 HOME Fund round Sept. 23 and authorized a county‑sponsored CHIP application to help fund infrastructure for the Argyle affordable housing project.
The Housing Advisory Committee and county staff recommended awarding the following HOME Fund grants: $1,075,554 to the San Juan Community Home Trust for the Argyle rental project in Friday Harbor (phase funding; total project need is larger and additional HOME/Housing Trust Fund requests are anticipated), $1,075,000 to OPAL Community Land Trust for the Lydia Lane home‑ownership project on Orcas, and $283,424 as supplemental funding to Lopez Community Land Trust’s Fishbay Curve project. Council approved the full recommendations.
Ryan Page, county housing staff, said the total HOME Fund requests were below the county’s available HOME allocation (about $2.7 million available for the round). The Home Trust described Argyle as a multi‑phase rental development that will require additional funding rounds; the HOME award approved Sept. 23 represents an initial capital commitment to leverage state and private sources.
Page also asked for council permission to sponsor a CHIP (Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program) application for Argyle. CHIP grants provide utility and infrastructure connection funds but do not allow administrative fees for sponsoring governments. Council authorized the CHIP application with staff noting the county can administer the grant without charging administrative fees. The application was due the same week; the Argyle team planned concurrent applications to the state Housing Trust Fund to secure additional capital.
