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Regional Housing Council approves roughly $6.97 million in affordable-housing awards, adds $323,711 for Quinn Street Tiny Home Village
Summary
The Thurston County Regional Housing Council approved $6,971,826.98 in recommended awards from the affordable-housing RFP and separately approved a $323,711 allocation to the City of Olympia’s Quinn Street Tiny Home Village; the council also discussed advisory-board process and elected-official roles.
The Regional Housing Council voted to approve the Affordable Housing Advisory Board’s recommendations to award $6,971,826.98 to nine qualifying affordable‑housing proposals and separately approved $323,711 to help close a funding gap for the City of Olympia’s Quinn Street Tiny Home Village.
The council’s vote followed a staff funding overview showing roughly $9.6 million available for 2026 awards, which combined HUD HOME dollars, local document‑recording fees, sales‑tax retention, local home funds, and a $2.7 million reallocation from a previously stalled 228 Olympia LLC award. Meg Martin, chair of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board, told the council the package "would support the creation of 112 new units of affordable housing and maintain 277 units" and that the board recommended full funding for eligible applications.
Why it matters: the awards direct one‑time capital dollars to projects that officials and volunteers say will increase affordable housing supply across jurisdictions including Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater. Council members emphasized the scale of the funding and asked for clearer timing and process so elected officials can review large allocations.
What the council approved and why: staff told the council that HUD HOME funds for the RFP totaled about $700,000, the local document‑recording fee (5386) provided $300,000, and sales‑tax retention contributed roughly $840,000; those sources plus local home‑fund contributions and the returned $2.7 million produced the $9.6 million pool. The Advisory Board reviewed nine applications totaling about $6.97 million and recommended full funding; the board also recommended using leftover funds (approximately $323,711) to shore up a shortfall for the Quinn Street Tiny Home Village.
Debate and concerns: Council Member Nick Dunning said elected officials should have a larger role in high‑value funding decisions and announced he would abstain from the funding vote, urging a separate work session or longer review period for future allocations. Staff responded that advisory‑board members who represent applicant organizations recuse themselves from discussions and votes and that advisory‑board meetings are public and listed on the RHC website.
Next steps and procedural notes: the awards were forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval as recommended. Members asked staff to pursue process improvements for future RFP cycles, including better time for elected review and options to hold work sessions prior to a vote.
