By CARA LORELLO
Staff Reporter
Airway Heights City Council unanimously approved a fee waiver on July 7 for a new home being constructed by Hayden Homes development company's Giving Fund that is slated for a late summer completion date and dedication.
It's the second Hayden Giving Fund home to be built in the community, the first being in 2006 to a family of three in the Sunset Crossing subdivision. A family has also been selected for the yet-to-be-completed three-bedroom home, which has a market value of $137,000.
City planner Chip Pilialoha said the approved waiver would exclude over $1,000 in building permit fees the builder typically pays, principal payments withstanding. Hayden Homes has maintained a strong residential development presence in the community over the last few years, completing the first two of three subdivision phases in Sunset Crossing. About 89 homes have been built, and 150 are planned for the future.
“They've built a lot of homes here and they're continuing to build,” Pilialoha said of the company, adding that the Hayden Giving Fund is based in Oregon. “Now they're doing some good here in Washington.”
According to the Hayden Giving Fund's official Web page, the program makes homeownership a reality for low-income families by providing no interest loans, with no down payments. It is a public non-profit organization started in 1997 with the mission to provide affordable housing in the communities Hayden Homes builds. Hayden Homes started the its Giving Fund to address increasing needs for low-income housing in today's competitive building market.
The fund was founded on the belief that housing is fundamental for the ability of low-income families to become self-sufficient. The organization works with Northeastern Washington Housing Solutions group, the local housing authority for the area, to select qualifying candidates or families to receive housing assistance. These candidates, program executive director Shon Agnew said, are typically already in some kind of subsidized housing, or receiving vouchers to afford housing. They must fall within a certain income range, but must be able to afford the monthly payment for the home.
“Our goal is to get them off assistance so that money can get freed up for someone else. There definitely is a waiting list for those resources,” Agnew said, adding that the preferred candidate would not experience a change in circumstance that “would allow them to buy a home otherwise.”
“We really are interested in people who have made the effort, but have been dealt some cards that's made it difficult for them to get through, and need that extra help to get ahead,” she said.
City officials for Airway Heights asked that the organization search for candidates specifically within the community, Agnew said.
Airway Heights Mayor Matthew Pederson said during the July 7 meeting he got the opportunity to meet the Giving Fund's first recipient family last year.
“It was very touching to see Hayden Homes had gone to the extent they did to help a family in need. The family had lived in Airway Heights for sometime, and they needed that help in moving up to a better home environment,” he said, adding that recipients have shown exceptional pride in ownership with the property they've acquired.
“It was a very successful venture, and we hope to see similar success with this year's project,” Pederson added.
Giving Fund homeowners are not exempt from paying annual property taxes, and if the home is sold in the future, the family receives their equity back. The appreciation of the home is then split between the recipient and the organization.
The organization's 2008 winter newsletter's housing grant report announced the company has invested $545,000 in building costs for homes built in 2007. To date, the Giving Fund has built 18 homes in Oregon and Washington state, with five more planned for 2008.
In addition to providing grants for affordable housing, the organization uses a portion of its budget for monetary grants to assist under-funded programs and various charitable organizations, all designed to create stronger communities in the areas that Hayden Homes builds.
Cara Lorello can be reached at [email protected]
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