County seeks funding and state support for small affordable housing project, sets public processes

KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. — County staff on Tuesday recommended using local affordable‑housing funds for an eight‑unit project and asked commissioners to set public processes to consider state block‑grant funds and to accept state planning feedback.

Chelsea Lephurst, public health director, presented a homelessness and affordable housing committee recommendation “to use affordable and supportive housing funds for this 8 unit property development, by HopeSource,” she said. The agenda item asked commissioners to approve a professional‑services agreement with HopeSource for the Town Street Affordable Housing Project; the transcript records the staff recommendation but does not show a final vote.

Brian Elliott of the auditor’s office asked the board to set a public hearing to consider availability and eligible uses of the state Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public services and grants. Elliott said the hearing would allow the board and the public to review how those state CDBG funds could be used locally.

Lephurst also described an agreement with the Washington State Department of Commerce to provide document and recording feedback the county can use to support its homelessness plan and affordable‑housing work. “This is an agreement with the Department of Commerce to receive document and recording feedback from the state, and this can be used by the county to support our homelessness plan and any homelessness and affordable housing work,” she said.

Staff requested approvals and a public hearing date; the meeting transcript does not show recorded votes on those items.

Commissioners were also told multiple pass‑through contracting actions and program agreements are in process to deliver supportive services connected to county housing efforts.