Dear Editor,

While 2016 saw the Goodings in their new Habitat for Humanity house, it also saw Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County sell its holdings on Maloney Lane and announce a two-year hiatus from Forks. Some of us were not happy and many of us were worried. The land was purchased by the Peninsula Housing Authority and we weren’t sure what that meant or what it would mean in the long run for the folks in our community. Here’s an update from both Habitat for Humanity and the Peninsula Housing Authority. Keep reading; it’s good news.

First, greetings from Habitat’s new Executive Director Colleen Robinson who has always had a heart for Forks and the West End. While Habitat didn’t think it was practical to keep the lots on Maloney Lane and build on them, Colleen is hopeful about fine tuning, fundraising and returning to Forks in two years or so, with an emphasis on Neighborhood Revitalization. This is at the root of Habitat’s mission, and has several components: A Brush with Kindness, Aging in Place, Weatherization and Critical Repair.

She is running with a small crew right now, but she is hoping to hire a part-time program manager to help with Neighborhood Revitalization and she has promised not to forget us. Another helping hand and name we recognize out this way is Dave Neupert, who is the new board president for Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County.

Carolyn Stimbert, mutual self-help housing coordinator for Peninsula Housing Authority, sends her enthusiastic greetings, as well. She is actively recruiting families for the new build on Maloney Lane. All these houses will go up at the same time. Each family owns their lot from the time of loan signing and builds their own home with the help of a construction supervisor, the other homeowners, and volunteers who work for the families, not Peninsula Housing. When the homes are built, they belong to the families, so all the equity is theirs!

Carolyn is trying to get to Forks the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. She will be at the Peninsula Housing Authority office at 351 Founders Way. Are you interested in building and owning your own home? Call Carolyn at 360-452-7631 ext. 822 for an appointment to talk to her. You can email her at cstimbert@peninsuylapha.org. She has the intake applications and she will be more than happy to discuss requirements with you. Go for it!

Showandah Terrill

Forks