Submitted by the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center.
After more than two decades dedicated to helping island residents achieve homeownership through the United States Department of Agriculture’s self-help housing program, Homes for Islanders will officially transfer a portion of its assets to the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center to continue serving the community.
Since its founding in 1998, HFI has helped make homeownership a reality for more than 129 families across San Juan County. Through 14 “sweat-equity” owner-builder projects, the organization has helped participants construct safe, energy-efficient homes while building equity, learning construction skills and forming lasting neighborhood connections. These homes helped support dozens of families to stay in this community as teachers, health care professionals, small business owners, County employees, restaurant workers, contractors and many more key roles. These homes represent more than $39 million in total investment, an enduring contribution to the County’s housing stock and local tax base.
“This decision was made after deep reflection,” said Dean Riley, board chair of Homes for Islanders. “Our mission has always been to strengthen our island communities by helping families build stability through homeownership. Although our ability to continue building homes at this point has come to an end, we are proud of the lasting impact of our work and confident that transferring a portion of its assets to the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center will keep supporting island families in meaningful ways.”
San Juan County faces the highest median home price of any county in Washington, and also ranks lowest on the housing affordability index, a measure of whether a median-income household can afford a median-priced home. HFI provided many families with the rare, no-down-payment opportunity to earn home equity, strengthen their roots in the community and gain a foothold in the notoriously difficult-to-enter real estate market.
Following the completion of its final group-build project in 2021, HFI downsized and entered a planned pause for evaluation. During this period, the board hoped to secure new grant opportunities, explore future building projects and identify new leadership. However, major changes at the federal level have made it increasingly difficult for small rural nonprofits to secure funding to sustain construction operations. Rising construction and estimated development costs now exceed the HUD maximum loan capacity for San Juan County, further complicating efforts.
The retirement of experienced program staff at the local, state and federal levels has also compounded the challenge of continuing the USDA’s owner-builder model at the scale HFI once managed. While local factors, such as limited available building sites and zoning regulations, play a role, these federal funding and programmatic shifts have created the most significant barriers to continuing the organization’s work.
After years of careful assessment, the board determined at this time that transferring assets would best honor its fiduciary and community responsibilities. The Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, a trusted local nonprofit that shares HFI’s commitment to community stability and which actively serves county residents with housing support, will receive assets to continue serving island residents in need. This step ensures that resources originally dedicated to community well-being will remain at work locally.
“Homes for Islanders has left a remarkable legacy in our community,” added Jennifer Armstrong, executive director of the Family Resource Center. “We are grateful for the trust placed in us to continue stewarding these assets. Our focus will be on helping families thrive and maintaining the strong sense of community that HFI fostered over two decades.”
Importantly, any existing homeowner loans or mortgages administered through HFI will remain fully in effect and are unaffected by this transition, ensuring continuity and stability for participating families.
“We know that affordable housing remains one of the most urgent challenges facing the islands,” added HFI co-founder John Campbell. “My hope is that land will become available and construction costs will adjust over time. These changes may allow HFI the opportunity to begin operations again.”
From its first large project at Leeward Cove in 2005 to its latest homes in Foxhall in 2021, HFI completed 129 homes across San Juan and Orcas islands. This history reflects the best of what community collaboration can achieve: neighbors working side by side to build homes and hope for one another. The board of Homes for Islanders extends its heartfelt gratitude to every homeowner, construction volunteer, partner and supporter who contributed to the organization’s mission over the decades.
For more information about the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center and its nearly 30-year commitment to community programs to help all islanders be healthy, safe and productive, visit https://jlsfrc.org/.
