Partnerships make it possible

Last year when I attended a celebration for one of our self-help communities, I was looking forward to congratulating participants on a job well done. They'd braved pouring rain, faced steep learning curves, smashed thumbs and made many personal sacrifices to build their own homes on evenings and weekends.

But the participants made it clear that the Self-Help Housing Program had done much more than provide them shelter. "With a lot of sweat, aching muscles, time and a few tears, this program made our dreams real," new homeowner and speaker D.J. Sweet told me. "How can you ever measure that in dollars and cents?"

His remark made me realize that all of our programs are about more than just creating shelter. Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority (KCCHA) builds INDEPENDENCE for the disabled and the elderly who just need a safe place to live. We build HOPE for families who are looking for affordable housing in neighborhoods where their kids can thrive. We build OPPORTUNITY for the young and the old willing to make the sacrifices needed to own their own homes. We help create a FUTURE for at-risk youth, kids who are capable of great things, as long as they get a little guidance and help along the way.

Fostering Healthy Housing Communities.

That's a tall order, and as proud as I am of our staff, we couldn't do it alone. As you'll see on the following pages, we do it through partnerships with public and private organizations.

• Organizations like Kitsap Tenant Support Services, the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Washington State Housing Trust Fund and Kitsap County Block Grant, which together helped us create a home and independence for Paul, a 61-year-old developmentally disabled man in Central Kitsap.
• Bank of America and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Services, just two of the entities we're working with to develop affordable, multi-family housing in Poulsbo.
• Key Bank, which came up with an innovative "all in one" loan to keep costs down for Self-Help Housing Program participants on Bainbridge Island. Key Bank also teamed with Central Kitsap School District to provide computers and space for our Homework Club, which targets at-risk youth.

Together with our partners, we've accomplished much to be proud of this year. With their help, we look forward to another year of building stronger communities.