HOUSING WASHINGTON
A New Newsletter for a New Era
Welcome to the first issue of Housing Washington – the new incarnation of the Housing Finance Commission’s newsletter.
You may be surprised by the name. After all, Housing Washington is already the annual state housing conference that we sponsor with the Department of Commerce and the Low Income Housing Alliance.
Well, this new publication is part of an effort to expand the reach of the conference to make it not just a once-a-year event, but a year-round clearinghouse of information and convener of housing professionals. After all, to "house Washington” is our shared mission.
Steve Walker
WSHFC Executive Director
Our intention is to grow this quarterly publication to share relevant news from the Commission, federal legislative updates specific to Washington’s concerns, partner spotlights, interviews with people doing great work, and opportunities for action.
Many of you were readers of Kim Herman’s My View, which for 15 years published valuable interviews with people across the state who were addressing specific housing challenges. You can still find the My View archive on our website at wshfc.org/newsletter.
We hope that like My View, Housing Washington will become a useful source of information and insight for housing professionals across the state. Thanks for reading!
Housing Washington Sessions and Presentations Posted
This year's Housing Washington conference, held virtually and free to attend on Oct. 5 and 6, drew more than a thousand people and rave reviews. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, in a conversation with Marc Dones of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, was the unquestioned highlight.
This and every other keynote and session are now available to watch for free on the Housing Washington website. And don't miss the video tributes to our 2021 Friend of Housing Awardees!
Federal Update
In this regular feature, we'll share what we're hearing from the other Washington, concentrating on the federal multifamily programs we oversee and on federal homeownership programs and policies.
Welcome to Our Newest Commissioners
Three new Washington State Housing Finance Commissioners joined us in 2021, appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee. We are excited to not only have a full Commission again, but to have the benefit of these three leaders' experience and commitment to housing.
In July, we welcomed Nicole Bascomb of U.S. Bank & Bascomb Real Estate Group and Brian Surrat of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Read more...
Pedro Espinoza of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters joined in March -- filling a long-empty union seat. Read more...
Reaching Out to Homebuyers
Even before her appointment to our board, new Commissioner Nicole Bascomb partnered with us to offer two unique educational events for potential homebuyers: our first-ever "lunch and learn" sessions on Facebook Live.
Ms. Bascomb expertly led these talk-show style discussions that included a homebuyer and WSHFC homeownership leaders. In the second event in July, we were also joined by James Reese III of Caliber Home Loans.
Our joint purpose is to find new ways to reach people -- especially people of color --with information about programs that can bring homeownership within reach.
Journey to Homeownership
Emonie Larry, the new homebuyer featured in our July Facebook Live event knew she wanted to become a homeowner and was able to achieve it despite her young age.
Emonie pushed through the obstacles and successfully invested in herself by owning property with the help of downpayment assistance and guidance from her real-estate partner Nicole Bascomb.
