Whidbey Affordable Housing Fund
Investing in Whidbey Island’s Future
Housing is an essential need on Whidbey Island, where affordability and rural challenges can make it more difficult for community members to find homes. At JADE Craftsman Builders, we believe that everyone should have access to affordable and safe housing, and when that is possible, we all benefit.
In 2023, we partnered with the Whidbey Community Foundation to create the Whidbey Affordable Housing Fund, a field-of-interest fund to direct philanthropic dollars to nonprofit organizations working to address housing insecurity on the island. This effort is to ensure that anyone, specifically those in lower income generating professions and younger individuals, can still afford to live and work on the island. Whidbey is a unique and inspiring place, but with its rural island geography, comes difficulties with existing housing inventory, new development challenges, and other limiting factors. We’ve also seen as the population ages, there are fewer younger individuals and families coming to the island to support the ever-shrinking workforce.
To address this, the Whidbey Affordable Housing Fund, with an initial gift from JADE and several of our clients, was established to encourage other local builders to give to the fund and help ensure housing for anyone who wants to call Whidbey Island home.
To learn more and to donate to the fund, visit the Whidbey Affordable Housing Fund page on the Whidbey Community Foundation website.
“Everyone in our community is impacted by the fact that so many people, including families with children, simply can’t find housing here—even when they’re offered a decent job. Wanting to make housing affordable for all is what motivated us at JADE to create this fund. We’re grateful to partner with the Whidbey Community Foundation to make this happen.”
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Why is this necessary for the island?
Along with geographic constraints, the island is seeing a shrinking workforce, with more than 65% of residents at retirement age and around 10% younger than 20 years of age. This fund will encourage workforce growth and ensure those who want to work on the island can find and afford housing.
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How will the fund grow?
By inviting other builders, as well as those in housing adjacent fields (e.g. realtors, vacation rental managers, etc.), to participate, as well as soliciting donations from the community at large, the goal is to create a general pool of funds to support grant opportunities.
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How will projects be chosen?
All grants will be approved by the Whidbey Community Foundation Board of Directors. JADE and the Whidbey Community Foundation will establish an advisory committee to oversee guidelines, applications, and recommendations on approvals.