Housing is Critical

Is escaping from poverty an individual endeavor, a family endeavor, a community endeavor, or all three? Here is just one example of the ways our community comes together to make a difference.

The Methow Housing Trust began with the recognition that home ownership was critical to establishing long term sustainability for individuals and families, and yet home ownership in the valley was out of reach for many working and middle class households. Through USDA loans and a land trust model, the Methow Housing Trust makes it possible for prospective home owners to qualify for mortgages even when their income is 50% of the Average Median Income. Otherwise, our average market rate home in 2020 was $420,000 which requires $52 an hour (or two earners at $26/hour fulltime) for the household to afford this mortgage, along with a $42,000 down payment requiring significant savings.

Without home ownership, it is really difficult to get out of poverty that cuts across generations. And yet even with the land trust homes, many in our valley have been displaced or cut off from the ability to own land or homes. The powerful 15 minute film "Home" created by the Methow Housing Trust is a fantastic way to learn a little of our shared history. We are grateful to be part of a whole network learning more about reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land as well as housing solutions. We will be sharing more over the next several months. If you would like to join in future conversations building on issues raised in the film "Home," sign up for the conversation email list and stay tuned.

The image above is the cover of the remarkable history of the Methow Tribe in the Methow Valley, written by local historian Richard Hart. Lost Homeland is published by the Shafer Museum and is available there or at the Trails End Bookstore.