I am a 4th generation Chelan native. My parents and grandparents were orchardists, truck drivers, maids and hotel owners here in the Chelan valley. I took my first job at the Lake View Drive In when I was 14 years old. My favorite spot to swim is Mermaid rock on the South Shore. I love Chelan, this lake and the small-town community.
Getting a job in Chelan was the easy part. I knew folks with wineries and restaurants were desperate for hard workers and have ongoing issues with finding and keeping good staff.
The hard part was housing. I made $13.00/hour. Rents were $1,000/month or more. My pay could not cover rent and all the other monthly living expenses. Room share was the obvious solution and, lucky beyond belief, I found an affordable rental with a friend of mine who shared my housing needs and could split the rent.
It’s the only reason I’m not forced to move back in with my parents, or commute 40 minutes to work, or ask friends for a couch to sleep on. But what happens when I don’t want to have a roommate anymore? I might have to move away from the community I love, and my employer will lose a staff person again – turnover that makes it even harder for them to manage their business.
That’s why I took the job as administrator of the Chelan Valley Housing Trust. The Chelan Valley Housing Trust is working to solve this problem in the Chelan community. By following other successful housing trust models, like those on Orcas Island or in the Methow, CVHT will bring single-family home ownership to low and middle income households. The homes are made affordable by using land donations, construction subsidies and efficient designs. They are kept affordable through resale restricted ground leases.
The group has several pending projects in the works and plans to begin construction in 2020.
If you’re seeking home ownership but can’t afford our area’s home prices, come talk with me, Rachael Goldie, administrator for the Chelan Valley Housing Trust, phone # 425-275-2002. Or start by visiting chelanvalleyhousing.org or our Facebook Page to learn more.
You can own your own home in the Chelan valley.
Sincerely,
Rachael Goldie
CVHT Administrator