Habitat dedicates Holmes Harbor home, expands Island County housing work

Habitat for Humanity of Island County will dedicate its newest home this Saturday, Jan. 17, at 3 p.m. in Freeland, marking the nonprofit’s 58th completed house in the county. The four-bedroom Holmes Harbor residence, at 4966 Spearview Place, closed to the homeowner and her family just before Christmas and grew out of the organization’s 2024 Women Build event.

Volunteers and community members are invited to the dedication, where Habitat staff and partner organizations will reflect on the build and celebrate the homeowner’s pathway to stable housing. The project received support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program, Community Frameworks and local donors.

Homeowner Marissa Conlin, who has lived on Whidbey since 2013, said, “I’ve enjoyed the building process and learned a lot of things that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn if it wasn’t for this program.” Conlin and her daughter are especially looking forward to having extended family come visit and stay, reducing the strain of long-distance travel for relatives who live on the opposite side of the country.

Habitat’s work has had a measurable footprint on Island County’s housing landscape. Resource Development Manager Megan McCollum reports the organization has served 74 families to date and has “recycled” an additional 16 homes into the program so they can be affordably purchased by new homebuyers. That steady output speaks to housing needs across Whidbey and Camano islands and to the role affordable homeownership plays in community stability.

Applications are now being accepted for an upcoming Habitat home build in Oak Harbor. Prospective buyers must meet income and residency requirements, demonstrate a need for improved housing and be willing to contribute sweat-equity as part of the program. Chief Development Officer Liz Chaffin said two four-bedroom homes are currently under construction in the Marin Woods neighborhood near the Whidbey Golf Club.

Longer-range projects are also moving forward. The Heron Park Townhomes in Langley are fully funded and poised to add seven units to the Village by the Sea once permits are secured; the development includes two duplexes and a triplex, with most units offering three bedrooms and one offering four. Partner group Whidbey Island Living Legacy is advancing Grace Landing, a Langley cottage project that will provide six 600-square-foot homes and is now in the permitting phase.

Stable, affordable homeownership improves health outcomes, reduces financial stress and helps keep local workers and families on island. Our two cents? If you care about a Whidbey where teachers, nurses and families can stay close to work and kin, show up Saturday to celebrate, consider volunteering time or skills, and check in with Habitat about applying or supporting future builds — these projects are how neighbors invest in neighbors.