November/December Beans For Bags Spotlight: Housing Solutions Network
Greetings Food Co-op Members + Community Members!
We’re very excited to be a Beans for Bags recipient in November and December- and what perfect timing: HSN is celebrating our 5 Year of Impact this November!
HSN is a grassroots non-profit organization, where we envision affordable workforce housing solutions that foster a thriving community and support economic vitality.
Founded in 2018 in response to Jefferson County’s declared housing crisis, HSN is different than your traditional organizations- we’re a NETWORK of changemakers, advocates, and local residents who want to create community-based solutions.
It’s been an honor to serve this community and identify solutions that help create and protect affordable housing for our workforce, and even more excited to see what HSN can do in the next five years.
We would love to highlight our 5 Year Impact Report with the Food Co-op members and encourage everyone to participate in our 2024 Community Survey. Your input and passions will help drive our focus in the coming year(s), and we look forward to hearing from you all on the future of affordable workforce housing in East Jefferson County.
If there’s one story that we share with our community, I think my favorite is that of Port Hadlock homeowner, David. After receiving the Share our Spaces brochure in his mailbox in the summer of 2022, David reached out to HSN to learn more about creating an affordable housing opportunity. In the coming months, David started packing up books in his office, which had been a dedicated office for over 17 years. He invited HSN advocates out to see this office space, a small accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on his property, and asked for guidance on what upgrades and safety renovations he would need to do before renting it out. He met with landlords throughout our Network, used a lease template provided by the Network, and looked for a qualified renter on our Housing Link.
Fast forward to the Fall of 2023 and we are so proud to share that David has successfully had a tenant in his former-office-turned-affordable-rental-unit! This is just one mission moment that HSN has seen the community engage in action-based solutions. Thank you, David!
If you’re interested in learning more about the Network, and getting involved, NOW’s the time. Take our 2024 Community Survey, check out our website, and join us for the next adventures in creating housing solutions for those who want to live and work here!
In Community,
Liz Revord
HSN Director