The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a publicly accountable, self-supporting team, dedicated to increasing housing access and affordability and to expanding the availability of quality community services for the people of Washington.
Relationship to the Local Government: Self-Supporting State Agency
Current Staff Size: 76
Visit WSHFC's Website
1983
WSHFC is established
1987
Inaugurate the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program
1993
First statewide “Housing Washington” conference
2007
Launch of Land Acquisition Program
2012
Sustainable Energy Trust launched
2016
Financing partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Washington State
2021
100,000th Homebuyer
Total Financing Provided Since 1983
Total Rentals Created or Preserved Since 1983
Total Homeowners Served Since 1983
Signature Program
Manufactured Housing Community Preservation
This loan program allows residents of manufactured-home communities to come together as a cooperative and purchase the land under their homes. As resident-owned communities, they ensure long-term affordability, security, and maintenance.
Resident-Owned Communities Financed: 20
Future Focus
Steve Walker
Executive Director
“Our priority is to become a truly anti-racist organization, working to remedy the effects of long-term systemic racism and make Washington’s rental and homeownership housing industries work for communities of color.”
Emonie, Millennial Homebuyer
Seattle Area, WA
Emonie, 24, was ready to follow her mom’s example and stop renting.
“After seeing the rent increases, I realized the lack of control a renter has over their living situation,” Emonie said.
With the help of a great loan officer and real-estate agent familiar with the Commission’s programs, Emonie reached her goal: owning her very own condominium.
“The Commission’s Downpayment Assistance program really helped me out by taking a weight off of my shoulders,” Emonie said.
Sandra and Jordan
Port Angeles, WA
As a former manager of emergency and transitional housing, Sandra never thought she would be in the same position of as those she helped. However, after long-term disability prevented her from working, she and her granddaughter Jordan had to rely on transitional housing and feared becoming homeless. Instead, they moved into the Peninsula Housing Authority’s new Mt. Angeles View — a redevelopment of older subsidized housing that transformed an entire neighborhood in this small town.
Hillside Homeowners Cooperative
Centralia, Washington
With the help of a loan through the Commission and other partners, this mostly Spanish-speaking community formed a resident-owned cooperative and bought the land
under their mobile-home park. Not only do the new co-owners no longer fear rent increases and what might happen if the land were sold, they can also come together to finance improvements for the long term.
“As part owner, I find comfort in knowing that my place here is secured,” said the treasurer of the new cooperative.
