Partners
Merritt Manor
Merritt Manor is an 82-unit affordable housing project spearheaded by Glenn Wells & Scott Wammack to serve families with incomes of approximately 60 to 80% of Area Median Income levels. It is located on Martin Way, 5 minutes from both downtown Olympia and downtown Lacey and has excellent bus service to both cities. The ownership entity for this great project is Fourth Street Housing, LLC.
Fourth Street has partnered with Help Us Move In, a local nonprofit that has done amazing work for Thurston County families. Without them, this project would not have become a reality. In addition to funding the purchase of the land, they have raised over $500,000, which has been used to help homeless families find homes and assist those on the brink of homelessness, stay housed.
Fourth Street has also hired Homes First and Prime Locations to help with the property management of the project. Their expertise in this market is unmatched and we are excited to have them on our team.
The project is able to accommodate families but will accommodate anyone who meets the occupancy criteria. We hope to put a dent in child homelessness. The average age of a homeless person is nine years old and there are over a thousand homeless children in Thurston County alone. Merritt Manor has 27 three bedroom units and 55 two bedrooms. It is our hope that these bedrooms will be used to house nearly 200 children.
In addition to our nonprofit partners, the City of Olympia has been consistently supportive. It is clear that affordable housing is a high priority for the City and it has been a joy working with them. Without their help, it would have been much more difficult for us to achieve our goals. Their incentive programs are impressive and it is our hope that Merritt Manor will be the first of many private sector affordable housing projects.
Help Us Move In
(HUMI) contributed funds to purchase the property for the Merritt Manor affordable apartments. In exchange, the owners will pay HUMI $5000 a month for the next 30 years. They will challenge the community to match it, thereby providing $10,000 a month for move -in and eviction prevention assistance to Thurston County families with children experiencing or at risk of homelessness. For more information, please visit our website at www.HelpUsMoveIn.org
Homes First
Another partner in the project is the nonprofit property management organization Homes First. Since 1990, Homes First has been a unique housing provider in Thurston and Mason counties by purchasing pre-existing homes scattered throughout our neighborhoods and rehabbing them to rent to the lowest income community members. Homes First believes everyone needs a home to be successful. Therefore, it is their mission to create and maintain safe, healthy, and affordable rental homes for those who need them most. They are known for their focus on treating tenants with respect and dignity to help them be a part of our community rather than apart from it. They are also partnership builders who are eager to work with a variety of community, nonprofit, and business groups to support the success of the tenants who will reside in Merritt Manor.
Prime Locations
Being a housing provider is one of the most important roles that exists in any community and one that Prime Locations has been fulfilling since 1988. More recently, Prime Locations has been working diligently to help solve the huge problem of lack of affordable housing. This partnership is unique in nature as it combines the large-scale efficiencies and experience that Prime Locations brings with Home First’s mission-driven approach to serving those tenants most in need. We believe that solving a problem as big as delivering adequate affordable housing requires innovative solutions and Prime Locations is excited to be a part of this innovative solution. The owner and staff of Prime Locations are local community members and are invested in seeing that this project helps give tenants hope for a better, healthier future for themselves and their families.