PORT ANGELES — The housing authorities of Clallam and Jefferson counties have merged into the Peninsula Housing Authority.
Clallam County commissioners approved Tuesday a joint resolution with Jefferson County and the city of Port Townsend to establish the new agency.
Jefferson County commissioners and the Port Townsend City Council already had approved the resolution.
The idea is to expand Clallam County’s robust housing authority into an area that was being underserved. Jefferson County had a housing authority board but no staff.
Pam Tietz, Clallam County Housing Authority executive director, becomes the executive director of the Peninsula Housing Authority. The 35 to 40 employees in the agency will now cover both counties.
Nothing else will change.
“Congratulations on having regional cooperation,” Clallam County Commissioner Mike Doherty told Tietz on Tuesday.
“We’ll have a better chance to get some types of funding because it’s regional.”
The Peninsula Housing Authority will be governed by an eight-member Board of Housing Commissioners.
Clallam County commissioners will appoint five members to the housing board, and Jefferson County commissioners will appoint three.
Both housing authorities filed an intent to merge in June with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
A state law requires that at least one city participate when housing authorities consolidate, Tietz said.
“We believe that because the city of Port Angeles, the city of Forks and the city of Sequim have actually been on board with the Clallam County Housing Authority for all these years that it might make sense to have the city of Port Townsend make that commitment,” Tietz said.
The city of Port Townsend will continue to provide office space for the housing authority, Tietz said.
Asked if the merger would stretch resources thin in Clallam County, Tietz said it would not.
She noted that Port Angeles, home of the housing authority, is closer to Port Townsend than it is to Forks.
“I think it will work out fine,” Tietz said.
The Housing Authority of Clallam County was formed in 1941. Jefferson County’s housing authority started in 1970.
Both were created to plan, construct, maintain, operate and manage affordable housing on the North Olympic Peninsula.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
