Catholic Charities expands affordable housing, aiding central Washington families

Columbia Basin, Wash. — Struggling to find affordable housing? Catholic Charities Housing Services is stepping in by building rental properties and offering equity programs to help families in central Washington secure a home.

Stable housing is one of the most critical needs facing families today. With the shortage of affordable rental properties and skyrocketing home prices, many find it nearly impossible to secure a place to live. But Yakima’s Catholic Charities Housing Services offer hope to low-income families, farmworkers, seniors, and those experiencing homelessness throughout Central Washington.

Bryan Ketcham, VP & Director for Catholic Charities Housing, says. “This is about providing access to opportunities to all the residents in the community to provide opportunities to build wealth and move out of poverty, to support and sustain families where they're at, and to provide opportunities for their children. To live in a safe, affordable home so that you have, you know, better standards of living, you'll have better health outcomes, better educational outcomes, and opportunities for your family to move up.”

Bryan has worked with CCHS for over 15 years when they have doubled in size in terms of multifamily housing, going from approximately 450 multifamily units to now over 1,100. Also selling 25 single-family homes at the time to now over 250.

We spoke to one worker whose gone through the program himself,Rodolfo Sotelo, who now works as the Prepurchase Counselor for Catholic Charities Housing Services. Rodolfo shares it took some convincing from his wife to fill out the application that was sitting on top of his refrigerator for over a week, what set him back was the self-doubt of being low-income and being an agricultural worker.

“Having to be picking at a young age, 11,12, thirteen years old, already starting to pick pears, cherries, apples and everything. I continued that because I thought that that was my only future.” Through the program, Rodolfo was able to prequalify and build his credit which wasn't possible through a bank loan. Now Rodolfo and his family have been homeowners for 8 years.

“Just as how I was taking my hand and explained and given my action plan and what I had to do to qualify for the program, we do that as well. So it's that would be my advice is to go ahead and take the first step to get the information to see if they qualify or not.”

To qualify for Catholic Charities Housing Services, one must have show proof of legal status and low income. Certain places like farmworker housing, must demonstrate that they work in the agriculture industry and earn 50 percent of their area median income.