PRESS RELEASE - Evans Vista Outreach and Education

City and service providers aim to connect those experiencing homelessness to near-term services and consider their potential future needs as the Evans Vista project is envisioned and planned

PORT TOWNSEND, Washington – The City of Port Townsend is pleased to announce an outreach and education event on April 17th at noon to connect people experiencing homelessness with near-term services as well as future opportunities for affordable and workforce housing located within the future Evans Vista neighborhood. The event will be located at the Evans Vista neighborhood, which is the wooded area west of the Department of Social and Health Services building and just southwest of the Rainier Street roundabout on Sims Way. The event will connect people with City staff working on the housing project as well as safe housing, mental health, and substance abuse treatment providers.

The City has received over $5 million in state, federal, and county funding to prepare the site for the development of a mix of 100-150 affordable and workforce housing units. Multiple stakeholder groups in the community prioritized this project to deliver urgently-needed housing supply and to activate the Evans Vista neighborhood as part of the area’s emerging commercial and business environment. Evans Vista aims to be a place where people live, work and play – a home for young families who can walk or ride to school or individuals who can walk to local employment in the Rainier Subarea, the Port or the Hospital; a destination for those seeking a coffee with friends, services, or childcare; and a community asset that nests into the existing trail and parks network for all to enjoy and be proud of. Over the next several months, the City will work with Thomas Architecture Studios to engage the community on a Master Plan design for the neighborhood in order for it to be constructed.
The event on April 17th, is the first phase of the City’s engagement work on the new neighborhood. The focus of this event is to provide information and resources to those currently living at the site. Free pizza and drinks will be provided. The City will also provide a dumpster for people living at the Evans Vista site to dispose of unneeded or unwanted items. The event is open to anyone and those interested in the event should meet staff at the end of the cul de sac directly west of DSHS located at (2507 Evans Vista).

To ensure site occupants have access to resources and support, over the next month, service providers will directly contact those camping in the woods. The objective is to encourage people to relocate to safe emergency and/or transitional housing. Camping at the site is unsafe and presents sanitation challenges. It is
important to share the housing development vision for a mixed income neighborhood, and therefore, service providers will survey people experiencing homelessness, who also could live in future housing that will be built here, on what amenities and housing types they prefer.

In May, there will be more activity to prepare for construction activities, including brush clearing, survey work, and fencing. One of the goals of the April 17th event is to ensure that people living in the woods are aware of and prepared for the increase in activity at the Evans Vista site. The project’s success depends on initiating this site investigation work such as surveying and critical area studies. Public tours of the future housing site will commence after the site investigation work is complete.
"We are excited to connect with the community and offer resources to those in need while we also look to the future to co-develop a vision for safe, affordable housing with the people living there now. This is a housing project for all incomes and we want those currently living in unsafe situations to feel included in the process," said Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro.

The City welcomes feedback from the community on this project and encourages everyone to stay engaged throughout the process. "We are committed to making sure that everyone knows about the upcoming affordable and workforce housing project in the Evans Vista neighborhood,” said Planning and Community Development Director, Emma Bolin. “We are also committed to engaging our community on our strategic approach to housing, which includes Evans Vista, but also zoning code changes, long-range planning, housing assessment and needs projection, streamlining of processes, and a range of creative approaches that we will undertake and stay focused on in the coming years.”
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For more information about the affordable and workforce housing project in the Evans Vista neighborhood, please contact Emma Bolin ebolin@cityofpt.us; 360-390-4048 or visit the project website at https://cityofpt.us/engagept/page/evans-vista-housing-development-master....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
April 7, 2023 Emma Bolin, Director of Planning & Community Development
360.390.4048 ebolin@cityofpt.us