Thompson Springs

Thompson Springs will include 10 homes that will be a mix of 2-bedroom and 1-bedroom, semi-detached units. All the units will be built with the principles of universal design and permanent affordability.

1-Bedroom units

• 4 total units
• 592 SQFT
• Includes barrier free entry, full kitchen, full bathroom with wheelchair accessible shower, washer and dryer in unit, a front porch and a private back deck.
• Adaptive design allows for personalization based on individual needs and preferences.

1-Bedroom affordability

• 3 units available at or below 80% AMI*
• 1 unit available at or below 120% AMI

2-Bedroom units

• 6 total units
• 882 SQFT
• Includes barrier free entry, full kitchen, full bathroom with wheelchair accessible shower, washer and dryer in unit, a front porch and a private back deck off the primary bedroom.
• Adaptive design allows for personalization based on individual needs and preferences.

2-Bedroom affordability

• 5 units available at or below 80% AMI*
• 1 unit available at or below 120% AMI

*Through our Home Readiness program we are currently working with local investors through our shared equity model to create homeownership opportunities for people with I/DD with household incomes below 80% AMI. To understand why this is important, see our sections “I/DD and Housing” and “I/DD and Affordability.”

Our Home Readiness program combines education on self-determined living and secures investment in shared equity homeownership to provide the resources for anyone in our community to create the home that works best for them.

Housing choice is a bedrock principle for living a self-determined life. Unfortunately, far too many people with I/DD are denied access to housing choice, either through structural impediments or a lack of awareness of what choices are really available. Sammy’s Place is working to overcome both of those barriers by working with our families to help them identify the type of home that works best for them, and then to build the strategy to achieve that goal. To do this, we are working in partnership with numerous community programs to provide comprehensive educational opportunities on renting and ownership and we are working with community investors to create more opportunities for shared equity homeownership for those for whom homeownership is the right choice.

Home Readiness EducationSammy’s Place is proud to be working with partners around the state to provide comprehensive educational opportunities preparing people with I/DD for self-determined living. These partnerships include:

• The Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition – OSAC has various resources for people with I/DD navigating the housing system and works through their housing committee to advocate for more and new housing opportunities for people with I/DD.
• The Oregon ABLE Savings Plan – People with I/DD receiving Developmental Disabilities services face limits on earned income and savings. The Oregon ABLE Savings Plan provides opportunities to build wealth while working within the DD services system.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program – The Northwest Oregon Housing Authority operates the local Housing Choice Voucher Program that serves renters and homebuyers in Tillamook and Clatsop Counties. This program provides financial assistance to qualified renters that can be transferred to homeownership for qualified buyers.
• Proud Ground – We are excited to partner with Proud Ground to provide comprehensive training on homeownership for those for whom homeownership is the best choice. Proud Ground offers a proven course of training that equips prospective homebuyers to be successful homeowners.

Home Readiness and Shared Equity HomeownershipSammy’s Place is working to create the conditions where people with I/DD have access to all the housing choices on the market. This means creating the conditions for homeownership for those for whom this is the right choice. In addition to working with our community partners like Proud Ground to provide education on homeownership, Sammy’s Place is also working with local investors to raise the funds for shared equity homeownership opportunities that will make homeownership financially accessible for people with I/DD. Thanks to the generous contributions of the Kuni Foundation and the Fairview Trust, and with the support of the Oregon Housing and Community Services Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) Homeownership Program, we are already able to provide for some shared equity partnerships. With the support of more community investors we will be able to make more units more accessible to more potential homebuyers with I/DD.

To learn more about shared equity homeownership and how it makes homeownership available to people with I/DD, see our sections on “Permanent Affordability” and “I/DD and Affordability.”

Why homeownership?Homeownership is a public good that improves the lives of families and the community.

• Homeownership improves physical and mental health, physical safety and security, and improved financial and employment prospects.
• Homeownership also promotes civic and social engagement, with homeowners showing increased likelihood of voting in local elections, participating in civic organizations, and building social networks within their community.

Homeownership is not the right choice for everyone, but it is the right choice for some. Sammy’s Place is working to create the conditions for housing choice that includes homeownership for people with I/DD for whom homeownership is the right choice for them.

Affordable housing is housing that is sold or rented below market rate and reserved for low-income buyers or renters. Affordable is also not, by definition, accessible, however, there is really no financial reason why affordable housing cannot also be universally accessible. There are various mechanisms that can be used to make housing affordable, and you often see multiple mechanisms deployed in affordable housing developments.

Affordable housing is a complicated term that has different meanings in different contexts. Ultimately, there is a spectrum of housing affordable metrics associated with level of income. The metric called the Area Median Income, or AMI, is used to create these income levels. The AMI is exactly what it sounds like, it is the median income – generally referring to household income – for a defined geography. In Tillamook County the eligibility standard for affordable housing programs would be a household income at or below 80% AMI. In Tillamook County, for a single person household, 80% AMI is an annual income of $45,300 as of 2024.

Two of the most common mechanisms to make housing affordable are: (1) government incentives (subsidies) for the construction of affordable rental and ownership units and (2) shared equity homeownership. Government incentives tend to come in the form of grants to developers to build housing – rentals or homeownership – that provide a financial offset to the developer to make up for the loss they will incur by renting or selling below market rate.

Shared equity homeownership

Shared equity homeownership is a special form of residential arrangement that is managed by a nonprofit organization. The arrangement usually puts restrictions on the amount of equity that a homeowner may earn upon resale of the unit to preserve its affordable price.

Community land trust

Limited equity homeownership is also often partnered with some form of land trust model. In a land trust a structure – the home – is sold to and owned by the homeowner, but the land upon which the structure sits is held in trust and owned by a second entity, typically a non-profit organization. The land trust reduces the overall price of the home by not including the cost of the land in the sale price of the home. It is not unusual for an affordable homeownership development to use the mechanisms of government subsidies, limited equity partnerships, and land trusts, to work toward maximum affordability.

Sammy’s Place is proud to be collaborating with Proud Ground as the Community Land Trust partner for Thompson Springs. Click here to learn more about Proud Ground and the Community Land Trust model.

Click here to learn more about permanently affordable housing using shared equity and community land trusts right here in Oregon with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliates around the state.

Click here to read some of the latest research on shared equity homeownership from the National Housing Conference.

How does this all work?

Thompson Springs will combine the shared equity model and a community land trust model to maximize the affordability of these 10-units.

As an example, let’s look at a home with a sale price of $200,000. Let’s say that a qualified low-income homebuyer can afford to pay $120,000 for the home. To make this home affordable, a government partner may subsidy part of this home, with a direct subsidy to the homebuilder to offset their costs. In Oregon, this program is called the Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) Homeownership Program. Let’s say that the homebuilder receives $40,000 in LIFT to make this home affordable, so the homebuilder can now afford to sell the home for $160,000. To close this gap, community investors contribute an additional $40,000, to be held in trust as what is called a “silent second mortgage,” which is held by a non-profit organization. Between the government investment and the community investment, this $200,000 home can now be sold to a qualified low-income household for $120,000. This is where the “shared equity” piece comes into play. While the homebuyer will own the home, the equity in the home is shared between the homebuyer and the nonprofit organization. In this example, 60% of the equity stays with the homebuyer and 40% of the equity stays with the nonprofit. In the event that the home is sold, the equity accrued is then distributed to the homeowner and the nonprofit accordingly. The nonprofit then reinvests their share of the equity into resale, ensuring that the home remains affordable for subsequent buyers.

Click here to access Proud Ground’s resources on how these models of permanent affordable work to build financial equity while maintaining permanent affordability.

Isn’t this just giving someone a house?

• No! Homebuyer assistance is an investment in the community that enables a home to be sold below market value and that ensures that the home will remain permanently affordable.
• The investment does not convey to the homebuyer, but stays with the property, enabling the property to be resold below market value.
• These investments make homeownership a real choice for more of our families in the community while making a permanent and ongoing contribution to housing stability and security for our local residents.