When Wild Rose Meadow, OPAL Community Land Trust’s newest neighborhood, is completed this fall, seniors will own five of the 32 permanently affordable homes. Thirteen will be owned by families with children; and 14 by singles or couples, three of whom have disabilities.

Wild Rose Meadow is the first OPAL neighborhood specifically designed so homeowners can “age in place.” Houses have a ground floor bedroom, will accommodate walkers and wheelchairs and can be customized to include handrails, showers with seats, raised toilets and other independent living aids.

“While OPAL typically serves low-income working families and first-time homebuyers, we also serve islanders of all ages,” explained Lisa Byers, executive director of OPAL. “But a few years ago, when several retirees on fixed incomes approached us about buying houses, we realized we needed to take a new look at how OPAL determines asset limits for people of retirement age.”

Recognizing that retirees usually need access to retirement savings to live on, OPAL follows affordable housing industry standards and does not include IRS-qualified retirement vehicles, such as pensions, 401(k) plans and IRAs, in setting asset limits for applicants. But many retirees’ retirement savings are are instead invested in their current home.

So OPAL revised its retirement asset policy to allow retirees to have a limited amount of retirement assets to live on that are not in IRS-qualified vehicles.

Retirement-age buyers still cannot exceed OPAL’s established income and asset limits. They will agree to the same resale price calculations that keep house prices affordable for future purchasers. However, it is now possible for island seniors with low incomes to meet the income and asset qualifications for purchasing an affordable OPAL house by selling their existing home and retaining a limited amount of assets from the sale of that home to supplement their income.

Last year, long-time islanders Bob and Megan Harris, both in their mid 80s and married 58 years, sold their moderately priced home of 21 years and bought a two-bedroom, one-bath, single-story house in Wild Rose Meadow. Under the community land trust model, their new house will remain affordable, not only for them, but also for all future buyers.

“This house is smaller, easier to maintain, and close to town and the library,” explained Megan, who likes the neighborhood mix of ages, incomes and abilities. “It’s good to have people around – neighbors we can be involved with.”

A retired architect, Bob appreciates the quality of their OPAL house. “It’s some of the best construction on the island. The house is quiet and tight. There are windows in all directions and good solar warmth in winter.”

“The day we moved in, two little neighbor girls came and asked our names,” said Bob. “We became buddies right then. They come to our door often and bring flowers or drawings.” Megan added, “The young people bring vitality and that gives us vitality.”

OPAL now provides homes for 90 households on Orcas Island, and continues to accept applications from people unable to purchase a home on the open market.

For more information, go to: www.opalclt.org/news or call OPAL at (360) 376-3191.