About Us
The love is strong
But the foundation is fragile.
Right now, many Lopezians are struggling with the basics: living in substandard housing, paying too much for rent, or constantly on the move — housesitting, couch surfing, camping, renting for a short term.
We have seniors who can’t afford to keep their homes warm, families who choose between rent and food, people who juggle multiple jobs just to get by. There is a mounting portion of our community that is food insecure, and a growing group of farmers and restaurants that can only succeed if they can hire staff (who need affordable places to live) or gain access to infrastructure that helps them process and distribute products.
Renter occupied trailer on Lopez Island. Photo used with permission.
Village North
9-acres in the heart of the Lopez Island Village.
Village North
Centrally located near the Lopez Island Post Office.
The good news
The next chapter in Lopez’s story is ours to choose.
We don’t have to deepen class divisions or accept the demise of our farming culture. We are not fated to tell our grandchildren about how things used to be — we can take steps to make sure they experience the magic of the Lopez we all love and cherish.
With nearly ten acres in the Village owned by Housing Lopez, $5.3 million in grants from county and state resources, and a vision for combining affordable housing with shared food and farming infrastructure in the heart of our community, we can create a future that is rooted in the traditions of Lopez. A place where a down-to-earth mix of people from all walks of life share a commitment to the spacious “Slopez” ways of island living.
Now? All we need is you.
The Bold Initiative
Housing Lopez and the Lopez Food Center are partnering to develop two innovative projects on a nine-acre site acquired in the Village in 2021. The projects will occupy three buildable acres, leaving the remaining area undeveloped to support and enhance existing wetlands, preserve a stand of trees, and support wildlife.
The Bold Initiative
Housing Lopez and the Lopez Food Center are partnering to develop two innovative projects on a nine-acre site acquired in the Village in 2021. The projects will occupy three buildable acres, leaving the remaining area undeveloped to support and enhance existing wetlands, preserve a stand of trees, and support wildlife.
The Food Center
The Food Center’s multi-use facility will bring farms, food-related businesses, nonprofit organizations, and our broader community together, creating fertile ground to foster economic opportunities within the food ecosystem. Job skills training and education, equitable food access through the Food Share, a community incubator kitchen, and critical storage space for farms and restaurants will have a home here. In addition, the facility will provide a distribution site for the SJI Food Hub, classroom and pop-up venues, and a gathering space for the Heart and Soul Café. The Food Center is expected to be completed in 2026.
Affordable Housing
As a project partner, Housing Lopez will build a new 15-unit affordable rental community, Village North, consisting of four two-story structures with one- and two-bedroom apartments built by Method Homes, the same company that built FishBay Cottages. This is the first of a three-phase plan to build up to 45 units on the site with the first phase expected to be completed in late 2024. Village North has the potential not only to improve the lives of Lopez Island families, children, elderly, and young people who need a secure and affordable place to live, but also to serve as a model for other communities facing similar housing challenges.
Proven Track Record
The Housing Lopez Board formed in 2018 and is composed of professionals from the affordable housing and real estate development sector. It successfully completed its first project, six 2-bedroom homes in the Village, known as FishBay Cottages, in 2021. These affordable rental homes were built and occupied in just ten months, on time and on budget, providing affordable homes for people doing essential work on Lopez, including child care, grocery staffing, firefighting, and construction. As a test case, this project demonstrated clearly to local government, foundations, and donors that we can make affordable rental housing on Lopez happen. Now we can scale the model, building more than twice as many homes in Phase 1 at Village North.
The Food Center planning team formed in 2020 and includes food system leaders, technical experts and local food stakeholders. With a large grant from USDA and support from private donors, the group has conducted producer focus groups, community meetings, individual interviews and a farmer-focused survey, developed a business plan and prepared a preliminary space plan. The Lopez Food Center incorporated as a nonprofit in early 2023, and its board includes leaders from the SJ Islands Ag Guild, SJ Islands Food Hub, and Lopez Island Family Resource Center.
Rooted in
Tradition
This is your opportunity to contribute to lasting, sustainable change that will preserve the ‘Lopez way’ and leave a legacy in the making. Donate today!
Our Steering Committee
Meet the people who are on the ground putting your ideas and support into action.
Toby Bright
John Dagres
Mike Halperin and Jodi Green
Melora Hiller
Melora Hiller is the Co-Chair of Housing Lopez and has over 35 years of experience working in affordable housing and community development in a variety of settings. As a housing planner with King County, she designed a rental assistance program for homeless persons with disabilities in collaboration with local service providers and secured $12.6 million in federal funds for the program. In other roles, including as a consultant, Melora has focused on building the capacity of affordable housing nonprofits through advocacy, strategic planning, board development, and training. Most recently Melora was the CEO of Grounded Solutions Network whose 200+ member organizations provide permanently affordable access to land, homes, and community assets. Melora oversaw 20+ staff and raised over $4m annually from major foundations and corporate sponsors.
Katherine Bryant Ingman
Katherine is the Senior Manager of Community Experience and Culture at the Washington Women’s Foundation where she administers programs, events, and membership culture. Before joining the WaWF in 2022, she was the Manager of the Lopez Food Share, a locally sourced and community-led food bank on Lopez Island. She has a B.A. in Speech Communication from Whitworth University, a M.A. in Theology & Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary and recently completed a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Washington. Katherine is active in the Lopez Island community, sitting on several boards, including as President of the Catherine Washburn Medical Association. She has over 10 years of experience working across the nonprofit sector; including grant writing, youth prevention facilitation, public health, affordable housing, food security, leadership development and trust-based philanthropy.
Sandy Meltzer
During 25 years as a hospital physician and senior executive at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Sandy focused on enterprise-wide strategy, business development and fundraising. He currently serves as a Board member and consultant working with domestic and international non-profit health care organizations. A part time Lopez resident for 14 years, Sandy has served as an advisor and fundraiser for LIFRC, and wife Ellen is currently an LIFRC Board member.
Barbara Schultheiss
Barbara Schultheiss, Executive Director of the Lopez Island Family Resource Center, has 40 years’ experience in public health, social services and community organizing. She has worked at the San Francisco Health Department, community coalitions, and non-profits, as well as her own Outcomes Evaluation consulting business. She holds a BA, Psychology/Education from Clark University and a Master’s in Health Administration, Clark University/University of Massachusetts Medical School. She has raised millions of dollars with both fundraising and grant writing to support innovative projects at non-profits.