Homes First

About Homes First

​Vision: Our vision is one of vibrant communities where everyone has a safe and healthy home they can afford, so that they have hope for a better future

​Mission: We believe everyone needs a home to be successful. Therefore, it is our mission to create and maintain safe, healthy, and affordable rental homes for those who need them most.

​Since 1990, Homes First has successfully created affordable rental housing in Thurston and Mason Counties, WA. In over 32 years, we have helped close to 5,000 low and very low income community members find safe, clean, and affordable rental housing with a landlord who treats them with dignity and respect. 

​Income from rents and fundraising goes to maintain the housing, provide staff oversight, and help fund future affordable housing projects.

​Our strength is in our partnerships. We work together with local service providers to ensure our tenants receive the support they need to be successful. We meet our tenants where they are and help them have the financial and emotional space they need to define for themselves what success may look like.

​Our business is not all about homes though. Our mission is about people and making the South Puget Sound region a great place to work for everyone. Although we own homes, it is people we truly serve. We need to be prepared to meet the ever growing demand for affordable rental housing. This is not a speculative enterprise but a demand driven response to the need that is shown by state and local entities who track requests for housing. It is also driven by the over 900 requests for housing that Homes First must turn away every year due to lack of available units.

​No other nonprofit organization in our region does what we do. Rather than allowing our mission to creep beyond the original intention of the founders - to provide and support affordable rental housing - we have partnered with other organizations that complement our programs.

​Supportive housing is a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable, productive lives. It is widely shown to work well for those who face the most complex challenges—individuals and families confronted with homelessness who also have very low incomes and/or serious, persistent issues and serious challenges to a successful life.

​Homes First has been experiencing rapid growth as we build upon our existing community housing assets. Every year, our objective is to make a significant contribution to our region’s basic needs for affordable rental homes. 

​Our Homes:

We currently have 46 properties serving almost 300 people a year. We are currently in the process of adding nine more properties to our portfolio and expect to continue this pattern of growth in the coming years.

​We provide rentals in single family homes and small multiplex properties, plus shared living for people in recovery, adults with developmental disabilities, youth, veterans, people in court diversion programs, and people exiting Western State Hospital. All shared housing is provided in partnership with local service providers who add case management services for permanent supportive housing.

​We acquire new units with financial support from the Washington State Housing Trust Fund, our local cities and counties, individual donors and mortgages from Oly Fed Bank. Rental and fundraising income helps us maintain the homes forever.