Editor,

We need affordable housing on Whidbey Island for our younger people who fill jobs that we retired residents need. As the Whidbey Island County Economic Development Council says, “Our economy rests on attracting and keeping our younger people.”

Many of these residents earn minimum wage, which is just over $11 per hour.

This is not enough to pay the high rents charged here on the island. How do you pay $1,300 to $2,000 rent per month when you take home $1,600 per month? How would you ever find housing? You move off the island.

Our population is top heavy with retired people and we need services that young people provide They will stay here if they can afford to live here.

A new nonprofit charity is trying to build affordable housing. Members of seven area churches have founded Tiny Houses in the Name of Christ — THINC. The plan is to build, with volunteers, one tiny house per church. The greatest need now is for a donation of land so we can start building affordable houses.

The City of Langley recently passed a new international code for tiny housing. THINC is encouraged to start building in Langley due to the city’s willingness to adopt code to accommodate tiny houses.

Many other cities in the U.S. have done or are working on code changes to facilitate tiny houses. Help is needed to identify a parcel of land on Langley sewer and water.

The donor of land would be memorialized with a sign naming the tiny house neighborhood after them. A seller who would carry the land loan would also be great.

For more information contact Maralie Johnson at 360-221-8038 or go to the thincwhidbey.org website and leave a message.

Maralie Johnson

Langley