The City of Oak Harbor posted this item to the news page of its website on Feb. 3, 2026.
City of Oak Harbor Secures Grants for Affordable Workforce Housing Project
City of Oak Harbor – February 3, 2026 – The City has been awarded three million dollars in grants to support the Mulberry Village Affordable Housing Project being developed by the Opportunity Council.
Island County awarded two million dollars to the City from the Rural County Economic Development (RCED) grant program. The funding from Island County will be used to extend the Mulberry Court Road through the property to Swantown Avenue. The road extension is essential to alleviate traffic congestion on Mulberry Court and reduce concerns from neighboring households. There will need to be approximately 168 parking spaces at the housing development.
The Washington State Department of Commerce awarded one million dollars to the City from the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP). The funding is provided from the State Building Construction Account. The funding will be used to install infrastructure for water, sewer and storm utilities.
In 2023, Island County issued a Request for Qualification seeking an experienced developer to acquire and develop affordable workforce housing. Opportunity Council partnered with Blue Ridge Cascade, its mission is to deliver high-quality, attainable housing for families, eniors, and America’s workforce. Opportunity Council was selected as the development partner for the site.
Mulberry Village, a multifamily rental housing development, will include 96 affordable units with a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. It will feature a dedicated community building for residents with a range of amenities including laundry facilities and a community kitchen for resident events and programs. Supportive services, including resident assistance, case management and resource navigation, will be provided through a partnership with Opportunity Council.
The City of Oak Harbor is proud to support this affordable workforce housing development and will work closely with Opportunity Council and Blue Ridge Cascade to ensure the development in on track and meets the obligations of both the RCED and CHIP grant. “Investments like this help our community who work here afford to live here too. Mulberry Village represents the kind of collaborative development housing that supports working families” said Mayor Ronnie Wright.
