
People with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDDs) have 10 new units of affordable housing in Bremerton.
The new homes are part of 22 new affordable housing units at the Bill Mahan Apartments. The property opened May 16 thanks to an investment in memory of Dan Thompson from the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
This site will remain affordable to tenants due to Bremerton Housing Authority’s allocation of 20 Housing Choice Vouchers, 10 of which are for residents with IDDs. These vouchers subsidize a tenant’s rent to ensure tenants keep their rent costs low and properties still receive funding to cover the cost of operations.
Disability advocate and former Kitsap County Commissioner Bill Mahan worked with Kitsap Peninsula Housing and Transpiration Authority to establish a paratransit systemin Kitsap County. Paratransit serves community members with disabilities by providing alternative modes of transportation that is responsive to the unique needs of the rider. Mahan served from 1969-1989.
Commerce and DSHS allocated over $19 million to fund the capital construction of new affordable housing units for people with IDDs, providing housing for 82 individuals across 17 sites in communities like Tacoma, Vancouver and Bremerton. Read more about Dan Thompson Memorial Fund on the Commerce website. Bill Mahan Apartments was developed by Peninsula Alliance, which has worked since 1938 to provide services to tens of thousands of individuals with development disabilities and their families throughout the Olympic Peninsula region. Learn more about Peninsula Alliance and their impact on their website.