Island Roots Housing

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United States
Langley, WA
Island Roots Housing

Advancing affordable housing choices to meet a diversity of needs in Island County.

Island Roots Housing is fiscally sponsored by Goosefoot, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

06/01/2026

So, what are we looking at here?
Meet Sara Owens — local sculptor, blacksmith, and maker behind Morphology Metal Works, here on Whidbey Island. Sara has been commissioned to create something special for the entrance to Generations Place.

What you're seeing is an architectural arbor: two stylized trees, hand-forged in steel, that arch over the front entrance to welcome residents and visitors' home. Tucked into the ironwork is a family of robins — a nod to the community and continuity that Generations Place is meant to embody.

It's the kind of personal detail that says: these homes were built with care. The final touches are being installed this week!

05/22/2026

Wow- Look at the progress over at Generations Place! A little color really brings the site to life.

05/18/2026

This hearing will be the public's last opportunity to give public comment that will shape planning in Island County for the next 20(!) years, including addressing critical affordable housing needs.

05/09/2026

Come see us this Saturday from 11-5 at the Penn Cove Water Festival in Coupeville!

05/07/2026

🏡✨ Homegrown Solutions: Building What Comes Next ✨🏡

Yesterday, we were proud to host our Carter Work Project ~ Rural Rally Roundtable Discussion, bringing together local leaders, planners, and housing partners from across Island County to tackle one of our community’s biggest challenges—affordable housing.

From updates on comprehensive plans and zoning changes to conversations around equity, growth, and reducing barriers to housing, this roundtable focused on real, actionable solutions for the future.

Together, we explored how our communities can plan for growth while ensuring access to safe, affordable homes for families at all income levels—because stronger communities start with a place to call home.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined the conversation, shared their expertise, and is committed to building what comes next. 💜

05/05/2026

If you've been looking for a moment to support affordable housing solutions, this is it. Today is GiveBIG, a one-day giving event across Washington state, where support for local nonprofits goes further thanks to broad participation.

Generations Place is opening this summer in Langley, the first new affordable apartments there in more than 35 years. It happened because this community decided it should.

We're ready to do it again, and we need your help to get there. Island Roots is now in early planning for several more projects across Island County, and your gift today helps fund the site assessments, partnership building, and community conversations that must take place before a single shovel goes in the ground.

Local problems need local solutions, and local resources to make it happen. Give BIG today: https://mtyc.co/xeaagg

04/30/2026

Generations Place is continuing to take shape inside and out. Flooring and appliances are now being installed, insulation is in, and the interiors are beginning to look and function like real homes rather than a construction zone!

Outside, new sidewalks and street parking along 2nd Street and DeBruyn Avenue are now open for public use. Thank you to our neighbors for your patience throughout the paving process and ongoing construction activity.

04/28/2026

Generations Place is not only about the number of affordable homes we're building. It’s about how we build them.

From the start, the local community has had a voice in shaping every aspect of the design. We’ve worked alongside architects, engineers, contractors, and community partners to ensure the project reflects long-term thinking and responsible stewardship.

Design and construction features include:

> Quiet: Thoughtful placement of heat pump compressors and sound-deadening channels between units

> Water Conservation: Low-flow plumbing, smart irrigation systems, and a “whole-house” recirculating hot water system

> Designing for electricity conservation: Individual utility submeters allow residents to manage costs, while solar panels provide cost offsets for each unit

> Health: Heat recovery ventilator filters and low-VOC materials to support healthy indoor air

> Quality of Life: Open kitchen layouts, natural light, and practical storage for multigenerational living

> Long Term: Choosing long life-cycle materials like plywood instead of OSB, and thoughtful construction practices that divert 90% of site waste from landfills

None of this is accidental. Every design decision reflects our belief that affordability and quality are not mutually exclusive. They go hand in hand.

04/23/2026

Last fall, the Tinyblue Foundation gifted Island Roots Housing their 20-acre Wahl Road farmstead in Freeland—known to many in the community as the former Enso House. We're still in the process of determining what's possible for the property under Island County's updated comprehensive plan. In the meantime, we wanted to make sure the main house was doing something useful for the community.

Beginning April 1, Island Roots began leasing the house to Family Best Care, a licensed home care agency expanding to Island County. The arrangement came together through Island Senior Resources, which has been working to close a persistent gap in home care access for island seniors.

Most care agencies rely on caregivers commuting from off-island daily, but Family Best Care's model is different. Their vision is to have caregivers housed locally during their work week, embedded in the community and able to be present in ways that long commutes make difficult.

"The number of people who get to age in place because they have a locally based caregiver is profound," says ISR Interim Executive Director Cheryn Weiser.

A property that once supported people in transition is now providing in a new way. We’re grateful to our friends at Island Senior Resources for the important work they’re doing, and for making this connection.

Read the full story here: https://islandrootshousing.org/news-updates/new-chapter-for-former-enso-house

04/16/2026

When we talk about affordable housing, it can be easy to focus on numbers: rental units, income limits, construction timelines. But sometimes the real impact shows up in more subtle ways.

Stable housing means:

> A child can stay in the same school all year.

> A retiree on a fixed income doesn’t have to relocate when costs climb.

> A retail clerk can take a job close to home instead of commuting an hour each way.

> A family can plan for the future instead of scrambling month to month.

When housing is predictable, everything else becomes easier. School attendance improves. Doctors appointments are kept. Local businesses keep their employees. And neighbors have the chance to know one another.

Housing is infrastructure, just like roads, water lines, and schools. It supports a functioning community.

Generations Place alone won’t solve our housing shortage. But fourteen more stable homes can create fourteen firmer foundations. And that stability doesn’t stop at the front door. It ripples outward—into classrooms, workplaces, and the daily hum of neighborhood life.

That’s why we do what we do.

Address

5611 Bayview Road
Langley, WA
98260

Telephone

+13603214145

Website

http://islandrootshousing.org/

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