ABOUT US

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a self-sustaining state agency committed to increasing housing access and affordability for the people of Washington.

Homeownership is one of our major lines of business. Thousands of homebuyers each year use our home-loan and downpayment assistance programs to buy a home through partnering loan officers across the state. All of them, plus many more, take free homebuyer education courses to learn everything they need to know about buying a home they can afford. In addition, we help those who are already homeowners by overseeing a statewide network of foreclosure counseling.

The Commission is headquartered in downtown Seattle and led by a board of 12 Commissioners appointed by the Governor. To learn more about the Commission and our other lines of business, please visit our main website at www.wshfc.org.

Our Commitment to Equity in Homeownership

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is committed to creating change and breaking down barriers to wealth. Because of systemic racism and housing discrimination, people throughout the state of Washington have been shut out of building generational wealth through homeownership. Practices such as redlining, racially restrictive covenants and much more have been prevalent throughout much of our state’s history.

Undoing this legacy is an integral part of our work in Homeownership. We are demonstrating this commitment through active work and advocacy alongside partners in the communities we serve, including the Black Home Initiative and the Western Washington Realtists. We also administer the historic Covenant Homeownership Program, created by state law to remedy the harm caused to generations of Washingtonians by housing discrimination.

In our own programs, we have implemented several changes to remove barriers for low- and moderate-income homebuyers. These include:

–Removal of additional credit-score requirement

–Removal of debt-to-income ratio

–Addition of a permanent buydown program to the Home Advantage program

–Addition of duplexes as allowable residences in the Home Advantage program

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission has eleven board members. Nine volunteer members are appointed by the Governor, the Chair who serves at the pleasure of the Governor and eight others who server overlapping, four-year terms that represent various geographic, business, and public interests. Two members are State Officials who serve ex officio, the State Treasurer and the Director of the State Department of Commerce

Our Mission

We work to provide equitable access to capital through strong partnerships and innovative financing to create and sustain affordable rental housing, homeownership, and community spaces across Washington State.

Our Vision

We envision a just future in which all Washingtonians have affordable, sustainable housing in thriving communities, and in which those representing and served by the Commission experience fair, inclusive practices in all aspects of our work.

Our Values

Sound Fiscal Stewardship We commit to responsible investments in housing and community assets that prioritize racial equity and consider long-term sustainability. Accountability and Transparency We are held accountable to our values by our staff, partners, and the communities we serve. As a public agency, we commit to transparency in how we use resources, share power, engage communities, and make decisions. Acknowledging and Addressing Power and Privilege We recognize we have contributed to institutional racism, and we challenge White supremacy by applying anti racist practices to all aspects of our work Respect and Humility We acknowledge our blind spots and biases and commit to learning alongside our partners, each other, and the communities we serve. Equitable and Meaningful Engagement We commit to creating opportunities to engage people in decision making processes that impact them, prioritizing historically excluded communities.

Questions on one of our programs?

Email Address

info@heretohome.org

Toll Free

800-767-4663

Fax Number

206-464-7139

Address

1000 2nd Avenue, Suite 2700 Seattle, WA 98104

Questions or Comments?

Our Mission

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a publicly accountable, self-supporting team, dedicated to increasing housing access and affordability and to expanding the availability of quality community services for the people of Washington.

Our Vision

The Homeownership Division of the Commission is committed to educating and assisting families with all areas of homeownership by providing services such as downpayment assistance, homebuyer education, and mortgage assistance.