Today, Clallam County residents can tour North View — the new “luxury” apartments for the homeless that serve as incumbent Commissioner Mike French’s flagship project. At over $350,000 per unit, this is anything but affordable for the taxpayers funding it. Marketed as the housing crisis solution, it creates dependency instead of scalability. This is your chance to see the harbor-view terraces and premium amenities your tax dollars built — nicer than many working families enjoy.
Today at 3 pm, Peninsula Behavioral Health will hold the ribbon-cutting and open house for its North View apartment complex at the corner of 2nd and Oak in Port Angeles.
This may be the only opportunity for Clallam County residents to see inside the facility they helped pay for — one that offers more amenities than many local working families have in their own homes.
The 36-unit complex features two rooftop terraces, panoramic views of the harbor and Olympic Mountains, EV charging stations, a pet-friendly courtyard with a dog-washing sink, oversized windows, air conditioning in every unit, dishwashers, and upgraded insulation for privacy.
These are not modest efficiency units: studios start at a minimum of 400 square feet, significantly larger than those in Peninsula Behavioral Health’s previous Dawn View Court apartments.
The price tag is staggering. Clallam County taxpayers directly contributed $4 million, with the total project cost budgeted at $12.75 million through a mix of private donations, grants, and other government funding.
That works out to an average cost of more than $350,000 per apartment — most of them studios or one-bedrooms.
This is the centerpiece of incumbent County Commissioner Mike French’s “affordable housing” platform, alongside the underperforming Recompete Federal Grant.
Serious questions surround the process. Peninsula Behavioral Health CEO Wendy Sisk, who sits on the county’s Behavioral Health Advisory Board that recommends funding for her own organization, personally presented the project and requested financial commitments.
When concerns about the clear conflict of interest were raised, County Administrator Todd Mielke interjected during a May 2024 meeting that he — not Sisk — was making the request, even as Sisk had just told the Behavioral Health Advisory Board, “What I need is a commitment to get us through construction.”
Clallam County estimates 4,488 people are waiting for affordable units. At North View’s per-unit cost, meeting that need would require roughly $1.5 billion — money the county simply does not have.
This approach is not a long-term solution.
Peninsula Behavioral Health CEO Wendy Sisk has described North View as low-barrier, “not exclusively dry” permanent supportive housing. It targets homeless individuals — including those “living where they’re really not supposed to be,” such as staying with friends or adult children told by parents to move out. Priority is also given to those who are frequently incarcerated.
Success at their previous Dawn View Court project is measured by low turnover — meaning residents are not expected to leave.
Sisk has openly stated that residents can remain in the units “until such a time as your income exceeds the requirements.” This policy creates a built-in disincentive for tenants to increase their earnings or pursue self-sufficiency.
Amenities were deliberately chosen to eliminate any perceived “barriers.” At Dawn View Court, free washers and dryers were installed after coin-operated machines were deemed too burdensome. For North View, every unit received a dishwasher, a smoking shelter was added because not having one was a “dealbreaker” for many residents, and pet-friendly features were included. “Housing is part of healthcare,” Sisk explained.
Clallam County taxpayers are footing the bill for luxury housing for drug addicts and repeat offenders, while many working families are being priced out of their communities by rising taxes and housing costs. Commissioner French talks about a county where hard work leads to success — yet the system he champions rewards dependency instead of self-reliance.
North View is neither scalable nor sustainable, and it is certainly not fair. It provides luxury “affordable housing” for selected recipients while saddling taxpayers with the real cost.
Residents should attend today’s 3pm open house to see exactly what their money bought: a flagship project that forms a central pillar of incumbent Commissioner Mike French’s re-election platform.
Clallam County deserves far better solutions than this.
References:
The May 14, 2024 Behavioral Health Advisory Board Meeting (start at 18:20).
The August 26, 2024 Board of Commissioners’ Work Session (start at 5:45).
Today’s Tidbit: Meanwhile in Sequim…
You may have seen the legal notice in the paper. A similar 36-unit permanent supportive housing project is coming to 505 S. 5th Avenue in Sequim — also branded as “affordable housing.”
The $12 million redevelopment by Serenity House will demolish the 16 unit Sunbelt Apartments to make way for the new building, delivering a net gain of just 20 units. That works out to roughly $600,000 per net new apartment — all for low-barrier housing that does not require sobriety.
This project will also require significant Clallam County taxpayer funds. “Affordable housing” has officially been redefined in Clallam County — and it’s anything but affordable for those paying the bills.
