County Commissioners are poised to grant Habitat for Humanity $800,000 to support a housing project in Carlsborg—but questions remain. The nonprofit has sent hundreds of thousands in local donations overseas, struggled through its first-ever development process, and previously planned to steer public funds to Jamestown Excavating without competitive bidding. While that plan may have changed, the lack of transparency and the blurred lines between charity, politics, and public money are raising serious concerns.
When most people donate to Habitat for Humanity, they imagine their dollars helping a local family get a roof over their heads—not subsidizing overseas projects or quietly enriching political favorites through no-bid contracts. But in Clallam County, that seems to be exactly what’s happening.
Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County sent $400,000 in local donations overseas to fund housing in Ukraine and El Salvador—a move that may warm hearts internationally, but raises eyebrows at home, where working families are struggling to find housing and keep up with rising property taxes.
Meanwhile, Habitat’s social media paints a curious picture: photos of ribbon cuttings and volunteer builds are interspersed with snapshots from conferences in Washington, D.C. and the Mexican Riviera.
Back home, the agency’s CEO, Colleen Robinson, is pleading with Sequim officials for help navigating the city’s development code—on what is, remarkably, the organization's first-ever housing development.
“Forgive me. It’s my first development.”
That was Robinson’s pitch at a March 10 Sequim City Council meeting. She said her organization was struggling to get a permit for a planned housing project after a wetland was identified on the site. She also noted that the city had offered feedback on their flawed application—but implied it was all a bit too much.
[Habitat’s presentation begins at 1:04:15 in the video below.]
The city attorney, however, had a different take: the problems were basic and the fixes were simple. Staff had reached out several times to help Habitat through the process. But, as the attorney put it, the city can’t design the project for them.
Habitat’s initial application expired, and they had to file again—paying $8,000 in filing fees twice due to unresolved issues. City of Sequim documents reveal that approximately $40,000 of Habitat’s money was wasted.
In the private sector or for individual homeowners, that kind of error would be costly and unacceptable. But when you're using Other People’s Money (OPM), accountability seems optional.
$800,000 in taxpayer funds, no-bid deal to the Tribe
Now, Robinson is back—this time asking the Clallam County Commissioners to approve $800,000 in public funds for Habitat’s “Lyon’s Landing” project in Carlsborg.
When the funding was originally requested, Robinson indicated that the money would go directly to Jamestown Excavating, a company owned by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, to begin site development—without a competitive bidding process. At the time, this appeared to violate state law and county grant guidelines.
It’s unclear whether that plan has changed in the final agreement. But the original arrangement raised serious questions about transparency, fairness, and favoritism—and it still hasn’t been fully explained to the public.
“At this time the Lyon’s Landing project is not using State or Federal funding so as a nonprofit we are not required to do a formal bid process. The “Quote” below was submitted by JKT for a grant application that Habitat Clallam was applying for.” — Habitat CEO Colleen Robinson, December 2024
Robinson defended the deal, saying Habitat had “an emergent availability of labor and resources from JKT,” and that future phases might eventually be put out for bid.
Translation: They didn’t even attempt to solicit competitive bids from other contractors. Small businesses throughout Clallam County never had an opportunity. The bid documents attached to this most recent funding request still show only a single quote: one from the Jamestown Corporation.
A Sequim Gazette article sheds more light: the Jamestown Tribe gave $50,000 to help Habitat. Then, Jamestown Excavating got the contract. Habitat insists the donation had nothing to do with the deal. But if it walks like a quid pro quo…
Photos from the groundbreaking show Commissioner Mark Ozias, Jamestown CEO Ron Allen, and Colleen Robinson smiling in front of a gleaming line of Jamestown Excavating trucks. That’s not a community build—it’s a government-blessed transaction with zero competition.
Questions Habitat won’t answer
In recent months, Habitat has made headlines for hiring the nation’s first Native American Housing Liaison—a position that sounds inclusive until you ask a basic question: What’s the job description?
They won’t say.
That’s raising alarm bells for community members worried that housing—paid for with public dollars—might be distributed based on identity politics, not need. Habitat says race isn’t a factor, but refuses to offer transparency. They want your money, not your questions.
“We are committed to strengthening our relationships with the City of Sequim, and our newly established partnership with Habitat for Humanity has opened numerous exciting opportunities for JKT Development.” — Jamestown Tribe’s 2024 Report to Tribal Citizens
At Monday’s 9:00 a.m. Clallam County Commissioner work session, the $800,000 grant is expected to be finalized (details here.) The funding would go toward land development, utilities, roads, and stormwater infrastructure at the Mill Road site in Carlsborg. The agreement has already been reviewed by the County Prosecutor’s Office and signed off by Habitat.
But there are still big questions:
Will other contractors ever get a chance to bid?
Will housing be distributed fairly and transparently?
Will public money continue to flow to politically favored groups?
Why is a tax-exempt nonprofit allowed to compete with private developers while dodging public oversight?
We don’t know. And if Habitat has its way, you won’t either.
But one thing’s clear: it’s not their money. It’s yours
Madeo Memorial Art Show this Sunday
The family of Rich Madeo has generously invited the public to view his art this weekend.
Sunday, June 29 | 3 PM – 6 PM
Sequim Prairie Garden Clubhouse @ Pioneer Memorial Park
387 E Washington St, Sequim, WA
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