Kelle Vandenberg

In this challenging year, the word home has come to mean more than in the past. Home has become our office, our classroom, our workspace, our meeting room, our doctor’s office, our safe space, our sanctuary. While there is much in the world that is uncertain, we have the safety of our home, it’s conveniences, and it’s protection. 

But not everyone does. This year’s unprecedented challenges have put the dream of home ownership further out of reach as hard working families struggle to survive the ongoing trials of today’s reality. Affordable housing in Kittitas County was at a crisis level prior to Covid-19, with an estimated 29,246 housing units listed, only 518 are low-income or affordable housing. There are simply not enough options for affordable housing in the county. 

We have work to do. 

Why It Matters?

Being born into poverty, I struggled to understand why I should want to own a home. I did not understand what it would mean for my children, for our lives together, for their health and overall well-being. I spent years telling myself I didn’t want to be tied down with all of that, I was free to move around, which we did a lot, because that is what I knew. I grew up very poor. My mom was a single mom with five kids who had to move us around a lot. She worked two jobs, and grew too old, too fast. My background is common, too common, too normal. 

I grew up to be a single mom with three kids, who moved her kids around a lot. The pattern was repeating and had to fight to break the cycle of poverty and build a different life for my children. It doesn’t matter if you are wealthy or poor, we all want a better life for our kids. 

I am passionate about bringing home ownership to those who dream of something more, who dream of a better life, who know that they can do it, with just a little help from someone like me, from someone like you. 

Homeownership transforms lives. When families move out of substandard or vulnerable housing and into a simple, decent, affordable home that they own, families frequently improve their health, educational attainment and safety. We see increases in graduation rates, children’s physical and mental health, and the families overall net income and weath. What we also see is a decrease in children’s behavioral problems, reliance on government assistance, and a significant decrease in asthma and other health conditions. 

In 2021, we pledge to do all that we can to help build more affordable housing in Kittitas County, will you help us?