Building a stable future for the Upper Valley

Leavenworth is home. It’s a tight-knit community.
It’s a beloved escape.

But finding an affordable place to live has become harder and harder—especially for the people who underpin our economy.

Introducing the Solid Foundations Campaign for affordable housing.

This fundraising campaign will secure 31 affordable rentals across Leavenworth and lay the foundation for future housing opportunities.

Get Tickets: Celebrate Workforce Housing May 3

Give to Affordable Housing

The housing shortage affects us all.

It’s a problem for those of us who stay—and for those of us who are pushed out.

The Upper Valley is facing a pressing housing crisis as it grapples with soaring home values and limited supply caused by a rise in tourism, job growth, an influx of remote workers, and scarce buildable land.

This has created an urgent need for affordable workforce housing.

This affects people across various socioeconomic levels, including those working in the service industry, education, healthcare, and agriculture.

Thanks to tremendous early support from our community and elected officials, Upper Valley MEND now owns and manages 31 apartments in Leavenworth as permanently affordable workforce housing.

We envision this as the first step in a longer-term solution to the housing crisis in Leavenworth.

The campaign will continue through 2024 to raise funds to expand the affordable housing stock.

$6.8M raised during the early phase of the campaign covers the cost of the property and sale, pays for immediate maintenance on the properties, establishes a maintenance fund, and supports a new bilingual property manager position.

Additional funds raised during the community phase of the campaign will support future housing opportunities, including building two new units on a lot donated by the Marson family.

FUNDING SOURCES

$600K: City of Leavenworth

$860K: Chelan County

$500K: MEND Funds (Including Meadowlark Proceeds)

$2.23M: State of Washington

Approximately $3M: Philanthropy & Community Support

Through the generosity and foresight of the Marson family, we have an opportunity to make a long-term impact on affordable housing in our valley.

The Marson Family has maintained a portfolio of rentals, keeping rents affordable for local residents. When they decided to sell these properties, they approached Upper Valley MEND first, offering a long lead time and a below-market price. Along with the sale of these properties, the Marson family is donating a newly subdivided lot in 2024. This lot will allow us to add two new rental units, building a foundation for future affordable housing in the Upper Valley.

“Our family decided to do this because it's the right thing for our community, which has been so good to us, and we'd like to set an example for others to help with this goal of affordable housing. We feel this is a positive step in the right direction.” -Ken Marson

Together, we can ensure that our community always has a place to call home.

Through this campaign, our community will:

Keep 31 families from being displaced.
Provide a source of secure, stable workforce housing for future families needing a place to live.
Leverage $2.46 million in public funding in support of affordable housing.
Provide an income stream to invest in the upkeep of the units.
Build two new units in the next few years, and lay the foundation for future affordable housing.