Providing safe, affordable housing for low-income families
ABOUT US:
Mi Casa was formed in 1991 by a small bible study group from All Saints Catholic Church in the Puyallup Valley. Concerned for families in the community affected by the lack of affordable housing, food, adequate medical care, and financial resources they decided to act.
We, the current board, continue to carry out the founding Board’s vision. Housing and normal living costs continue to make affordable housing out of reach to low income families. Because we place a high value on family integrity and community support, we believe that families have a right to stay in their own communities and not be uprooted from their support groups and sources of income.
Mi Casa was formed in 1991 by a small bible study group from All Saints Catholic Church in the Puyallup Valley. Concerned for families in the community affected by the lack of affordable housing, food, adequate medical care, and financial resources they decided to act.
We, the current board, continue to carry out the founding Board’s vision. Housing and normal living costs continue to make affordable housing out of reach to low income families. Because we place a high value on family integrity and community support, we believe that families have a right to stay in their own communities and not be uprooted from their support groups and sources of income.
Who We Serve
- We have 38 rental units with the ability to provide long-term housing for 164 women, men and children.
- We use our homes to rent exclusively to low and very-low income families who have been referred to us by other agencies.
- Basic Demographic of our tenants for 2015. The average income is $20,754 dollars annually. 27 of our 38 family are single parent households.
- Our rents are far below market value (normally 50% or lower than fair market value).
- When a tenant cannot make payment for the month we can offer subsidies (from our endowment) for a period of time that it takes to get back on their feet again. Currently we have two families receiving subsidies. This is key to avoiding the cycle of being in and out of a homeless situation.
- Both the low rents and subsidies allow us to be a long term option for housing for families with the specter of homelessness looming over them.
- Our tenants stay in our housing until they can establish themselves in the standard housing market. That can be as long as 20 years or as short as a year.
Who We Are
- Our volunteers run the Non-Profit. Through our volunteers we have specific committees chaired by board members. Accounting and Finance, Properties, Public Relations, Tenant and our executive Committee.
- We retain a professional property manager to manage the properties on an ongoing basis.
- We take pride in maintaining our properties in excellent working order so that they are safe and our tenants feel they are well taken care of.
- Our homes are 1-3 bedroom Duplexes, tri-plexes, and four-plexes throughout Sumner and Puyallup and we have one in Edgewood. We choose properties that are convenient to schools, the bus system and affordable shopping; many of our homes are within walking distance to these services. These homes are scattered throughout the Puyallup Valley rather than grouped in a low income area.
- We do not provide on-site services.
How We are Funded
Mi Casa is incorporated as a non-profit in the state of Washington and have received a 501 c 3 status from the IRS in 1991. We receive funds through donations, grants and the reduced rents.
We bought our first two four-plex apartments in Sumner with a Housing Trust Fund Grant. Since then, we have been securing grants and special non-profit assistance to obtain the other 10 properties.
With the low mortgage payments or no mortgage payments at all, the reduced rents pay most of our operating costs.
For capital improvements we have won grant monies from the Pierce County Community Connections SHB 2060 funds. We have also received private donations that we place in a managed account to assist in subsidizing tenants when they fall on hard times.
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Do you have questions or comments? Please contact us via email to our Board of Director's President, Steve Miller, at president@micasahousing.org or leave a message on our phone at 253-200-1363. We are all volunteers, but we will get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you for your interest in Mi Casa's affordable housing mission.
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