In 1968, the City of Anacortes, the Mayor and City Council declared a need for safe, standard, sanitary and affordable housing for the lower income population in the City. This housing was also needed to replace the substandard housing that was located in the urban renewal areas and being torn down.

Under this declaration and the Washington State law, the Housing Authority, as it is today, was formed as a public nonprofit corporation, an entity in itself. The Mayor, in accordance with Washington State Law, appointed the first Board of Commissioners and the official name chosen was the Housing Authority of the City of Anacortes.

A request was made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a direct loan with which to provide the housing that was needed. A contract was preliminarily approved for construction dollars. Proposals were received for construction of both family and senior housing. The original Board consisted of Neil Monro, Merrill Iversen, W. B. Van Horn, Floyd Waller and Reg LeBrun. This Board was instrumental in seeing that the developments “get off the ground.”

In 1969, with a direct loan from the Federal Government (HUD), housing construction was underway with contracts signed for 50 units of family plus 50 units of seniors/disabled housing was constructed. The family units were opened in December of 1970 and the first families moved in on December 1st.

The Historic Wilson Hotel, Anacortes