Why an Eldercare Facility Turned to Employer-Provided Housing

Providing temporary housing in tiny homes has helped a Washington long-term care facility keep its doors open in the face of a growing housing crisis.

2 minute read

August 4, 2023, 8:00 AM PDT

By Shelterforce


Aerial view of small rural community nestled in sprawling green valley in Washington State

Methow Valley is an isolated, rural community in Washington state. | Cavan / Adobe Stock

Jamie’s Place is the only long-term care facility in Washington state’s vast Methow Valley, and its ability to care for elders was threatened last year when caregivers struggled to find safe and affordable housing.

“They were worried they [would] need to move due to lack of housing,” said Rana Clarke, the executive director of Jamie’s Place.  “One had been couch-surfing for over a year. . . . We have an older caregiver living in a trailer without running water.” Another employee commuted more than 30 miles over a mountain pass due to lack of local housing—time-consuming, hazardous, and unsustainable in the face of high gas prices.

In all, 5 of the facility’s 14 caregivers were housing insecure.

Unlike businesses that can shorten work hours or close for a day or two each week to address staffing shortages, Jamie’s Place couldn’t as it provides care for seniors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  The nonprofit—formally known as the Methow Valley Family Home Center Association—operates two homes, each occupied by six older adults. “We had some real concerns about being able to stay open if we were going to start losing our workforce,” says Clarke.

Staff and board members scoured the community in search of existing housing for the caregivers, even reaching out to local hotels and looking for accessory dwelling units, those smaller, more affordable units that are often called ADUs, granny flats, or mother-in-law apartments. But those avenues didn’t pan out. The vacancy rate in Methow Valley is low, less than 1 percent. A “healthy” rate—where home seekers have some choices available to them—falls in the 3 percent to 7 percent range.

The conversation then turned to the possibility of providing housing on-site at Jamie’s Place, and that’s when the team began to consider tiny houses.

Getting to a ‘Yes’ for Tiny Houses

With the notion of tiny houses in hand, Jamie’s Place staff approached ...

Friday, July 7, 2023 in Shelterforce Magazine

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA