ARC of The Peninsula Names Affordable Housing Project After Bill Mahan
The Current Chairman of The Board Of Directors For Paratransit Services.
Bremerton, Washington - Bill Mahan serviced as the Kitsap County Commissioner from 1969 - 1989. With no transportation options available on the peninsula in 1980, Mr. Mahan, as Commissioner, was instrumental in working with the Kitsap Peninsula Housing Authority in forming a transportation department known as the Kitsap Peninsula Housing and Transportation Association (KPHTA) later becoming Paratransit Services in 1984. From 1989 – 1995 Mr. Mahan worked with the Central Puget Sound Economic Development District while also serving on Paratransit Services Board of Directors. From 1995 – 2004 Mr. Mahan serviced as Paratransit Services President/CEO. In 2005 he was once again elected to the Board of Directors, this time serving as its Chairman ever since his election.
The Bill Mahan Apartments will be 22-unit affordable housing project located in Bremerton, Washington. The project has been funded by an $8.9M one-time grant award from the Washington State Department of Health and Health Services (DSHS). The award is being managed through the Washington State Housing Trust Fund on behalf of DSHS. Kitsap County has also contributed grant funding in the amount of $1.050M. The official groundbreaking took place on November 20, 2023 and was attended by many current and former city, county and state leaders. Paratransit Services CEO/President David Baker participated in the groundbreaking alongside Clerk of the Board Kristen Syreini. Also in attendance were former Paratransit Services EVP/CFO Darlene Riley and new Paratransit Services Board Member Chris Tibbs.
The Bill Mahan Apartments housing initiative will greatly benefit the lives of members of the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) community by providing safety, security and a place to call home. As a non-profit that continuously empowers, educates, and supports individuals with IDD, The Arc believes that affordable housing is essential for a community that is too often considered a second thought by society. Once completed the project will be seek out individuals that are struggling to afford housing on their own, individuals that are transitioning out of an institutional setting, and individuals that are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless, with the goal of providing safe and securing housing for this population.
The tentative date for completion of this project is scheduled for early in 2025. Paratransit Services would like to offer a well-deserved congratulations to Bill Mahan on this historic honor.
Pictured Left to Right: Kristen Syreini (Clerk of the Board), David Baker (President/CEO - Paratransit Services), Bill Mahan (Chairman of the Board), Darlene Riley (Former PS EVP/CFO), Chris Tibbs (ARC of the Peninsula CEO / Paratransit Service Board Member)