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We love when we get glimpses of articles that don’t come from us that speak to the need of affordable housing in the Wood River Valley.

On April 26th, the Idaho Mountain Express wrote a fantastic article about having affordable housing as a top priority. As the article states, Development of an adequate supply of middle-income housing should be the No. 1 priority of the cities of Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey. This has been an initiative of ARCH’s and Blaine County Housing Authority for years, and we’re glad to see that others are now noting the importance of such an effort.

“For statistical purposes, middle-income households of three people are defined as those with incomes that range from about $42,000 to $125,000 in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center. By standard measures, families in this income range could afford homes priced between $127,272 and $378,787, or rental units that reflect those values. Locally, the supply of middle-income housing is between thin and nonexistent. The supply of rental housing is also scarce.”

Similar to other articles we’ve written, we see flow with affordable housing and the effects that that has on the entire Wood River Valley. Without affordable housing, local businesses don’t have the adequate amount of employees. Without the adequate amount of employees, businesses don’t succeed. When businesses struggle, there is a direct impact on taxes and economic growth in the valley. This cycle continues to spin in a negative fashion until there is a resolution for an adequate amount of affordable housing.

To read the article for Idaho Mountain Express, click here!