Every Friday $2.2 Million in paychecks drive away from the county and our economy.
In order to enhance the social fabric of our community people must live and work in the same area. Those who do make an “investment” in their community by attending social events, frequenting restaurants, volunteering at their children’s schools, shopping locally and supporting charitable causes. In 2014, the State of Idaho reported that over 3800 […]
Who are the applicants?
Resort Personnel — Everyone from the folks that left the mint on your uncles pillow when he stayed at the lodge to the ski patrol person that rescued you with a toboggan when you blew your ACL in the bowls. Emergency Personnel — Right.. the guy that saved your life when you were having a heart […]
COMMUNITY HOUSING: It’s a balancing act.
One might argue that Community Housing programs are unnecessary. ” Let the free market forces level the playing field; do not engage in social engineering,” is the cry heard most often. The problem with that point of view is that in order for the fee market to address the problem, wages, and therefore prices of […]
It’s simple: If you can’t afford to live here, you won’t work here.
The supply of moderately priced housing is critical to the economic viability of the Wood River Valley. Every employer facing hiring decisions is confronted with not being able to recommend affordable housing options for prospective employees. Until we, as a community, can create a supply of quality housing options at moderate prices we will struggle […]
Why does such a huge affordability gap exist in Blaine County?
According to the Idaho Department of Labor, wages in Blaine County are 2% higher than the rest of Idaho. Housing prices, however, are 57% higher than the rest of Idaho. The answer is attributable to several factors: First, there is a limited supply of affordable housing for middle class working families. During the 15 years […]
What is an affordability gap anyway?
An AFFORDABILITY GAP is the difference between the median selling price of homes and the amount purchasers (earning median household income) can afford to pay for them. Normally, purchasers with fixed wages are limited to a target purchase price of roughly 3 times their annual wages. In 2016, over 87% of all homes sold in […]
