Blaine County wages do not support Blaine County home costs.
Recently the Mountain Express published an article highlighting low unemployment and associated wages. The article touched on housing however the chart below clearly links the published wages to housing. It is noteworthy that the largest employment sector (Leisure / Hospitality) at 31% of the reported jobs is nearly double the size of the next largest […]
CAN THE DESIGN OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROMOTE EXERCISE?
To encourage architects and planners to design built environments that promote physical activity, New York City offers an “active design” building incentive within the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. A recent study analyzed the impact of the design incentive on the activity levels of affordable housing residents at two South Bronx developments. Researchers […]
Tax Reform — Federal Policy Impacting Affordable Housing
For the first time, the National Association of Home Builders has agreed to support converting the Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) to a tax credit. By shifting the MID to a tax credit, all tax payers, not only those who itemize, can benefit. The tax credit also provides the same percentage cost reduction to all homeowners […]
Federal Budget — Federal Policy Impacting Affordable Housing
Federal Budget The Presidential Budget Proposal reduced funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development by 14%. This would have eliminated funding for several key programs including the HOME program which has funded over 50 units of housing in Blaine County since 2009. Fortunately, Congress has not accepted the proposal, the current budget, which has […]
The Housing Affordability Pickle
The Housing Affordability Pickle Valley cities face a complex puzzle of jobs, housing, and long-term viability “If jobs-versus – [housing] rentals in the classifieds are a kind of balance sheet to economic health, the situation is totally out of whack considering the discrepancy in column inches for each side of the equation.” Sun Valley Magazine discusses […]
We are NOT the national norm.
The City of Sun Valley successfully amends the definition of “Housing Burden” to fit our community. The City of Sun Valley pays competitive wages. City employees earn more than area median income making them ineligible for homes managed by the housing authority. Yet housing costs were repeatedly the reason employees left the City, and […]
What is the difference between ARCH and BCHA?
ARCH and BCHA divide the tasks of delivering affordable housing in Blaine County between development and stewardship. ARCH develops affordable housing. Once homes are completed, BCHA matches households on the waiting list with available homes. They also provide ongoing property management and compliance monitoring. Put simply, ARCH does bricks and sticks and BCHA does people. […]
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 […]