Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing for blue collar workers.
It has to be addressed.

On the front page of our local fish wrap, is
an article addressing that very problem.

The city of Sandpoint would like IHFA
(Idaho Housing Finance Association)
and several others to join them in solving
the problem.

They are also asking a firm based in Denver,
BBC Research and Consulting,
(don't we have any Research and Consultants
here, if not in Bonner County, then at least in
Idaho? let's keep our money local) along with
BCEDC...
(Bonner County Economic Development Corp.)
will study all of this.

$45,000 for BBC, which will come from local
donations from the other lettered Associations.

With the city already paying out $25,000
thru a grant to Idaho Commerce and Labor.
Which I wonder why are we paying $45,000
when we are trying to get a $25,000 grant
for IC&L? But I guess that isn't for a peon
like myself to understand.

I think this is wonderful that everyone
in the city and hopefully in the county,
is on the same wagon, to get affordable
housing for those who earn less that $50,000.

But the one thing that did bother me in the
article was the mention of EAHA, which stands
for..Employer Assisted Housing Association.
Which they said "would focus solely on engaging
local employers to help establish housing for
their existing and prospective employees."

Hummm.... like the Army and Navy does? And
doesn't this smack of owing the company store?
Will there be employer's stores following behind?
All of which is deducted from their checks. And
what happens when they lose their job, for what
ever reason? Do they lose their homes/apt.?

Will this be another hammer over the employee's
head. Lost of job, lost of home?

I don't think I like the thought of that.

Maybe if the county and city, 4 years ago
decided that for every over $200,000 home
that was built, there were to be one $80,000
home built. For every over $400,000+ home
built, there be apartments with rent for $500
built.

This sounds like a lot of money being used to
just research the idea of affordable housing.
In the meantime, the lower blue collar employee,
is being priced out of town.

4 comments:

Tumblewords: said...

Right on. This area is headed the way of Sun Valley, Hailey, Aspen and other resort locales. Sometimes seems like no one is paying attention.

Bill McCrory said...

Cis,

Bingo! I've often wondered why Kootenai County and Coeur d'Alene hire consultants without first contacting nearby universities that have graduate students that would do research at low or no cost. Both WSU and EWU have very credible research sociology programs.

Tumblewords,

Bingo, too! The gentrification of our area began years ago, but when I've tried to explain it to our CdA City Council members, they don't want to listen. By itself gentrification isn't automatically bad, but it is almost always followed by displacement. When gentrification jacks up the cost of living so people must move, that's displacement.

Mari Meehan said...

Displacement would deplete the work force for Hagadone and his likes - then what would he do?

Anonymous said...

As the coiner of the phrase employer-assisted housing and a long time consultant to communities, employers and others in this field, the idea of having an employer-driven partnership to deal with a problem of bottom line concern to employers is a good one. Employer-assisted housing tends to work best when communities and employers (and others who can also be interested) share the costs of producing affordable housing. Done right it can be a real, not made up partnership. If I can be of additional help, please let me know via my web site EAHousing.com. Dan Hoffman