Affordable housing report released

Jackson/Teton County Affordable Housing released its Annual Report Thursday. It provides an in-depth look at the housing challenges facing the county’s workforce and actions taken to address them.

“We are always looking for ways to better serve the community,” said April Norton, Affordable Housing Department Director. “It is critical for our Department to consistently engage with the public to ensure that the work we do reflects the real needs of our community.”

In the report, Norton said the community is grappling with the effects of growing wealth disparity, wages that are not tied to land values, a shortage of childcare options and housing insecurity.

Among the findings, 59 percent of the county’s workforce actually lives in Teton County. Only 38 percent of the community’s housing stock is occupied by non-working residents. In terms of affordability, the median home price was $785,000 last year while the median income was $91,400. That means the median home sale was 859 percent of median income. 333 percent is considered affordable.

The agency partnered on projects in 2017 that will result in 28 workforce rental units on Redmond Street and 24 low-income ownership units at The Grove. It is currently seeking proposals to construct workforce housing on North King Street.

Town and county officials will hold a joint information meeting Wednesday, June 6 for the first reading of proposed regulations in housing regulations as part of long-range planning efforts.

You can see the full 2017 annual report here.