The West Central Mountains Economic Development Council (WCMEDC) has conducted a Regional Housing Needs Assessment with their consultants, Agnew::Beck, that is now publicly available to be viewed and used.
**VIEW REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT**
What is the needs assessment: the desired outcome of the project is fourfold, with a new fifth component we have identified during the process.
– Comprehensive assessment of housing needs in Valley County and North Adams County, Idaho that includes: a snapshot of existing inventory and community demographics, as well as a gap analysis of estimated demand compared to existing housing inventory and anticipated new units.
– Comprehensive assessment of obstacles for local housing and identified areas of opportunities both as a region and as individual communities to improve housing prospects (i.e. code, infrastructure, zoning, etc).
– Development of preliminary suggested strategies and recommendations based on an area’s needs and framework. Development of needs and framework to meet short and long-range goals for meeting requirements identified in the gap analysis.
– Market analysis of residential real estate trends of all types of housing, both from the rental market and general real estate market.
– Regional Housing Roundtables and Implementation Facilitation – planned and facilitated region wide housing roundtables with a focus on using the recently produced housing needs analysis data to start important policy driven conversations around addressing housing challenges throughout the West Central Mountains.
About the Process: this was a year-long process that involved three major stages: Discovery, Outreach and Engagement, and Data Analysis and Findings. Earlier this month, we presented the final findings at our 2024 Regional Economic Summit. For public engagement, we hosted meetings with over 40 different organizations and businesses who represented real estate, developer, small business, and construction/restoration sectors, and also hosted a regional advisory group that included local government leaders, planning and zoning commissioners, and chambers of commerce. Additionally, a public survey was distributed, and 690 responses were recorded and incorporated into the assessment data.
How can it be used: this housing needs assessment will be available to all businesses, realtors, developers, local governments, who will benefit from its information or find it useful for planning and recruitment. This project is regionally tied to all communities and businesses who are directly impacted by our local housing challenges. The shortage of housing, especially community housing, is constraining the region’s ability to attract, grown, and retain business. Not only this, but it now poses a serious threat to public health, safety, and wellbeing. Our housing crisis has made it nearly impossible for police, fire, school districts, and healthcare providers to attract and retain employees to fill vital positions in our communities.
Why was this conducted: to many it may seem obvious that there is a housing crisis throughout the region, however quantifying the need and challenges can give communities to make strategic investments, adjust land use policies and have more meaningful conversations with developers about the type of housing they want to see built in their community. The assessment can provide leverage. Prior to this housing study, the last regional (Valley County specifically) housing data collection effort was conducted in 2005, leaving a large information gap for making informed planning decisions. Additionally, we know that many developers who are interested in building multifamily homes have a difficult time showing the demand for these units in communities like the West Central Mountains, so conducting the regional housing survey gives developers information about expressed demand for various unit types in each community that can be used to secure financing and move projects from concept to implementation. We have already seen this utilized in local housing projects. Our smaller communities in the region did not have the funds or capacity to undergo their own needs assessment, yet were seeing significant shifts to their communities, so the WCMEDC made the decision, with regional support, to take on the effort as a neutral, regional agent. We also wanted to ensure that Meadows Valley was a part of the assessment.
Not only is the data critical, but also the innate value in convening regional leaders, sectors associated with the various levels of the housing industry, and the private and public sectors. Before, our region has tended to operate more independently with its own efforts, but we now recognize we are inextricably linked as a rural, high-amenity region, especially with the growth we have experienced in the last three years. There are very rare opportunities to bring these important regional people to the table together and this is being accomplished through this process. This project is evolving into a significant convener and communication tool on regional challenges and helped spread a broader net for regional solutions that perhaps weren’t known before. The housing discussion is far more than just about housing; it encompasses all the aspects of economic development and community health which deserve critical attention.
Next steps: through the needs assessment process, it became clear that implementation support would be necessary. As a result, in the first quarter of 2025, we will be launching regional round tables for public outreach. These roundtables are a step towards building partnership, creating a shared understanding of regional housing challenges and creating actionable programs with implementation strategies to increase the availability of community housing. These are intended to bring both public and private sectors together for solution-based conversations. Other communities including the City of Boise have effectively leveraged housing roundtables as a foundation for real investment, partnership development and integration of supportive housing services into the housing continuum. If you would like to be a part of those round table discussions and next steps, please use the contact form below or reach out to [email protected].
Thank you: we want to thank our consultants, Agnew::Beck, who worked diligently with our housing team to complete this immense undertaking and we want to thank our funding partners who made this project possible through their financial support:
- Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation
- Valley County
- Perpetua Resources
- Mountain Central Association of Realtors
- City of Donnelly Local Option Tax
- WCM Community Foundation