GROWTH: Needed to keep home ownership accessible

A recent study has shown that in Kootenai County, more than 80 percent of the current working households cannot afford to buy a home. While increased traffic in some neighborhoods is indeed frustrating when a new development goes in, does stopping it justify preventing over 80 percent of our families from homeownership?

Kootenai County is growing. That is inevitable. Many, if not most of the current residents in the county have moved here from somewhere else, my family included. We were searching for a better life for our kids and a lower cost of living. Buying a home here is not as affordable as it was 2, 5 or 15 years ago. As things change, new solutions and ideas need to be considered and adopted or our children or working families will not have the opportunity to remain living in this area.

Restricting all new building to single family homes on 1/3 acre or more will greatly restrict first-time homebuyers or move up buyers from purchasing. Those who already have their piece of North Idaho want to preserve that right to the same lifestyle, why not, it’s beautiful here and owning a 1/3 acre or more of land is everyone’s dream. However, this attitude will surely displace many of our current locals who have worked years or decades to make this area the great place that it has become.

AMIE PACE

Coeur d’Alene