St. Vincent de Paul housing project gets yellow light

The Post Falls City Council unanimously approved a zone change Wednesday that would allow St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho to begin planning an affordable housing project.

The proposed building, if approved, would add 32 workforce housing units, resourced with financial support and rent caps for tenants.

“Part of mixed use and how a downtown mixed use works, is having a balance of housing units within walking distance of where they may be working,” city planning manager John Manley said.

The 1.16 acres at the intersection of Seltice Way and Catherine Street in Post Falls will change from a blend of multi-family residential and commercial zones to SmartCode 5 zone.

With the zone change, St. Vincent de Paul will collaborate with The Housing Company to create a plan for the site. The existing vacant commercial buildings, multi-family buildings and parking would be razed and underground fuel tanks will be removed to construct a single building.

“We think it would be a great update to the site itself,” The Housing Company Development Manager Nate Wheeler said. “We also think it could help out the community.”

Future tenants would receive vouchers or credits for the cost of rent above 30% of their income. Tenant incomes will also be capped at 60% of the average area median income. The project could provide homes for people who work in the downtown area, as well as support housing for St. Vincent de Paul to help keep people from entering homelessness.

"It truly is a missional project," Wheeler said. "We want to do this to help out communities."

Two people spoke in favor of the project during the meeting.

“There’s never been a time in this community where it’s been tougher for people of lower incomes,” Habitat for Humanity Executive Director James Casper said to the council. “Please let the people in this community that are interested in working and doing business — the nonprofits that are trying to serve people who are underserved — let them make the small bets and take the ownership over making sure the project works in the long term.”

One person spoke neutrally, asking a few questions about traffic.

The project could improve traffic by removing access points along Seltice Way, Wheeler said. The site design would include swales and landscaping to guide traffic onto Catherine and into controlled intersections. That would limit disruptions on Seltice, which is considered an arterial.

The site is also within walking distance of several food services, a school, a library and a bus stop for pedestrian access.

Affordable housing would address a huge need in the city for staffing, Post Falls Chamber of Commerce CEO Christina Petit said.

“Most recently, I spoke with Shawn Hostetter, the CEO of Tedder industries,” Petit added. “He said people are literally begging him to come work for him, but they can’t find housing in North Idaho.”

The zone change is just an early step in the process, with many more approvals and plans necessary before the project can be approved or break ground.

The Housing Company has completed 39 housing and commercial projects in Idaho, which they own or manage with affordable housing for communities.