GROWTH: Needed so locals can afford to live in Kootenai County

Kootenai County currently has a housing deficit of about 2,350 housing units and that number is increasing every year. This deficit is causing the strain on the housing supply and adds to the increase in prices. The underbuilding of new units has caused an estimated loss of 2,749 jobs coupled with a loss of $158.9 million in lost wages, as of December 2021, per the Housing Availability and Affordability Study. Currently more than 80% of the working families in the county cannot afford to buy a home. Many believe that is a crisis of its own.

While there are concerns about the proposed increase to traffic in some neighborhoods, many in our workforce are being forced to move out of town. Those who argue for lower growth, or no growth are probably unaware of these consequences. When locals cannot buy, or rent, that creates a situation where only people from outside our community can purchase. Currently about 54% of home sales are from non-locals. This will also inevitably alter the climate and personality of our area. Usually in a way that native Idahoans don’t appreciate.

To stabilize prices at the current level it is estimated that we will need to add more than 3,000 housing units per year for the next 10 years. That is solid growth but that is also just to maintain current conditions. The less we grow the more locals that we will inevitably displace. That will most probably include our own children and the workforce that we all need.

LEVI SNYDER

North Idaho Building Contractors Association 2023 President