Builders act on local worker housing needs

For the past three years, a group of local leaders has been implementing strategies and projects, and providing education on creating and preserving housing for local workers. Their accomplishments do not return the housing stock or prices to pre-pandemic levels, but they are making a difference. 

The Housing Solutions Partnership has successfully implemented HomeShare Kootenai County, passed legislation that can help mobile home owners in securing their land in Idaho, supported deed restrictions in development agreements and was instrumental in generating multiple housing studies locally.  

The HSP is currently conducting a feasibility study on the expansion of HomeSharing, along with grants to homeowners to remodel in exchange for housing a healthcare worker, teacher or student. The HSP is also near completion of a regional Additional Dwelling Unit project that can provide free plans to citizens where eligibility to add an ADU exists. In addition, studies and workshops this fall will inform decision-makers of more solutions to the housing situation as well as more education on the current housing crisis. 

The Next Steps in Housing study, created by the University of Idaho in 2022, revealed who could afford to live here and how that will affect the future of our communities. With the area median income currently hovering at $93,000, only the top 20-25% of employed local workers can afford to buy a home. Rental rates studies produce similar results. 

This body of information draws a clearer picture of what the community will look like and where it will suffer if housing isn’t addressed. Hospital staffing costs are at an all-time high with vacancies being filled by traveling staff and still triple pre-covid years. 

A recent article on public defender staffing revealed the county can not prosecute criminals due to having half of the necessary staff, attributed to “cost of living” as the cause. Some businesses are curtailing hours. The local economic development council is focused on retaining businesses far more than recruiting because the employee base, due to housing costs, is not available. Empire Airlines recently had the opportunity to retain four interns who would have become needed full-time employees. None were able to find housing and failed to fill the positions. All of these factors paint a picture of the need for reform in the future worker housing situation in Kootenai County.

The local development community and local leaders are listening. 

Strides to change the landscape for some housing projects have been made in multiple cities. Post Falls recently adopted a Tiny Home ordinance; Coeur d’Alene is reviewing a potential code change to allow for Twin Homes and the county approved the Family Split exemption, which allows a family to split land for more than one home on a minimum 5-acre parcel. 

Stam Structures

One builder who is taking advantage of these new opportunities, along with some very creative and visionary goals, is Noah Stam of Stam Structures. His vision for The Arc development is to create entry-level ownership housing for people of his generation and keep it affordable for generations to come. 

By combining two parcels and being able to create a mixture of housing types, including cottages and tiny homes, he intends to offer approximately 40 nicely finished homes with a minimum of two bedrooms and one bath, a carport and a small yard all priced under $300,000. These homes are projected to be available for sale next year at this time.  

The keys to success for this project are the ability to combine tiny homes and cottages in a neighborhood that also includes additional multi-family properties to offset the costs of the lower price point homes. 

"Not only did I see the data that was coming out of organizations like the housing partnership regarding the lack of housing and affordability,” Stam said, “but none of my friends who had graduated college were moving home because they couldn’t afford to rent here let alone buy a home. I wanted to come up with a solution for our community and I had some great opportunities with people who would listen and support the vision of The Arc. This development plan is one that can be replicated not only in our community but throughout the nation to create affordable home ownership."

The price and livability of the homes, along with adding creative outdoor features, will make the neighborhood attractive to young singles or couples as well as families. He believes the potential of an outdoor gym, community gathering spaces and a dog park are all desires of the current younger or first-time buyer. 

Additionally, every home will be turn-key with fully landscaped yards and all appliances included. “A first-time buyer can just bring their personal belongings and furniture,” he said. Stam admits he appears to be young to be in the driver's seat of this kind of a project, but as he said, “I was born into it and it’s the future for our generation…I do have the ability, drive and the means to make it a better one for us all.”  

He indicated he faces some hurdles — time being one of them. “I don’t think the general public understands how much it costs in time and resources to get special uses like this one approved. We need to build what local workers can afford, now, so they can stay here,” he said.

The Village Town Homes

Another builder/developer who is heeding the message is Chad Oakland and his partners in Torrey Pines at The Village Town Homes. Oakland was able to acquire a parcel next to an existing development, which had nearly a shovel-ready aspect to it. He joined the new 18-unit condominium project with the existing neighboring homeowners association. This required no additional effort to secure a lower price point housing product due to the existing requirements that the HOA does not allow rentals of any kind, which completely blocked out any investor purchaser.

"The owner-occupied aspect creates a natural market cap for buyers and a better investment in their neighborhood,” Oakland, who is also a broker/realtor, said. “I’ve lived here all of my life; I’m raising my family here. I’m in this one because I had an opportunity to do a good thing.”

Oakland stressed there were many factors that helped. “I have a volume of projects going that enabled me to get good discounts for appliances as well as move crews around to be the most efficient. I’m putting in all appliances, quality finishes including quartz, and I’m willing to take a super thin margin. It all adds up to a great deal for a teacher, nurse or snow plow driver,” he said.

The project is on North Fourth Street near Costco with easy access to services. The 2-and-3-bedroom homes with attached garages are priced between $355,000 and $395,000. The units are expected to be available by November, with about one-third already under contract.

Some challenges still exist. “Although everyone in the permitting world has been fantastic to work with, the fees are tough. I understand the need to keep growth paying for infrastructure, but there’s only so much you can do with containing construction costs,” he said.

“The project will be a great success, no doubt. It brings the opportunity for ownership of a property one has self-governance over and assurances in their neighborhood. With access to the existing HOA amenities (pool, courts, open spaces, etc.) it really is a very, very unique spot to land. I hope I find another opportunity like this; I’ll keep looking,” he added.

Miracle on Britton

Creating the template for local worker home ownership is the Miracle on Britton project spearheaded by the Panhandle Affordable Housing Alliance. Among other partners is regional home builder Hayden Homes. 

“This concept is new and exciting for the state of Idaho,” said Deb Flagan, vice president of community engagement for Hayden Homes. 

“We believe home ownership is the key to any community being economically sound and stable. The shared equity model and the restrictions by area median income levels on who can buy the home targets just the perfect demographic that adds to that formula for success,” she said.

Hayden Homes builds in multiple states in the Northwest and has a philanthropic mission known as Give as You Go. The philosophy has driven their involvement with Miracle of Britton.

“We partnered to prove we can create a quality, beautiful, affordable neighborhood and prove the process for the region. Part of our mission is community building and a strong local workforce is key to that. We are honored to be the first to dive in and get this project launched for everyone’s benefit,” she said.

Miracle on Britton in Post Falls will have 28 homes with a pricing goal of $290,000 to $400,000 and be restricted to owner occupancy, specific household and asset limits and resale restrictions that will assure their affordability into the future. 

“We’ve worked diligently with all regulatory groups to commit a portion of this project to the shared equity model through PAHA and have found a way to make it work,” Flagan said. She expects the first ten homes will be completed and ready for move-in early summer of 2025.

Greenstone Homes

Jim Frank, founder and president/CEO of Greenstone Homes, one of the largest residential and commercial developers in the region. Greenstone is pioneering the development of mixed-use communities and changing the way we think of planning and development in the region. 

“Building walkable mixed-use development is challenging because most jurisdictions use a suburban regulatory framework that is outdated,” Frank said. 

But he’s seeking to change that. Projects approved in Spokane, Liberty Lake and now Post Falls, are being produced with a new vision of walkable neighborhoods that allow a wide variety of housing types and services nearby. 

“We are very reactive to what people want. The old codes that allowed for only single-family residences are not conducive to changing buyer and community preferences. People are expecting more out of a neighborhood, and we’re trying to provide walkable mixed-use environments,” he said.

 The mixed-use project, Kendal Yards in Spokane, has been successful in providing a neighborhood with shopping, dining, single-family, townhomes, apartments. It has exceeded the needs of the residents, and the River District in Liberty Lake is on pace to do the same. 

“We pay attention to mass and scale and provide the choices people want. A visual blend of structures creates a sense of community, regardless of what the internal use of them is.          

“For example, if more than half of our buyers are single females, townhomes and apartments within a tightknit community, along with walking areas and close-in groceries and other services provide security and a sense of safety unavailable elsewhere,” he said.

Frank points to other benefits in communities that have more flexible zoning regulations.

"We’ve done studies that document mixed-use neighborhoods with walkable services within the project reduced traffic by 30%. All of this points to the need to pivot from the last 50 years of suburban single-family urban sprawl neighborhoods.” 

He added that planning a community rather than just building houses takes more effort and attention to detail. “Streetscapes and road standards are part of the regulatory framework that we don’t notice but make a real difference in how we live,” he said.

The nearly 400-acre Post Falls project is a 20-year build-out; it won’t occur overnight, and it will be reactive to what the needs of the buying public are as it progresses. 

“In the real world, we have to adapt quickly to evolving community needs, and developments need to adapt to change and keep up. We need compromise,” he said.

Frank stressed that attention to the landscaping and streetscape in creating neighborhoods is what makes these new communities thrive. That includes utilizing street trees and landscaped open spaces and corridors that buffer the higher-density residential and mixed-use structures.  

"People are naturally resistant to change, especially if they perceive negative impacts on home values, but these new mixed-use communities are demonstrating that property values increase in these enriched living environments.         

We can blend old and new development with positive results,” he said. 

The Housing Solutions Partnership is committed to the education and implementation of solutions that create and preserve housing for local workers. Along with regional leaders engaging in the education and solutions available, and the positive trend these change-makers are creating there is hope for future generations to be able to enjoy the quality of life of North Idaho provides. Housingni.org for more information.

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Kiki Miller is a Coeur d’Alene City Council member and founding member of the Housing Solutions Partnership.

    Torrey Pines on North Fourth in Coeur d’Alene.