Panel talks North Idaho housing solutions

There isn’t just one single thing killing housing affordability, according to local developer Noah Stam. “It’s the accumulation of costs, delays, decisions,” he said. “Land is expensive, labor is expensive, materials are expensive, interest is expensive.” In Coeur d’Alene on Thursday, Stam joined a panel of politicians addressing affordable housing issues in North Idaho. Fellow panelists were Post Falls Mayor Randy Westlund, Kootenai County Commissioner Bruce Mattare and Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene.