STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

With 700 new jobs projected for Blaine County in the next five years, the housing problem is only going to become more severe if nothing is done.

Especially since 70 percent of those new jobs are expected to be lower income positions.

That’s what Jon Roberts, director of the Austin-based TIP Strategies economic development consulting firm told 250 people attending the Sun Valley Economic Development’s fifth annual Economic Summit Thursday at the Sun Valley Inn.

"There’s always the option of doing nothing. But doing nothing has consequences for both the environment and the tourist-based economy," he said.

"Providing quality, affordable housing is non-negotiable, thanks in part to the lower wages of many of those in the valley," he said.

“To say you don’t want to do anything is not an option,” he said. “The future of economic vitality here requires greater diversification. And, if you buy into that, then diversity of housing is also required.”

This year’s summit, which attracted 40 more people than last year’s, was focused on providing quality affordable housing for both lower- and middle-income wage earners.

"Finding affordable housing is becoming increasingly challenging for families making between $78,000 and $120,000," said Doug Brown, SVED’s outreach director.

"The median price of a home valley wide is $425,000," added SVED Director Harry Griffith. "The government recommends housing should be no more than three times a household’s income, which would be about $237,000," said Harry Griffith.

Roberts noted that maids and housekeepers top the list of occupations in Blaine County, followed by landscapers, waiters, retail, cashiers, food prep workers, office clerks, cooks, construction workers and carpenters.

Construction and retail jobs were the fastest growing categories leading up to the 2008 recession. Blaine County’s construction industry is currently 2.25 times that of the United States—and that’s “worrisome,” he added.

“You can’t grow or sustain an economy on that,” he said.

Here are some of Roberts’ other findings:

COMMUTERS:

Of 9,628 workers in Blaine County, 3,876 workers commute from outside the county—a number Roberts called “astonishing.” In contrast, 5752 Blaine County residents live and work in the county, while 1,936 county residents live here and commute elsewhere.

35 percent commute more than 50 miles to work in Blaine County. Many are restaurant and hotel workers making about $10 an hour.

24 percent from here commute more than 50 miles to their place of work.

10.7 percent of Blaine County workers work at home. Similarly, 10.8 percent of Boulder, Colo., workers work from home and 8 percent of those in Bend, Ore.

NEEDED: AFFORDABILITY PLUS QUALITY OF LIFE PLUS A DECENT ECONOMIC LIVING

"Affordability alone won’t get you workers. New Jersey had high unemployment but could not attract enough workers because it couldn’t offer them the amenities the workers wanted," Roberts said.

Metropolitan areas that offer a nice mix of all three include Boise, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Des Moines, Seattle, San Francisco and Portland.

WHERE IS THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING?

About 50 single-family permits were taken out this past year versus 425 in 2008. There were no permit taken out for multi-family dwellings from 2013 to 2015—“a disturbing find,” said Roberts.

MEDIAN HOME PRICES

The median home price in Blaine County as of October 2016 is $675,000. It’s $750,000 in Boulder, Colo., $445,000 in Bend, Ore., and $385,000 in Austin, Texas.

Austin is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States, thanks to an emerging global tech industry and a government that has made a commitment to growth and is willing to put up with increased traffic because believes it will increase the quality of life. Austin is gaining 122 residents a day, four people an hour.

WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING

Bend, Ore., is expediting reviews and permitting. It’s pushing infill development and overseeing the building of 160 new affordable housing units.

Boulder, Colo., is looking at issuing permits without parking provisions, including a 30-story condo tower with zero parking. It’s considering more alternative transportation options, instead.

Austin, Texas, is increasing density in urban corridors and pushing public/private developments.

Roberts noted that there is a lot of developable land in Bellevue, as well as potentially developable land around St. Luke’s Hospital. This community needs to have mechanisms in place to do something within six to eight months. "A win-win," he suggested, "would be a public-private partnership, in which the community identifies land that makes sense to build on and housing that will improve tax base."

State Sen. Michelle Stennett said Roberts offered some insights she hadn’t thought of. She noted that Twin Falls had provided infrastructure to lure plants like Chobani and Clif Bar, which are expected to improve the quality of life in that community.

“I wouldn’t want to open the doors to everyone because we don’t have the infrastructure for that,” she said. “But if we’re selective, we could certainly make the permit process easier.”