There’s been slow, steady work done to address the shortage of affordable housing in the Flathead. Lack of workforce housing is a persistent topic plaguing resort communities across the West, where populations grew fast in the scenic and mostly unspoiled areas of the nation.
Last year Bob Horne of Applied Communications presented some American Community Survey data from 2009 to 2013, which found that the average rental cost in the Whitefish market was $812 a month including utilities. Even at $10,000 a year, rentals in the Whitefish community are a very tight market.
Lori Collins, director of the Whitefish Housing Authority said, “Some service workers can’t even afford a house for $440 a month, and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything like that available.”
There are nearly 11,000 rentals in Flathead County with an average 2.3 people per household. Homeownership may be higher in the Flathead than the balance of the state, but it’s lower in the tri-cities. In Kalispell, 45 percent of the people rent, in Whitefish nearly half rent, yet in Columbia Falls nearly two-thirds own homes.
Next year, Flathead Valley Community College expects to have 100 beds available on campus for student housing. Ninety percent of the students at FVCC are locally enrolled from Lincoln and Flathead counties.
While the 100 students that would live in the new suite-style housing is relatively small compared to the over 1,300 full-time students enrolled, it’s still a huge step forward for the college.
FVCC Board of Trustees Chairperson Shannon Lund said, “This is a very exciting time for our college and our students.”
Hopefully, the college will set rent rates at the new $10 million campus facility to be affordable to students.
Federal housing guidelines indicate that Flathead’s Fair Market Rents for a two-bedroom unit is $755 per month in 2016. That’s up 3 percent annually over the decade, from $579 per month in 2006. Either amount is likely too great for most full-time FVCC students.
Reportedly, none of the funds to construct the student housing will come from local taxpayers. FVCC is currently funded with roughly half coming through the state, a quarter from local property taxpayers and a quarter from students.
FVCC is a great economic asset to the valley and it’s lucky to have so many tremendous instructors. It’s good to see the college make its first big move toward more students living on campus.
Whitefish, where renters have some of the highest housing costs in the county, has plenty of work ahead to assure that the people who serve the community can actually also afford to live in the community.
2016 marks a fresh start. Newly elected council members take their oaths of office this month, after winning elections last November. All of Whitefish’s winning candidates spoke passionately on the need of addressing housing affordability.
Affordable housing in a community doesn’t mean different things to different people. Affordable housing is a defined term, proportionate to the income of the area. Both wages and local land use regulations address housing affordability.
FVCC decided it was time to act on student rentals. Hopefully those elected to serve the tri-cities will also act in 2016, as the resort communities of the Flathead need plenty of smaller houses that are actually affordable relative to real wages.
It’s no secret that the cost of land is the biggest barrier to homeownership. But when nearly half the people rent in places likes Whitefish or Kalispell, it’s likewise time to put some affordability and availability focus toward renters.
Luckily for Flathead’s residents, local policymakers mostly progress forward absent much of the partisanship that has mired the statewide and national politics of governing. 2016 offers a renewed time to act.