JACKSON HOLE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

P.O. Box 2728

Jackson, WY 83001

(307) 733-9417

www.jhalliance.org

8/24/07

Conservation Alliance Supports Increase for Affordable Housing

Raising the percentage of deed-restricted units that developers are required to provide will increase affordable housing resources.

A proposed increase in affordable housing requirements for new developments is a good idea, say leaders of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance.

At its Aug. 22 meeting, the Conservation Alliance board of directors agreed to support the increase proposed by the Teton County Housing Authority as a smart tool for responsible development in Teton County, Wyoming. The Conservation Alliance recognizes the strong link between natural resource protection and affordable housing in Jackson Hole. Intense development pressures and rapid growth have threatened our natural resources, yet under current regulations, the growth has done little to help our community house a local workforce.

At various points in the past several years, studies both locally and regionally have shown the importance of deed-restricted affordable and attainable housing in Jackson Hole and other resort communities. The deed-restricted housing can help relieve the pressure for unsustainable rates of development and can help maintain community character by aiding in retaining diverse populations in the valley. 

“In a place as desirable to live as Jackson Hole, the typical theories that dense development will keep housing prices down don’t apply,” said Kristy Bruner, the Conservation Alliance’s community planning director. “As we’ve seen with Cottonwood Park and various townhouse complexes, many developments that were originally considered affordable are now heading toward the million-dollar mark and are increasingly out of reach for many people who work here, raise families here and make this community what it is.”

For years, reports have suggested that Jackson should step up its requirements to more sufficiently mitigate for the varied demands and costs generated by new developments. For example, the Urban Land Institute (hired by Teton County to identify strategies to address Jackson Hole’s growth) stated in 2000 “the amount of housing required as mitigation does not keep up with either need or demand for housing… [and that] grave consequences arise from not requiring mitigation at a level that addresses actual demand.”

Not only do these consequences include a lost sense of community, but also an intensified pressure to develop lands around the valley previously deemed unsuitable for high-density development, Bruner said. “Undoubtedly, these pressures to develop in inappropriate locations pose great risk to our community’s comprehensive goals to protect wildlife and rural character,” Bruner said.

“These consequences have long been anticipated, and it’s critical that action is taken. We support the Housing Authority’s proposal and believe that, if anything, the percentage of required housing proposed is low. It is also important that the fee-in-lieu rates are increased,” Bruner said.

“Along with these regulatory increases, it’s also important to avoid additional density bonuses that enable “bonus” market units to offset the benefits of the additional affordable housing units,” Bruner said. 

The Alliance looks forward to continued discussion throughout the Comprehensive Plan Update and for a commitment to follow recommendations of the 2007 Teton County Housing Needs Assessment to further increase regulatory requirements. Other communities, such as Aspen and Telluride, which have preceded Jackson Hole in dealing with population increases and growth, have adopted much higher requirements (60 and 40 percent, respectively). Jackson Hole has a great opportunity, and responsibility, to apply “lessons learned” from other communities.

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The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to responsible land stewardship to ensure that human activities are in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic and other natural resources. The organization has 2,000 members from Jackson Hole and across the nation.