Apr. 11—Firefighters, nurses and police officers are among those struggling to afford housing in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley at a time when the availability of every form of shelter is scarce.
The challenges individuals face keeping roofs over their heads has a ripple effect, said Lisa Stoddard, executive director of the Community Action Partnership, a Lewiston-based organization that fights poverty.
“Something has to happen to provide a level of stability and affordability to everyone in our community,” said Stoddard, a speaker on a Wednesday panel about housing at a Lewis Clark Valley Chamber of Commerce lunch in Clarkston.
“Lots of research shows that if people are stably housed, all of the other issues in their lives, addiction, mental health, a lack of resources to pay for (basics), all of those things are improved,” Stoddard said.
The inventory is limited in all price ranges and every form of dwelling such as single-family houses, condominiums and apartments, said Ash Fickenwirth, a Realtor at Century 21 Price Right in Lewiston, who attended the event.
“It’s inflation,” Stoddard said. “It’s cost of living. It’s the fact that wages haven’t necessarily kept up with costs. It’s lack of availability. When there’s not enough supply to meet demand, the price increases…. Across the nation we’re in kind of this perfect storm where everything has contributed to the fact there’s such a crisis.”
A projection by the Washington Department of Commerce indicates that Asotin County will require 1,440 new housing units to meet its need by 2050, said Samantha Frederick, a housing program supervisor at Quality Behavioral Health, a not-for-profit agency.
Last year Quality Behavioral Health had funds to meet less than half — 189 — of 495 requests for help with housing, Frederick said.
Housing for those with disabilities is especially hard to obtain and many would-be renters can’t meet the criteria of landlords, Frederick said.
“People can’t come up with three times the rent,” Frederick said. “They can’t come up with background checks that are clear or have good enough credit to get into some of these places.”
The solutions, Stoddard said, involve multiple approaches in the public and private sectors such as helping developers see the financial benefits of constructing affordable homes.
Employers can make sure they’re paying staff members living wages, Stoddard said.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines affordable housing as housing that costs the family wage-earners no more than 30% of their gross income, including utilities, said Debbie Goodwin, vice chairperson of L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity.
In Idaho that translates into people needing to make $21.53 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment, Stoddard said.
Maintenance of existing homes is another piece of the answer.
Community Action Partnership and Habitat For Humanity both have programs that provide weatherization repairs for homes.
That reduces household expenses by decreasing utility bills, Stoddard said.
“It also preserves the housing stock,” Stoddard said. “We want to make sure the stock that is here doesn’t fall into disrepair.”
Lobbying elected officials for zoning changes to make more land available for housing is also part of the solution, Frederick said.
“This is a great place to live,” Stoddard said. “It’s a great place to raise kids. We have the power to take a look at some of the community-wide issues … and really have an impact if we’re willing to think outside the box.”
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.