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Mineral County

Mineral County Addresses the Critical Need for Housing

Published: 2019
By Emily Park
Affordable housing has been a problem in Mineral County for years and continues to plague the area. It can be seen throughout surrounding counties and on a national level, as well. Area employers struggle to find and retain qualified employees. Families are finding themselves in multi-generational homes where children aren’t moving out after graduating from high school or adult children are moving back in with their parents sometimes with a spouse and children in tow, Workforce housing is affordable to workers and close to their jobs. It is home ownership, as well as rental housing, that can be reasonably afforded by a moderate to middle income, critical workforce and located in acceptable proximity to workforce centers. The most common definition of workforce housing comes from the Urban Land Institute: “…housing that is affordable to households earning 60 to 120 percent of the area median income.” It has also been defined as affordable if the housing costs are no more than 30-40 percent of income. Through a series of strategic planning initiatives conducted over the past five years, affordable and workforce housing has been identified as one of the biggest barriers to economic growth in Mineral County and throughout the region. As a result, both public, private, and non-profit organizations throughout the county have determined a need to address this issue. In conjunction with the Certified Economic Development Region, Lake County Community Development Corporation (LCCDC) was successful in their grant application on behalf of Mineral and Sanders Counties to the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI), a USDA program. RCDI grants are awarded to help non-profit housing and community development organizations, low-income rural communities and federally recognized tribes support housing, community facilities and community and economic development projects in rural areas. Funds will be used to benefit the partners in the region through the completion of a joint housing assessment in both Mineral and Sanders counties. The Mineral County Commission prioritized not only a county-wide assessment, but a commitment to provide matching funds to build the capacity of supporting organizations to move project development and implementation forward post study. For the first time, an in-depth study will be done in Mineral/Sanders Counties. From workforce and affordable housing to aging in place, information garnered from the assessment will benefit investors, developers, employers, residents, community organizations and local governments throughout the region. Mineral Economic Development Corporation and Sanders County Community Development Corporation (in collaboration with Sanders County Community Housing) will be the local lead agencies on the project, working with LCCDC. The scope of work has yet to be finalized but will include separate county-wide assessments, with areas of overlap (such as major employers) in each report.
Affordable housing needs were identified in a 1971 report and a 1996 assessment survey but progress has been slow until now. / Dave Brink