Report errs on housing totals

SANDPOINT — New figures compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau and released by the Idaho Department of Labor grossly underestimate housing growth in Bonner County.

The numbers, which purport to track statewide home construction, estimate that Bonner Country saw only five new housing units built from mid-2006 to mid-2007.

Statistically, the five new homes represent a zero percent growth rate from the previous year. Additional numbers show a meager 1.1 percent growth rate from 2000 to 2007. The bureau also claims Bonner County actually lost 25 housing units from mid-2005 to mid-2007.

The Census Bureau used building permit estimates to come up with its figures, said Alan Porter of the Idaho Department of Labor.

A Wells Fargo Idaho construction report based on data from 2006 claimed 169 building permits for housing were issued in Sandpoint alone, according to Porter. Numbers compiled by the Sandpoint Public Works Department show 108 building permits were issued for housing units in 2006 and 2007.

Clare Marley, Bonner County’s planning director, estimates as many as 780 permits were approved for housing units in Bonner County from 2006-2007, but said the Census Bureau has not requested housing data since 1997, when the county changed the way it offered permits.

“Because we don’t do a building permit, they haven’t been requesting (permit data) from us. We have what is called a location permit, so the forms they used to send us aren’t being sent any more,” Marley said

Porter cannot explain the enormous discrepancy between the county’s real housing figures and the bureau’s estimates, but acknowledged that the omission of Bonner County permits greatly skews the numbers. Even with all but Sandpoint’s housing permits omitted, the bureau’s numbers are still far from accurate.

“You would think that the model would be consistent for every county in the nation, but it looks like they do have limited data on Bonner County’s residential building permits,” Porter said. “Even with the underreporting, there should still be a lot more housing units showing.”

The erroneous housing data is used by numerous federal and state agencies, but the bureau’s population estimates — which determine the county’s level of federal funding — do not appear to be affected by the underreporting in housing numbers, according to Porter.

From the 2000 census to July 1, 2007, the bureau estimates Bonner County added an additional 4,215 residents, with 1,381 attributed to growth in Sandpoint, which Porter said is consistent with population trends.