Nonprofits team up to create workforce housing

PRIEST RIVER — A partnership between local nonprofits and the philanthropic community is making workforce housing a reality — and without state funding.

"It’s not just an idea, it’s now a reality," Bart Cochran, LEAP Housing CEO, said.

LEAP, a nonprofit that targets affordable housing solutions, has teamed up with Kaniksu Land Trust and Bonner Community Housing Agency, to build affordable housing options for Priest River area residents.

The Village at River View project will transform a six-parcel plot into workforce housing for local families in an existing neighborhood on the city's west side. The 1,545-square-foot, two-bedroom, three-bath homes will offer essential housing options for working households in the area, LEAP officials said.

The home will be made available through a lottery system for sale to residents who live in the 83804, 83841, 83848, 83856, 83822 and 83821 ZIP codes. The goal is to help stabilize the local workforce by ensuring local residents have access to affordable and attainable homes. The homes will be available to households making up to 100% of the area median income, which varies across the ZIP codes. 

“We're creating a model for sustainable development through strong partnerships with local organizations,” Cochran said. “The Village at River View is a testament to what can be achieved when we join together to build housing solutions that don’t rely on state or federal funding. This approach not only benefits the community of Priest River but also sets a precedent for how local collaboration can address housing needs and strengthen the fabric of rural areas."

The development is part of a broader initiative to tackle housing affordability in North Idaho, officials with LEAP, Kaniksu Land Trust and BCHA said. This year alone, the median home sale price in the Priest River area is $391,000; in Sandpoint, that number jumps to $614,000. 

However, thanks to the partnership's efforts, LEAP officials said the six homes will have a target price of below $260,000.  

The project has drawn strong support from Priest River officials with Mayor Jeff Connolly calling it "the best idea I think I've ever heard" at the late September groundbreaking.

The project offers people in his community — teachers, police officers, families — a chance at home ownership, Connolly said at the event. Recent influxes to the county and the region have led to skyrocketing housing prices, placing homeownership out of reach for many.

"It has really hurt the locals to try to be able to find a place to live that they can afford or event rent at the point," Connolly said. "There's just nothing around. The availability is just not there."

While there's been a lot of talk over the years about affordable housing, the project spearheaded by the land trust, LEAP Housing and BCHA is among the first to offer a concrete solution, the Priest River mayor said.

"There's been a ton of people trying to figure out ways to make affordable housing and to make it so people who can't always afford it otherwise get into something," Connolly said, noting the project received overwhelming approval when it came before the City Council.

The Village at River View concept dates back to 2021, when KLT began laying the groundwork for the housing initiative, first establishing a housing advisory committee that began drafting governing documents, structuring operations, drafting the ground lease, and researching mortgage and lending options. 

It was at a community forum sponsored by the land trust, Project 7B and the Selkirk Association of Realtors that KLT officials began thinking about what they could do to serve as a catalyst toward the creation of affordable and attainable housing.

The collaboration that led to the Potlatch Loop project is what Cochran and KLT Executive Director Katie Cox hope will be the first of many.

Information: leaphousing.org

    Kaniksu Land Trust Executive Director Katie Cox, far left, and Bart Cochran, CEO of LEAP Housing, lead those gathered in a toast to celebrate the September 2024 groundbreaking for the Potlatch Loop housing trust project in Priest River.