'The best idea I think I've ever heard'

PRIEST RIVER — "That's the best idea I think I've ever heard."

That, Priest River Mayor Jeff Connolly told the several dozen people gathered for the groundbreaking, was his reaction to the Potlatch Loop Project community housing trust project when Katie Cox, Kaniksu Land Trust executive director, told him about it.

The project 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. 

The project has its genesis in a community forum sponsored by the land trust, Project 7B and the Selkirk Association of Realtors. It was at that forum, Cox told the several dozen people gathered for the groundbreaking, that KLT officials began thinking about what they could do to act as a catalyst.

In July, the land trust and LEAP Housing secured funding for the 6-parcel plot of land within Priest River city limits that would become the Village at River View. Located next to an existing housing development, the site features six buildable lots with water and sewer service, sidewalks, and carports and would allow for the construction of 1,500 square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes.

The housing trust will offer a 99-year renewable lease on the land, and the homes can be sold or passed on to family as long as the succeeding owners meet the CLT criteria. Homeowners can earn equity capped at 2.5% per year. Qualifying buyers must live in and derive a minimum of 67% of their income from a 5-zip code boundary in the Priest River area.

Projects like Potlatch Loop aren't the work of any one person or group. Instead, Cox said, they take a community. In this case, the work to bring a community housing trust to reality took the combined work and vision of LEAP Housing, Bonner Community Housing Agency, Kaniksu Land Trust, the Equinox Foundation and many others.

"Projects on this scale are not done by one person. They take an entire team," Cox said. "They take a committed community that can see a challenge and say we can take care of that challenge."

The housing trust offers people in his community — teachers, police officers, families — a chance at home ownership, Priest River Mayor Jeff Connolly said. 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.

"I just here to shovel some dirt so we can get going," Connolly said to the laughter of those gathered.

It is exciting to be a part of something like Potlatch Loop that will make a difference, said Cox, adding that many others like the Equinox Foundation and LEAP Housing stepped forward to be a part of the process for that same reason.

"To have individuals who will step forward and say, 'We want to be a part of this. We want to help impact the change we need to see, that needs to happen,' fills my heart with gratitude," Cox said.

The effort to provide affordable housing in the community  — especially in Priest River — was one that the Equinox Foundation is excited to be a part of, foundation member Susie Kubiak said.

"We love the idea of land conservation and this kind of twist on it," she said.

Bart Cochran, a self-described "North Idaho kid,” said the community shaped who he is and his values. His parents still live in the Sandpoint area and it is critical to note that he got to grow up in a special place like Bonner County because his parents had access to housing that is affordable. 

The LEAP Housing CEO, who grew up in Sandpoint, met Cox at the University of Idaho. The pair reconnected 18 months ago and began talking about community land trusts and how they can help improve affordability in terms of housing. After more than a decade in real estate and finance, Cochran and a business partner saw the housing affordability gap growing, placing home ownership out of reach for many working families.

In Bonner County, with housing peaking well north of $450,000, that dream of a home is unattainable for many.

“I think we all can recognize that for many, many working families, that’s simply not affordable,” Cochran said. "It is out of reach, and essentially the market has left those households behind.”

The collaboration that led to the Potlatch Loop project is what Cochran and Cox hope will be the first of many. The LEAP Housing CEO said a North Idaho representative will be adding to the organization’s board of directors and a local advisory board.

It is up to the entire community to work together to ensure no one gets left behind, Cochran said. That means gathering resources and expertise and working together.

“If you can't tell already, we are serious about the possibilities in North Idaho, and we see a way forward,” Cochran said. “And so if you only take one thing away from today, I want you to hear me say that the housing future for North Idaho communities is only possible if we do it together.”

    Katie Cox, Kaniksu Land Trust director; Ben McGrann, KLT Community Housing Trust board; contractor Bill Daum of Daum Construction, Susie Kubiak of the Equinox Foundation, Chrystle Horvath, Bonner Community Housing Authority, Priest River Mayor Jeff Connolly and Bart Cochran of LEAP Housing take part in a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Potlatch Loop project on Tuesday.