Additional comment on attainable housing need Public Comment from Rachel Huff-DoriaOn May 15th we sent the below letter to City Council. We are sending an update to this letter as we continue to have more residents who want to sign on and share their thoughts.
Dear Kalispell City Council,
Flathead Valley is in the middle of a housing crisis. While this crisis is caused by many factors – studies show that the lack of housing supply is a key contributing factor.
As residents, families, and employers we ask that the Kalispell City Council continue to recognize and take action to address the enormous need for all housing types - including housing
for middle incomes - by passing the Tronstad Meadows / Whitetail Crossing single family homes project.
This new neighborhood would provide 380 homes in the Flathead Valley for individuals, with the goal of having a majority of the homes attainable for middle income residents. This includes
2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom options.
While we understand some individuals will always oppose new development, and some individuals will only oppose development when it is in “their backyard,” we urge the Council to consider
the needs of the many residents across the City and Flathead Valley who are in need of a home. And consider that their need is now.
Without new housing options, many of us, as well as our families, friends, and employees – will not be able to stay in the community we love and purchase our own home. Some of us have
already had to leave Kalispell, while some of us have friends or children who have left as they cannot find housing options to fit their budget.
We are residents of Flathead Valley too.
We are nurses. We are firefighters. We are teachers, police officers, and essential workers. We are construction workers, electricians, and plumbers. We work in all of these professions
and more.
We are also employers. Our businesses and economy rely on us being able to retain employees – and we can't do that without housing options for them.
We have families. We volunteer at the schools. We contribute to our community.
We deserve to stay in the Flathead Valley.
And we deserve to live in a home we can be proud of.
Thank you for continuing to address the housing crisis through annexation and zoning change requests for the Tronstad Meadows / Whitetail Crossing neighborhood that would add attainable
housing options to the Flathead Valley for residents with middle incomes.
We understand that the addition of this one neighborhood won’t solve the Flathead’s housing crisis – but we also know that it’s an important piece of the solution. And it's one piece
we can’t afford to ignore.
Signed by residents including but not limited to -
Patricia Frost
Lindsey Gardner
Dade Wendt
Colton Little
Michell Wang
Olivia Stark
Sienna Brockman
Meagan Schmoll
Kimberly DeVries
Bess Matson
Kaitlin Mullowney
Chris Koach
Stephanie Bengtson
Nigel Pickhardt
Donna Cain
…and more.
PS: These are additional comments on why building housing for middle income families is important to us, as community members. This is how the lack of housing options is impacting us,
our families, our friends, and our colleagues –
The working class is getting pushed out of the Flathead valley or really struggling due to high housing costs.
I have family and friends who have worked and saved for years to try to get into quality affordable and attainable housing. It isn’t an available option for them to move because no options
are available at an fair rate. At this point these people I care about have lived in overcrowded housing with family or in campers and RVs. Others don’t have any place to call their
home. They are doing the best they can, while the communities around them have not seen nearly enough growth in availability.
It’s important that we look out for all different incomes of this valley, and the basic human right of shelter. Establishing roots is important to many who grew up here and have moved
here. The barrier to achieve that shouldn’t be so high or unattainable. Not only catering to the incredibly wealthy just for a profit. Majority of this valley is made up of middle class
incomes and essential workers.
Everyone I know is low or middle income, lives paycheck to paycheck, and most have struggled with attainable housing.
As a nurse in the valley I can not afford to buy a home and renting is as much as a mortgage.
I am a registered nurse. There is a nursing shortage here in the valley and with the growing population our hospitals become busier and busier. Many new nursing grads and some of my
colleagues can not afford to stay in the valley because they can not afford housing, even though they can obtain work as a registered nurse.
We need middle income workers to sustain the economy here and there is not enough affordable housing.
I am a nurse, ie a middle income earner who provides a valuable service being priced out of the Valley. More affordable housing is practical for not only middle and lower income earners
but upper income earners who partake of their valued services, contributing to a balanced community.
Workers can’t afford to live here. Retirees can’t afford to live here. Only the extremely wealthy can live here comfortably. I pay $2600 a month for a 700 sq ft house. Who can afford
that on minimum wage? I will have to move out of state next spring.