June 2024

Election Block Party success!

We had such a great time at our Election Block Party this month! Co-hosted by the Teton GOP, Teton Democrats, and ShelterJH, we welcomed over 150 attendees to the Snake River Brewpub, registered folks to vote, introduced candidates to the crowd, and enjoyed music from local band Outta Shorts. We are glad we got to kick off election season with a bang—keep an eye out for our next events!

The Pass closure

The closure of Teton Pass brings our housing crisis into focus in an undeniable way. We know now more than ever that it is critical that those who work here must be able to live here. ⁠

⁠The mental, financial, and emotional toll commuting takes on people on both sides of the Pass is now felt by corners of our community who may have been unaware of the extreme lengths commuters endure to support our community.⁠

⁠We applaud the governmental and non-governmental agencies coming together to create long- and short-term solutions to the Pass’s failure. We also send our support to the many individuals on both sides of the Pass this situation will impact. Please reach out to the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, One22, or START bus for more information on what resources are available.

Housing Dashboard released

We’re so excited that Community Foundation of Jackson Hole has led the charge to publish a Housing Dashboard to provide even more opportunities for the public to learn about our  regional housing issues. ShelterJH staff member Clare Stumpf and  board member Kelsey Yarzab have been participating in a collaborative effort along with representatives from 16 other organizations to bring this website to life over the last nine months. ⁠

⁠The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, along with LegacyWorks consultants, will continue to refine this website, so be sure to offer your feedback at the bottom of this page!

Town Council Passes a Moratorium

The Town Council has finally and unanimously passed a long-awaited moratorium on large buildings this month! This means that until early October 2024, no new development applications for commercial buildings over 35,000 square feet will be approved in certain downtown areas. Now, we have time to examine our local land development regulations (LDRs), to make sure they are incentivizing the kinds of buildings we want to see as a community.

This milestone is a direct result of the relentless efforts of our entire Teton County community. We applaud the elected officials, outspoken commenters, and supportive local groups that have long advocated for this cause. This moratorium will allow us to look at the LDRs, together, to determine what regulations can and should be changed. Updates could include anything from eliminating parking requirements to enacting a maximum size on commercial buildings. We look forward to working with local leaders and organizations to make sure these changes protect the best interests of us all.

As a member-driven advocacy group, it is also so important that we hear your ideas and proposals for these changes, too, so that we can bring them to the table with us.Please don’t hesitate to reach out to  share your thoughts!

Hot Topics in Housing

ShelterJH members share relevant media pieces with one another through our Google Group. Here are what our conversations have been about this month: