January 2025

Welcome to our new board members!

We are so excited to welcome four new board members to our team: Sara Al-Azem, Dan Ragsdale, Emma Leither, and Ian Osler. This dynamic group brings a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to our work, and we are grateful for their contributions to ShelterJH now and in the future. Stay tuned to learn more about each of them next month!

Alyson Spery joins the Town Council

We are so excited that Alyson Spery will be joining the Jackson Town Council!⁠

You might know Alyson from the One Small Step series she led through KHOL. She brings a unique perspective to the board as a deed-restricted homeowner and former deed-restricted renter. She has worked for many local non-profits including @one22jh, the Van Vleck House, and Outward Bound. With a background in public policy, we know Alyson will bring her listening skills, curiosity, and commitment to the public good to the Council.⁠

Thanks to all applicants who put their name forward, to the Town staff for managing this process, and to the four Councilors who took the time to make a careful and thoughtful decision. We can’t wait to support your pro-housing work for the next two years (and beyond!).⁠

Thank you to out outgoing elected officials, and welcome new electeds!

⁠It’s no small feat to run for office and serve your community as an elected official. Thank you Greg Epstein, Hailey Morton-Levinson, Jessica Sell Chambers, and Jim Rooks for dedicating your time and talent to your neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family. We look forward to seeing what you accomplish next as leaders.⁠

Also—congratulations to all of the ShelterJH-endorsed candidates who began their terms on the Jackson Town Council and Teton County Commission!⁠ Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our volunteers and supporters, all five of our endorsed candidates were elected in November. We appreciate your willingness to serve, and thanks for being housing champions.

90 Virginian Lane: Meeting on 2/3

On February 2, the Town Council and County Commission will be meeting again to take the next steps for the 90 Virginian Lane neighborhood. They’ll be discussing the terms of the Development Agreement—one of the many phases of actualizing this future home for more than 250 locals!

Public comment will be taken during this meeting in person and virtually. Click on this link for info about this neighborhood and the link for the meeting.

Thank you, Ariel!

If you’ve happened to catch any of the recent written comments and/or attended a public meeting regarding the Virginian Lane project, you’ve experienced Ariel’s passion in action.⁠

She writes: “Build small, dense, affordable units – as many as possible, as soon as possible – at 90 Virginian Lane. The people who need those homes are ALREADY HERE, and the hurt, trauma, and exhaustion we are enduring and absorbing in experiencing housing insecurity is unbearable.⁠ We can do better as a community. We MUST do better.”⁠⁠

After being a dedicated volunteer for years, Ariel joined the board and shared her communications expertise with us, ensuring the way we share information is as seamless and clear as possible. Her commitment to housing locals locally is palpable and we can’t wait to see how else she contributes to our community. ⁠Thank you for joining the ShelterJH board Ariel!⁠

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: