Northern South Park draft plan released
The Northern South Park (NSP) preferred alternative is a great plan to house our local workers, families and retirees, and we are thrilled to see so much potential for new homes for our community members—especially our neighbors with lower incomes and higher need.
Last week, the Town Councilors recommended approval of the NSP Plan to the BCC. Now, we see an opportunity to make it even better with more homes and a higher percentage reserved for locals.
By increasing the density of NSP, the county could both increase the percentage of community benefit (workforce and affordable homes reserved for locals) and provide a net benefit to the landowners.
Write in and encourage local leaders to support even MORE density for homes for locals in NSP!
Upcoming events: don’t miss our member meet-up on July 14!
We can’t wait to see you all on July 14 at 6pm at Mike Yokel Park! Join us to hear from our board members, get up to speed on election happenings, and join discussions around local housing issues. See you there!
Please be sure to mark your calendars to attend our Candidate Forum on Tuesday, August 30 at 5:30pm at St. John’s Church. Did you miss the Teton County Library forums this month? You can check the recordings out here!
July 14th – Member Meet-up
6pm @ Mike Yokel
Mingle with other members, get up to speed on election happenings, and get inspired with discussions around local housing issues. Bring a friend who’s not a member!
August 30th – Candidate Forum hosted by Shelter JH & ActNowJH
5:30pm @ St. John’s Church
Local politics affect our everyday life! Learn more about the candidates running for office in Teton County, WY this year and ask them your questions. In an effort to make this event as accessible as possible, we will be offering childcare.
Did you miss the Teton County Library forums this month? You can check the recordings out here!
We need your help!
Election season is in full swing and we need your involvement to make sure we hold successful events to educate and empower members to make informed decisions at the polls!
Here’s what we need:
- A moderator for our Candidate Forum on August 30 from 6pm-8pm at St. John’s Church. We would love for a member to step forward and participate in this event!
- Childcare volunteers for the Candidate forum from 5:30pm to 8pm on August 30: We want to make this event as accessible as possible, so we are offering childcare. Are you certified and available to provide this service during the forum? The event will be streamed and recorded so you won’t miss a beat!
- Donations: we are looking for food donations for the forum (another effort to make the event accessible) and items to raffle off for our mid-year member meeting on July 14. Do you work for (or own!) a local restaurant who might want to donate a gift card or a local business who may want to donate services? Let us know.
The invitation to join our Election Taskforce stands! This group will be helping us with event planning, candidate outreach, and get out the vote efforts. Reply if you’d like to join!
Share your thoughts on short-term rental regulations!
Last week, the Town Councilors considered changes to our short-term rental regulations. They continued this decision awaiting more data from staff. It’s not over yet!
We have gotten a lot of questions about our support for this change. Since some of these homes are luxury properties that wouldn’t be rented for an affordable price regardless, why change the ordinance?
The answer is commodification: people are seeing houses in Jackson as an investment opportunity rather than desperately-needed homes for locals. Not only are homes taken out of the market, but they are filled with even more visitors who add demand to our overburdened workers and businesses. Make sure you check out our template letter (thanks to member Ariel Kazunas!) and contact Town Councilors now to share your support for this change.
SPET Update
The Town Councilors and County Commissioners have been hard at work discussing the SPET ballot.
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:
- Town Lift: Park City addresses Pacaso concerns
- Mountain Journal: Bozeman housing market caters to Wall Street (thanks to member Luther Propst!)
- Reason: Portland focusing on housing for the “missing middle”(thanks to member Tim Miller!)
- Aspen Daily News: The effect of AirBnB on neighborhoods
- Washington Post: How NIMBYism chokes off affordable housing
- Last Week Tonight: Why are rent prices so high? (NSFW)
