ShelterJH Policy Platform

ShelterJH, the only independent housing advocacy organization in Teton County, builds grassroots support and political power to address housing insecurity in the Tetons.

This platform encompasses our current policy goals that have been vetted by our members and board. 

2023 POLICY PRIORITIES SUMMARY

Please consult the platform in its entirety for in-depth explanations of these goals.

  • Ensure Northern South Park includes codified plans for phasing and a minimum amount of deed-restricted homes.
  • Outline specific zoning regulations to amend to incentivize the development of deed-restricted homes.
  • Develop a comprehensive proposal for tenant protections, including a legal review.
  • Support necessary updates to housing mitigation policies.
  • Monitor Legacy Lodge plans as litigation unfolds and push for deeper affordability.
  • Get a seat at the table if and when a Housing Council is convened.

FUNDING

1. Establish dedicated public funding
It is impossible to build a modest home for a family earning median income in Teton County without substantial investment. There is a subsidy needed to build homes for anyone earning less than about 200% of median income, and the shortfall increases as household incomes decrease. The investment can come from local public funds, state/federal public funds, philanthropy, or regulatory incentives. We support permanent and dedicated local, state, and/or federal sources of revenue to create and preserve homes that local workers can afford to rent or purchase. To protect this community investment, we insist on permanent deed restrictions, regardless of whether the investment is in the form of direct funding, density bonuses or regulatory relief.

  • We support building a coalition of local organizations to support adding a general penny of sales tax to fund foundational community expenditures in 2024.
  • We support property tax abatement programs so that low-income homeowners and renters are not pushed out by property tax increases, and a sliding scale so that second homeowners pay more in property taxes.
  • We support new state revenue streams—specifically a county-option real estate tax—and see an opportunity for progress to pass this state bill in Cheyenne in the future.
  • We support accessing federal grant opportunities to support Town and County housing initiatives, or other community projects to redirect funds allocated elsewhere to housing.

ZONING & LAND USE

2. Build out Northern South Park

We’re excited about the opportunity to provide homes for local workers in Northern South Park (NSP) and address our housing crisis. We are thrilled that the NSP Neighborhood Plan shows so much potential for new homes for our community members—especially our neighbors with lower incomes and higher need. We have learned over the years that unless there are deed restrictions tied to specific incomes and with appreciation caps to ensure permanent affordability, only the most advantaged people working here can gain access to these places to live.

  • To protect the enormous community investment in NSP, local worker ownership and/or affordability should be required through foolproof and permanent deed restrictions, recorded on the lots at the time of the zone change.
  • As the zoning process unfolds, it is critical that phasing and integration are prioritized to ensure that deed-restricted homes are built as soon as free-market ones are, and that both kinds of homes are located throughout the development.
  • There should be a minimum amount of deed-restricted homes developed on NSP, and we see an opportunity to make the outcome even better with more homes and a higher percentage reserved for locals—like the County Commission approved in July 2022.

3. Make it easier to build homes that locals can afford

Our zoning codes make it hard to build anything other than single-family homes, the most expensive type of homes, and don’t require that “upzoned” new units be reserved for local workers. “Missing middle” homes like duplexes, fourplexes, and cottage courts are less expensive to construct and maintain; fit seamlessly into existing residential neighborhoods; and support walkability, locally-serving retail, and public transportation options. 

  • We support bringing back inclusionary zoning for all annexations and up-zones, which would require that most new units are affordable for local workers. Doing this up front creates transparency on community benefit expectations for any upzones and annexations (like the next NSP), without the emotion generated from a specific development proposal.
  • We also support amending the Land Development Regulations to diversify housing options and make zoning more dense in town, Wilson, the Aspens, and the other “complete neighborhoods.”

4. Establish regulations that protect local neighborhoods and renters alike

There are essentially no protections for local renters once they have secured a place to live. Renters deserve sufficient protections while occupying free-market homes. Meanwhile, we also need to make sure that existing units are safeguarded from turning into second homes or commodified into investment properties for short-term rentals.

  • We support establishing basic tenant protections and habitability requirements for all renters, including but not limited to: requiring a notice period for rent increases of more than 3%; capping application, waiting list, and late fees; establishing a formal landlord complaint process; limiting move-in costs; and ensuring renters are living in safe homes.
  • We believe that short-term rentals outside of the lodging overlay should be limited and we support the amendment that the Town Council is considering. We recognize that locals can use short-term rentals to supplement their income and support allowing homes that are owner-occupied to have a limited amount of short-term rentals per year. We will stay vigilant about the results of this potential amendment and consider calling for additional restrictions thereafter.

5. Require developers to build or pay for housing for the new jobs they create

Our community has had housing mitigation rules for decades that require developers to pay their fair share for the impact their profitable projects have on our community. Recently, a few Jackson Hole landowners went to Cheyenne to threaten state legislation overturning our local democracy’s decision that they should have to pay their fair share. In response, Town Council and County Commission cut the requirements in half, and decided to come back to the question next year after gathering new data.

  • We support setting mitigation rules based on the data from the Housing Nexus Study (showing how many jobs/workers each kind of development generates), instead of being influenced by political pressure from landowners, developers, or Cheyenne.

6. Support homes for workers in Legacy Lodge

Our community has a great opportunity to repurpose Legacy Lodge into apartments for local workers. We support this effort, as long as the apartments are exclusively available to local workers. We also support the fifteen conditions outlined in the conditional use permit application that would allow local workers to live in Legacy Lodge. Finally, we would be excited to see the facility used for housing for elders, if the owners are interested in that option.

7. Support a new and improved Fairgrounds, and building housing at the current location

The Fair Board, Town and County are considering moving the Fairgrounds and Rodeo concession to a more appropriate location on agricultural land. This relocation to a larger parcel would improve access for horse trailers; create a newer and better space for equestrian uses; and provide an opportunity to build a state-of-the-art events complex. Relocation would also free up a large plot of Town-owned land in downtown Jackson which could be used for housing our community members.

  • We support a collaborative process with the Fair Board and the many community members (i.e. 4H) who enjoy the fairgrounds to make a plan to relocate and improve the Fairgrounds, and then to build a significant amount of homes on the current site.

COLLABORATION

8. Partnership Framework/Teton Housing Council
It takes a community to build a community. We have many strong organizations working toward housing, but we don’t yet have an effective platform for collaboration. We support the novel “Housing Council” approach that has worked in the Tahoe region and brings together all key stakeholders (housing groups, social service organizations, businesses, large landowners, realtors, conservationists, developers, etc.) in a partnership framework that is fully staffed and facilitated to solve our housing challenge together.

  • We support public or philanthropic leadership funding to hire a facilitator and kick off a Teton Housing Council in 2023.