Making housing affordable

"I don't really like the term affordable housing," Jezria Latham, broker and owner of Provident Realty said. "I have been trying to figure out another term because, clearly, what is affordable to some people is not affordable to others."

Latham prefers to think of affordable housing as income-based housing and there are different tiers and brackets.

"What I am seeing for those looking to come into the Valley-such as police officers, teachers and entry level health care personnel that are just starting their career-there is not a lot of housing for them to get into," Latham said. "Hopefully, with development going on, there will be more opportunity for these people."

Latham said even building apartments would ease the crunch for these workers.

"It is all supply and demand. Not only the housing market but the rental market as well," Latham said. "The supply side of housing in the Valley and Carbon County has gotten harder versus recent years."

Latham said in the past 12 months there were 68 properties sold in the two Valleys. The average sales price was $307,545 and the median sales price was $266,000. The properties stay on the market for 149 days.

"I think both of those numbers are important because there is such a broad range of housing," Latham said. "We have mobile homes selling for under $100,000 and we have homes in Old Baldy that go for over a million."

She said in Rawlins the average is lower because the turnover is more consistent but prices have risen there too.

"There is steady turnover in that market," Latham said. "Right now it has 69 homes on the market, which is a little less than what it has averaged before. Usually it is about 120. In the past 12 months 190 properties were sold and the average price was $178,079 and the median price was $166,000. The average it stays on the market is 150 days."

Latham said shortages are happening throughout Carbon County.

"We are seeing shortages in all parts of the county," Latham said. "In Hanna, for 2020, it doubled and tripled its average home sales. In the past year, there were 26 homes that sold in Hanna and the average was $62,646 and the median was $62,503 with them staying on the market an average of 142 days."

Hanna is less expensive to buy a home but not quite as cheap as the average price indicates.

"It has a broad range of prices with the lowest being $8,000 and the highest $135,000," Latham said. "Right now there are six properties available and Hanna usually averages from 12 to 15 houses available any given time."

Latham said properties in Medicine Bow have sold in a month.

"I think Carbon County in general has certainly been discovered," Latham said. "It is not a secret anymore. I think we are going to see a lot more seasonal residents because the reality is we have harsh winters, but amazingly beautiful summers. Depending on where you might be coming from, Carbon County can look like a bargain."

Hanna may be cheaper for Carbon County residents to own homes, but the town of about 900 also has income-based housing units owned by the Town which afford many a place to stay based entirely on what a family can pay.

"The town council, back in the late 1970s, decided to work with HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and create these units," said Marcia Beals, director and administrator of the Hanna Housing Authority. She been in this position since July 1999. "The first was completed in August 1983. It took some time because the town had to purchase the land and they had to get with HUD to follow the guidelines that have been in force for public housing since 1937. In 1965 HUD became a cabinet level department."

Beals said there are 20 units in the development. They include 12 two-bedroom units, six three-bedroom units and two four-bedroom units. The two-bedroom units are 755 square feet, the three-bedroom units are about 1,000 square feet and the four-bedroom units are 1,400 square feet.

"I have a lot of elderly and disabled residents living here," Beals said. "They pay 30 percent of their income for rent. Medical expenses that are out of pocket is subtracted from their rent, but they do pay their gas and electric. The town takes care of water and landfill."

She said the Hanna Housing Board must have one person that lives in one of the units. This a requirement by HUD. The board is all volunteer with exception of Beals, who is paid and cannot vote. When she took over, Beals said there were some bookkeeping problems. Under Beals the board is back in the black. She is also board treasurer and secretary. Beals also works with HUD to keep the units in a modern state.

"We get money for modernization according to our unit size," Beals said. "The kitchens were all upgraded in 2010. Hot water heaters and furnaces needed improvement and that comes from HUD."

Beals said Hanna is not the only town to have public housing. Buffalo, Lusk and Douglas also have similar public housing units.

Beals said a town like Saratoga could also have public housing.

"It would take the town council to listen to people who need this type of housing," Beals said. "These could be store clerks or any support workers. This is what public housing is all about. Small towns need these types of housing just like large towns and cities."

Public housing is not only funded by HUD, but also by the United States Department of Agriculture. Beals said the guidelines are the same as HUD.

"For the a town council to get this to work, they need to contact HUD and ask, 'How do we start?'," Beals explained. "It is a lot of paperwork, demographics, getting supporting documentation saying 'Can we do this? Then it is going forward'."

Another alternative for public housing in a town is HUD's Section 8. It is often used by larger towns with more housing stock because it is a type of voucher program which allows a choice of housing. Beals said the Valley, with more population, could possibly implement this voucher program.

According to HUD, it is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent housing in the private market. Participants are allowed to find their own housing and are free to choose any housing that meets the requirements of the program. It is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects.

Housing choice vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies (PHAs). The PHAs receive federal funds from HUD to administer the voucher program.

A family issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit where the owner agrees to rent under the program. Rental units must meet minimum standards of health and safety as determined by the PHA.

A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participant. The participant pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a participant of this program may use the voucher to purchase a reasonably priced home.

Once a PHA approves an eligible participant's housing unit, a lease is signed and, at the same time, the landlord and the PHA sign a housing assistance payments contract that runs for the same term as the lease. This means that everyone-tenant, landlord and PHA-has obligations and responsibilities under the voucher program.

A lease must run one year and the tenant may be required to pay a security deposit to the landlord. After the first year, the landlord may initiate a new lease or allow the family to remain in the unit on a month-to-month lease.

HUD requires the landlord in the voucher program to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing to a tenant at a reasonable rent. The dwelling unit must pass the program's housing quality standards and be maintained The PHA administers the voucher program locally.

HUD's role in this voucher program is to cover the cost of the program, HUD provides funds to allow PHAs to make housing assistance payments on behalf of the participant. HUD also pays the PHA a fee for the costs of administering the program. HUD monitors PHA administration of the program to ensure program rules are properly followed.

"There are options for public housing," Beals said. "It is a matter of a town and its elected officials having the will to try and find the right solution for their community."

Beals is glad the Hanna Town Council had this will and foresight back in the late 1970s.

"My reward has been to see the tenants be as self-sufficient as they possibly can be, even though they don't have a lot of funds," Beals said. "I have had residents live here for 20 years and be great members of the community."

Beals said residents in the income-based housing units usually last around five years.

"It all depends what is going on," Beals said. "I have to qualify the families annually. Before we allow anyone to live here there is background checks. Sometimes people just need some time to get back on their feet and our units can be a place to do exactly that."

Beals said she empathizes with people who struggle financially. She remembers being a single mother who had to leave an abusive relationship and really struggled to make ends meet.

"Too many people think public housing means it is filled with residents that don't want to work," Beals said. "That isn't the case for residents that qualify in our housing. They just need help during this time in their lives."

Beals said with Carbon County's housing getting more expensive for workers who make low salaries, yet work hard to keep many businesses in operation, it is time to look at all options for making the county affordable for those who aren't highly salaried.

"The programs are out there," Beals said. "It is up to the powers that be to find them and make them work for their communities. Hanna, Lusk and other places prove it can be done."