MCCALL, Idaho — As the demand for affordable housing in the Gem State continues to be the top of mind for many Idahoans, employers in Valley County are creating housing opportunities for staff.
"We've had tremendous growth the last two years when COVID-19 happened," said Valley County Commissioner Sherry Maupin. "We found that a lot of people that couldn't leave the area came to us."
Maupin said that even before the pandemic, many residents had second homes in Valley County. When people had the opportunity to work or learn remotely she said they took advantage of the opportunity and moved to cities like Cascade, Donnelly, and McCall.
"We have grown just in the second homeownership," Maupin said. "They've decided we're a better place to live than where they came from."
With housing in some cities of Valley County already an issue before 2020, Maupin said more people moving and purchasing houses in the area only amplified it.
"Really we have, what we would call, just a lack of housing in general," said the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer for St. Luke's McCall Amber Green.
According to Green, several staff members with St. Luke's McCall left the health care occupation throughout the past few years. She said a number of them cited stress from working during the pandemic, but not being able to afford or find housing had a factor too.
Staff members found it difficult to live within the McCall city limits Green said.
"A large number of those employees are driving 40 minutes every day just to get into work, which is difficult during our long winter months," Green said.
Green said housing has also made it difficult for the health system in Valley County to fill positions. Many candidates have turned down job offers because of their inability to live in the area.
"They have come forward and said, 'We can't sustain this and we can't continue to live here if there isn't a change either in our compensation or in the housing market,'" Green said.
Maupin said leaders in Valley County are working on different ways to help meet the housing need.
She said the County Commissioners incorporated Idaho State Statute 63-602NN into the building code, which is a tax incentive and reduction program for developers who create five or more residential buildings units.
Maupin said it will last for five years.
She also mentioned there has been some development in Cascade that brought in 11 manufactured homes that were "quickly filled with medical and education staff."
While creating more development and residential areas isn't a quick process, Maupin said the biggest help keeping the valley's workforce in the area has been aid from the employers.
"Businesses have realized that they have to participate at a very high level here in order to get people that are actually going to be working," Maupin said.
Places like Brundage Mountain Resort, Tamarack Resort and Shore Lodge Whitetail have designated and committed housing for employees in an effort to meet workforce needs.
Brundage Mountain in McCall announced in early April they purchased a 10,000 sq ft building in New Meadows to help expand its employee housing. The goal is to house up to 20 employees in time for the start of the 2022-23 Winter Season.
“We are attracted to this site for several reasons,” Brundage Mountain General Manager Ken Rider said in a news release. “It’s set up nicely for a conversion to dorm-style housing units, but also has large spaces to use as common areas and for other uses and provides easy access to amenities in New Meadows for employees.”
It's not just resorts in the area that have committed to housing staff, St Luke's McCall is too.
The medical center announced Thursday they purchased a building (212 N Third St in McCall) with 10 studio apartments and four retail spaces.
"We want to make sure that those that people we currently employ or that we're going to hire have a place to stay until they are able to locate housing on their own," Green said.
Since the medical center has had trouble filling permanent positions, it has been contracting with more agency staff and travelers to fill the need. These employees are on short-term contracts that are typically three months, according to St. Luke's McCall.
The studio units will primarily be used for travelers. Consideration will be made for permanent staff if the units meet their housing needs, according to a news release.
St. Luke’s McCall currently has contracts for 14 travelers.
The health system already owns a home and two duplexes and leases another home near the hospital campus.
Green said while there is more development needed to be done for the area, solutions like this from employers are a step in the right direction to help meet the immediate need.
"It certainly is an issue all across our businesses here in McCall," Green said.
St. Luke’s said it will honor the leases of the current tenants at the newly acquired property. Once the apartments become available, then they will allow medical staff in need of housing to live there.
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