Join us for the 12th annual Empty Bowls Event on Sunday, January 21st. Blaine County Charitable Fund, Boulder Mountain Clayworks and the Church of the Big Wood are hosting the annual Empty Bowls event January 21st from 11:30 am – 2 pm at the Church of the Big Wood. Previously hosted and benefiting the Hunger Coalition, the fundraiser was handed over to the Blaine County Charitable Fund. Purchase a handmade bowl for $25 and fill with generous helpings of soup, chili, salad, bread and dessert from local chefs.
Creating Housing Opportunities for All: Market Failures, Impacts, and Effective Responses
Everyone needs housing, yet not everyone living and working in the Wood River Valley has access to a safe, decent and affordable place to call home. Meanwhile, housing impacts many dimensions of our individual lives – our safety, sense of community, identity, and access to opportunities like schools and jobs. It is also connected to broader social and economic progress. Finally, secure and safe housing improves both short-term and long-term physical and mental health outcomes of individuals and families. In her talk, Dr. Vanessa Fry of Boise State University’s Idaho Policy Institute, will discuss partnership and policies that can support housing opportunities for all. She will describe market failures and employee generation, impacts of housing crises on communities, households, and individuals, and the geographic scope and scale of an effective housing response. A former resident of the Wood River Valley, she worked directly on local housing and transportation issues in the region while with Citizens for Smart Growth and Community Transportation Association of Idaho. Vanessa will be joined by City of Ketchum’s Housing Director, Carissa Connelly, who will provide context on efforts underway. This program will be livestreamed and available to watch later. In partnership with the City of Ketchum.
Learning from Peer Communities: Housing Lessons and Opportunities with Summit County, Colorado’s Housing Director
Jason Dietz started in 2018 as Summit County, Colorado’s Housing Director, focusing on programs to create affordable housing in the area. He spent the previous decade running the Summit Combined Housing Authority, as a construction manager, in property management, and in land acquisitions and development. In many respects, the Summit County is a peer community and as such has similar struggles. Jason will describe these struggles and successes, what makes resort communities’ housing challenges unique, and what solutions and tools work well there. One such solution is deed-restricting housing units to people who live and/or work in the area and by income – which can be accomplished with a range of tools including homeownership assistance and public-private partnerships to develop housing. Other initiatives include incentivizing accessory development units (ADUs) and the lease to locals program. Jason Dietz will be joined by Carissa Connelly, Housing Director of the City of Ketchum. Ketchum is implementing its year-one Housing Action Plan adopted May 2022, which includes many actions that mirror Summit County’s efforts. This program will be livestreamed and available to watch later. Link forthcoming. In collaboration with the Spur Community Foundation.