The Red Lodge Area Community Foundation (RLACF) is conducting a study for Red Lodge and Carbon County to provide market and suitability information to identify opportunities and solutions for affordable workforce housing.
CARBON COUNTY WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
Goals of this Housing Study:
- Present and analyze potential housing development sites within the Red Lodge City limits, and propose a specific course of action for solving any identified problems
- Present and analyze potential housing development sites outside of the Red Lodge city limits
- Assess the feasibility of affordable housing projects on potential sites
- Provide estimated costs of workforce housing construction
- Incorporate public input in the selection of the preferred architectural design of the workforce housing project
- Increase the capacity for a viable project to construct 8-20+ units with at least 51% reserved for low to moderate-income residents
KEY DATES
12/21/22
Workforce Housing Steering Committee Meeting
1pm – Community Foundation (122 Hauser Ave S)
TIMELINE
Phase 1: Assessment and Analysis
Includes data collection of land use, market, and physical conditions to inform a Needs Assessment Report. This will identify findings on overall issues and needs and provide a knowledge baseline moving forward.
Phase 2: Site Selection
Stakeholders and landowners public input will inform the Site Alternative Analysis. Includes a weight matrix based on the opportunities and challenges of each proposed site.
Phase 3: Concept Design Alternatives
Based on Site Selection Analysis, conceptual designs will be developed into two Design Concept Alternatives. An interactive session with the public will inform the final adopted concept.
RESOURCES
Two Sites Selected
Based on community input from three public open house meetings (in Roberts, Red Lodge, and over Zoom), two sites were selected to move forward into design. The Roberts community was interested in affordable housing on the site adjacent to the school, as the majority of teachers at the school commute from outside of Roberts. The Brewery Hill site in Red Lodge was selected because due to its size, it offers opportunity for multiple phased housing projects that can be built over time as funding is available.
Workforce Housing Study Final Draft
The final draft of the Workforce Housing Study is available here. Final input on the draft was taken at the December Workforce Housing Steering Committee Meeting on Wednesday, December 21 at 1pm at the Community Foundation.
Preliminary Design Underway on Two Sites Selected
Three public open houses were held to get community feedback on four potential sites for workforce housing development. One was held at the Roberts Public School on October 12, one was virtual over Zoom on October 13, and the last was held at the Roosevelt Center in Red Lodge. All meetings were well attended and we got great feedback from participants – thank you everyone who came!
The project team has begun preliminary design on 2 sites that were selected based on community input: the site adjacent to the school in Roberts and the Brewery Hill site in Red Lodge. The preliminary architectural report is being drafted and is expected to be delivered to the Community Foundation later this month.
Project Background
Low availability of stable, affordable housing options negatively impacts local businesses and their workforce. Business owners and employers have share the need for affordable long-term rental units for the local workforce. The 2022 BRCD Regional Housing Study identified several sites within Carbon County to be considered as a part of this Study.
The current median sale price of a single-family home in Carbon County has increased by over 12% annually over the past 5 years according to preliminary data from the Beartooth RC&D Regional Housing Study. In 2020, the median price of a home in Carbon County was $391,000—this is over $100,000 higher than what is affordable for households earning 100% of the Area Median Income. Based on data from our 2016 Housing Needs Assessment, over 40% of renters in the Red Lodge area are spending more on housing than what HUD considers affordable (more than 30% of their income). One in four homes in the City of Red Lodge are owned by second home-owners and used for short-term rentals such as Airbnb and VRBO, and are no longer available to low- and moderate-income households. This trend has been rapidly increasing through the pandemic as the demand for whole house vacation rentals has increased.
Public Open Houses Scheduled
Are you interested in affordable housing? The Red Lodge Area Community Foundation is looking at 4 sites in Red Lodge, Roberts and Joliet for the development of workforce housing. We’d love your opinion to help us narrow it down to two sites based on community input.
Please join us at one of our public open houses:
In-person:
Wednesday, October 12 | 6pm | Roberts Public School | Gymnasium |106 Maple St, Roberts
Thursday, October 13 | 6pm |Roosevelt Center | Conference Room | 519 Broadway, Red Lodge
Virtual:
Thursday, October 13 | 12pm | Zoom link: https://cushingterrell.zoom.us/j/97865378804?pwd=dE96TjlVK20zQzVPZDVhNmtOcklDQT09Â | Password: 187906
We will present the sites and their trade-offs and answer any questions from community members. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided at the in-person meeting.