As demand for housing grows, small Western towns are experiencing skyrocketing housing costs and rising displacement.
The housing crisis is ramping up in the Teton Valley, a picturesque vacation spot near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, reports Nick Bowlin. In Victor, Idaho, one of the communities just across the border from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the residents of a mobile home park were given 90 days to vacate their lots after the adjacent resort bought the land–eliminating some of the last remaining affordable housing in the rapidly gentrifying area.
With some of the world's wealthiest elites owning homes in Jackson Hole and the 'Zoom Boom' of the last two years pushing more remote workers far from urban centers, the region has some of the country's most extreme income inequality. Now, even the formerly affordable towns across the Idaho border where many service and tourism workers live are experiencing rapid increases in housing costs driven by explosive demand.
As Bowling writes, "Policy changes could be coming: Teton County’s planning and zoning commission is holding hearings regarding a possible overhaul of the county zoning system, which is outdated and offers few tools for controlling development." Across the West, small towns are seeing sharply rising housing costs as urban dwellers with newfound flexibility seek out lower home costs and scenic surroundings.
FULL STORY: Vacation resort replaces affordable housing in Teton Valley
Austin Becoming Least Affordable City Outside California
The Texas capital, once one of the most affordable metro areas, is experiencing a housing affordability crisis as median prices soar and longtime residents face displacement.
How ‘Filtering’ Opens Up Affordable Housing
An analysis of 12 U.S. cities found that new market-rate construction often leads to more affordable units becoming available, but the effect varies across housing markets.
A Dirty Little Secret: Rising Property Values Are Incompatible With Affordability
Rising property values come with positive community development, but this shift can make neighborhoods inaccessible to low-income renters and fixed-income homeowners.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research