Two new community housing units are available in Hailey, product of a private-public partnership involving the Blaine County Housing Authority, the Blaine County Sheriff's Office and the Hailey Police Department,
The two units are part of the Quigley View development on East Croy Street. They are close to the bike bath and within walking distance of town.
The development features eight complete townhouses, two of which are community housing units. All the units are 993 square feet with two bedrooms and two full baths. While each unit has the same configuration, the finishes in the community-housing townhouses are not as rich. Instead of hardwood floors, they have laminate flooring by Pergo and instead of gas appliances, they have electric ones.
"They are very nice and clean units," said Nathan Fierman, an associate broker with McCann-Daech-Fenton Realtors.
The two units are being offered under different terms and for different prices. One townhouse is offered to income category 4 and 5 applicants employed by the Blaine County Sheriff's Office or the Hailey Police Department. If the unit does not sell to those employees, then it will be available to all qualified applicants on the housing authority's waiting list. Since the unit is sold as community housing based on income, it will sell be the less expensive of the two, at $204,852.
The other unit is offered under the workforce market deed, making anyone who has lived in and been employed in Blaine County for at least one year eligible. While the buyer must meet a net worth standard, there are no exact income restrictions on who can buy the townhouse. As a result, the price of the unit is $228,000, a nearly $25,000 difference.
Fierman was quick to point out that there is still a huge gap between $228,000 and the market price of $360,000 per townhouse.
"The spirit of community housing pricing is still happening," Fierman said.
Nancy Smith, housing authority program coordinator, said the use of workforce market deed restriction is a fairly new and exciting development.
"This is an example of a real, stand-up public-private partnership," she said.
Smith recommended that community housing applicants check the housing authority's Web site, http://bcoha.org, for all new listings.
A two-bedroom, two-bath community housing townhouse is on the market at Quigley View development in Hailey. Photo by David N. Seelig
