Council and county approve FY26 housing supply plan; staff highlight preservation, partnerships and aging-in-place work

The Town of Jackson and Teton County approved the fiscal year 2026 housing supply plan on May 5, 2025. Presenters told the joint meeting the housing program recorded 111 permanently deed-restricted homes completed in 2024 and that the approved plan emphasizes preservation, continued public–private partnerships and aging-in-place measures.

Housing Director April Dorton summarized 2024 as a record year for locally restricted housing and presented project-level details. She said the 111 homes completed in 2024 housed 288 people: 161 adults and 127 children. Dorton described three projects completed or in the ground in 2024: Black Creek (48 rental homes intended to serve lower-income households), Jackson Street Apartments (57 rental homes serving a mix of income bands) and Forsyth Phase I (a 6-unit Habitat for Humanity ownership project aimed at lower-income buyers). Dorton also said the community has produced a significant number of deed-restricted units over recent years and noted ongoing public–private partnerships drove much of the recent production.

The plan calls out a continuing need for preservation of existing restricted homes. Staff described the housing preservation program and said the program aims to permanently preserve 25 existing homes for the workforce over the next five years; staff also said they are pursuing two deed-restriction purchases under that program. Dorton described additional work on aging-in-place programs, an accessibility loan product funded by a recent Community Foundation grant, and expanded technical assistance for households with disabilities.

Council members and commissioners discussed gaps and trends, including whether recent housing production is keeping up with job growth and demographic change. Dorton said the community-wide indicator dashboard links the housing supply plan with employment and population indicators; staff reported the resident workforce share is about 57% (a community goal is to house 65% of the workforce locally). Several elected officials repeated interest in expanding preservation strategies and in exploring additional financing options, such as a housing authority acquisition/resale model and leveraging philanthropic sources alongside public funds.

The town council moved to approve the FY26 housing supply plan (motion by Councilwoman Speer); the council vote was unanimous. The county commission subsequently approved the same plan on a unanimous vote.