Consultant: Post Falls faces rapid growth, housing shortfall and seniors with high rent burdens

A consultant with Comoyne & Associates presented the firm’s housing‑needs analysis to the Post Falls City Council on Oct. 27, summarizing data, public outreach and recommended strategies for the city’s fast‑growing housing market.

The final report is “almost 200 pages long,” the consultant said, and was provided to councilmembers in the meeting packet. The study combined a public survey, listening sessions, a January workshop with the council and planning commission, site visits and roundtable interviews with local officials and professionals.

The study found rapid housing and population growth in Post Falls compared with neighboring geographies, and projected continued demand for both owner and renter units. Key findings presented included: 593 responses to the public survey; owner‑occupied housing representing 66% of units in the city; roughly 70% of homes built within the past 35 years; about 61% of residents and 62% of workers in Post Falls reporting commutes under 10 minutes; an estimate of about 1,500 new jobs from 2023 to 2028; and an estimated five‑year need in the range of “over…