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Researcher tells council Star residents are priced out as study seeks interviews
Summary
A Mountain Home resident and planning commissioner presented preliminary PhD research showing median home prices rising much faster than incomes in the region and asked Star officials to help arrange stakeholder interviews for a mixed‑methods study on housing affordability and possible zoning responses.
At the Feb. 17 meeting of the Star City Council, doctoral researcher and Mountain Home planning commissioner Billy Rotor presented preliminary findings from a mixed‑methods study on housing affordability, arguing that typical incomes are no longer sufficient to purchase median‑priced homes in the area and requesting interviews with local stakeholders.
Rotor told the council he is comparing comprehensive plans and census data across nearby cities and analyzing interviews, focus groups and development standards. He cited American Community Survey figures and local plan references to argue that median home prices have risen faster than incomes and said his research will attempt to identify mitigation measures and recommendations. "The median income cannot afford the house right now in this city," Rotor said during his remarks.
Rotor described upzoning and planned unit developments as examples he is studying and said state legislation (identified in the hearing as "S1279") may change cities’ regulatory authority over zoning. He asked to interview about 10–12 local stakeholders — developers, planning commissioners, council members and residents — and said he will present final findings after triangulating quantitative and qualitative results, with a projected completion this spring.
Council members and the mayor thanked Rotor for his work and debated the role of local regulation versus market forces. One council member noted that increasing density alone may not lower prices if market demand and interest rates remain significant drivers; another spoke of potential gentrification pressures when higher‑wage newcomers buy local homes.
Rotor said his goal is to provide usable, locally grounded recommendations rather than a single policy fix. He will return to Star with results when the study is complete.
