Housing authority says Table Mountain assisted-living project stalled after $14 million gap and legal limit on scope

Judy Lersi, a member of the Lander Housing Authority, told the City Council the Table Mountain Assisted Living project is effectively stalled after recent legal review and rising cost estimates. “The short version of this is number one we’re $14 million short,” Lersi said, adding bond counsel concluded the authority likely lacks statutory authority because Wyoming law permits housing authorities to act on behalf of indigent persons while the proposed facility planned to accept private-pay residents.

The finding forced the authority to re-evaluate how the project could proceed. Lersi said the authority examined several alternatives: forming a joint-powers board (which requires another partner), creating a nonprofit to take ownership, finding a private operator, or placing the project in a city enterprise fund so the city could accept 501(c)(3) fundraising and operate the facility. “That is one possibility and if you consider that this project would land in your laps and move forward from there,” she told council.

Council members pressed staff for additional details. Councilman Larson asked what infrastructure has already been installed; staff replied there is a design for water and sewer extension but no installed infrastructure. Lersi said the authority has received or will receive $5,132,000 in ARPA funds pending final disbursement and noted other donated funds are being held by the Wyoming Community Foundation; some donors indicated they would not want contributions returned and instead want funds used for related community needs.

Members expressed frustration and gratitude. Several council members thanked the housing authority for its work and said they were reluctant to abandon the concept. Council discussion centered on three follow-ups: a clearer cost and funding analysis of the enterprise-fund option (how much the city would need to invest and for how long), outreach to the county about shared interest or partnership, and a staff report that enumerates donated funds and any restrictions on their use.

The council did not adopt a final decision at the meeting. Staff offered to prepare a more detailed briefing for a future work session that would include enterprise-fund scoping (capital, operating and staffing impacts), options for transfer to a nonprofit or private operator, and a recommended timeline for additional outreach to county partners and potential funders.

The Lander Housing Authority’s presentation raised the central trade-off the council must weigh: find a way to bridge an estimated multi‑million-dollar financing gap and accept long‑term operational exposure, or wind down the current plan and pursue alternate housing options once statute and funding constraints are fully mapped.