DRIGGS, Idaho — The Teton County Joint Housing Authority (TCJHA) has announced its acquisition of 1.136-acres of land in Driggs, which will be the site of a future affordable housing project.
In the announcement of the deal, the agency shared that the property was sold by the Nature Conservancy of Idaho (TNC) as a package of separate land parcels; some of the land will be dedicated to conservation efforts, but the portions with “lower conservation values,” including two parcels in downtown Driggs, will be used for affordable housing and expanding public infrastructure.
“We couldn’t have hoped for a better deal,” TCJHA Chair Shawn Hill said in a statement. “Having a conservation and community-minded seller allowed us to acquire downtown land ideal for housing. This transaction simultaneously advances conservation and affordable housing goals, proving that, as a community, we can do both at the same time.”
The deal is facilitated by the Teton Creek Land & Water Project, implemented in Idaho in 2021 by TNC. TNC’s plans for its 1,000 acres of property in Teton Valley include “supporting agricultural irrigation needs and exploring opportunities for implementing regenerative farming practices; improving flow in Teton Creek at critical times for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and permanently protecting elk migration corridors and wildlife habitat” through the Teton Creek Corridor Project.
Federal government funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) will be directed to TCJHA by Teton County to finance the housing plans, TCJHA said.
“With the skyrocketing cost of living in our community, below market housing options are critical,” Teton County Commission Chair Cindy Riegel said in a statement. “The $300,000 of ARPA funds that were allocated to the TCJHA and used to purchase this property will create stability for local employees and their employers. It is exactly what this economic stimulus money was meant to do.”
