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Affordable housing is topic at meeting
By Justin Goble
The need for affordable housing in the county was one of the issues brought up during a Jan. 15 meeting between county officials and leaders from each municipality.
Western Carolina University representative Diane Lynch raised the issue, stating that the price of housing in the county has made it hard to hire new staff members.
“Affordable housing has become an issue for us,” Lynch said. “It’s made it hard to recruit staff because the price of housing is so high. Most times if someone does take a job with us, they end up living in Asheville and driving here every day.”
Southwestern Community College representative Gene Couch said the price of homes in Jackson County has made it hard for SCC to recruit new teachers as well.
“We had an applicant from Baltimore come down for an interview,” Couch said. “We thought that surely it would be cheaper to live here than to live in Baltimore. It turns out they paid less up there for a bigger house. So at that point we had to try and entice them with our beautiful scenery and things like that, but at the end of the day it comes down to money and that person had to turn down our offer.”
Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority Director Joe Cline said he had noticed the trend as well, stating that during his time in the county many water and sewer allocations had been made for expensive houses. Local governments may need to do something to make the prices go down, he said.
“Most of the allocations for housing we’ve given have not been in a range I would consider affordable,” Cline said. “Many of the houses are going for $400,000 to $500,000, and those are on lots that can cost as much as $200,000. So in the end, you’re paying $700,000 for a house. Many people who live and work in Jackson County can’t afford that.”
“I think we need something like the county did at the Webster complex where they provided low-cost housing to retirees,” he said. “Private developers have no desire to look at the lower end of housing when they can sell on the higher end. We have to do something or else the county will be nothing but retirees from somewhere else.”
In other business Jan. 15, Dillsboro leaders asked the other municipalities and the county to help get the greenway committee working again.
According to assistant town clerk Emily Elders, participation in the committee has slacked off in the recent months.
“There’s no longer a coordinator and there’s been a lack in attendance at our meetings,” said Elders, who is a Dillsboro representative on the committee. “We’re now trying to get more participation from the community and hope to have a coordinator within the next six months. We’re trying to get funding too, but without a coordinator there’s not really been anyone in charge of a budget. In fact, we’re still trying to find it.
“Right now we’re asking that you revisit your appointments and make sure they want to serve,” she said. “And if there’s someone out there that wants to help, keep us in mind.”
Though projects have been moving forward in Dillsboro and Webster, Elders said she was unsure how much of a countywide greenway was complete. Webster Mayor Steve Gray said he would like to see a walking path connecting Sylva and Dillsboro as soon as possible.
“The road between Sylva and Dillsboro is a dangerous place to walk, so we need something there,” he said.
Commissioners’ Chairman Brian McMahan said he would like to have a trail that showcases the county’s renewable energy projects in Dillsboro as well.
“It would be nice to have a trail from the Green Energy Park to the Dillsboro Dam,” he said.
Officials indicated they would contact their appointments to the greenway committee to make sure they want to continue on that board.
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