CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County is planning to build dozens of new affordable housing units in Cheyenne.
The nonprofit wants to acquire 2.7 acres of land located on 714 E. 15th St, which is located across the street from Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County’s headquarters and considered blighted property by the city. Board members want to partner with My Front Door and the Wyoming Housing Network to build roughly 30 housing units, which will serve anywhere between 40 and 60 individuals. The area will also include a new full-service grocery store, including Walmart or King Soopers.
Dan Dorsch, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Laramie County, said the completed Building Impact Project will bring a positive change to the downtown community.
“It will address housing, food insecurity issues, it would also help revitalize desperate needed part of town,” he said. “That part of town has a lot of potential but it just needs some TLC and the right people to invest in it. We feel we are the right organization to that.”
The project is still in its early stages, and the nonprofit is currently in the process of acquiring funds to purchase the area. The Cheyenne City Council approved a resolution during its July 24 meeting authorizing a $1.2 million grant request on behalf of the nonprofit to the Local Government Project ARPA Grant Application and State Loan and Investment Board. The grants were appropriated during the recent legislative session and can be used for acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction of affordable homeownership or rental housing. The city’s application will finish processing in the fall.
Cheyenne needs more housing for lower-income individuals, or those who have between 0% and 80% of Area Median Income, or AMI, Dorsch said. AMI is defined as the midpoint of a specific area’s income distribution and is calculated on an annual basis by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD. The system is used extensively for assessing affordable housing eligibility.
The capital city isn’t the only place struggling to create more housing. An April study conducted by the Harvard Growth Lab, an economic growth and development policy research group, found that nearly all of Wyoming’s counties have insufficient housing to meet demand. This is due to factors including excessive regulations concerning housing density and insufficient investment in arterial infrastructure, the report states.
Dorsch said there is a need for all different sectors of housing from low-income to competitive market prices. The nonprofit hopes that the project can also raise awareness about reasonable housing prices, as defined by HUD.
“What we really want to talk about is housing affordability, which means nobody, no matter what income they receive, should pay more than 30% of their income on housing expenses including utilities,” he said.
Owning a home affects more than just the individuals or families who live there, Dorsch said. It can influence the growth and livelihood of local communities.
“Owning homeowners is great, building home is great, but it’s the impact of that home and home ownership is what we’re talking about,” he said. “It’s about families being apart of a community, it’s about being able to afford to live where they work and afford to be a part of the community.”
