By Jeannette Boner
Jackson Hole News&Guide
Via Wyoming News Exchange

JACKSON — With the recent release of One22’s annual report, the nonprofit organization is heeding eye-raising new data that points to critical housing insecurities that have not abated since the pandemic receded.

“People think the crisis is over and that the public health crisis is behind us,” One22 Executive Director Sharel Lund said of moving into a post-pandemic world. “We know that housing costs and rent costs have skyrocketed since 2020. The economic crisis is more real than it ever was, and it has been most difficult on service workers.

“It’s not all better and people are really struggling. Just because we don’t see them, we see it at One22, and we felt a responsibility to inform folks about that.”

Last week One22 issued a press release detailing some of its findings in the 2022 report. One22’s Rent Assistance program has already distributed 70% of its projected budget for this year.

Lund said that while the community’s generosity and support through the pandemic has buoyed the increased need for rent assistance, the organization is experiencing a leveling off of revenues as federal grants from the pandemic also end their run and the rest of the world returns to normal.

“Many of us thought that the demand for basic needs such as food and rent assistance might have gone down post-pandemic,” Lund said in the news release. “In fact, we see both needs rising.”

In 2022, One22 provided 468 months of rent assistance to 273 households (including 388 adults and 255 children). According to the Jackson/Teton County Housing Department, the average cost for a two-bedroom apartment is $4,172 at the county’s five largest apartment complexes. That accounts for a 60% increase in one year, according to the release. That’s a strain on local families that is only getting more intense.

The goal of the Rent Assistance program is to help renters maintain secure and safe housing while working toward greater financial stability. The program largely supports low- to moderate-income workers and their families working to keep those community members from leaving because they can’t find stable housing or working three to four jobs to keep up with rising rent.

Through One22’s First/Last/Deposit program, people without a safety net can take advantage of those opportunities by getting help with upfront expenses. Last year 19 households were able to secure better rental opportunities through the First/Last/Deposit program.

One22’s Rent Assistance program also provides financial assistance to help cover rental costs during times of crisis, up to three times per calendar year.

It also includes personalized budgeting guidance to build financial awareness and connections to additional resources. Assistance amounts are based on a formula: the difference between 30% of a household’s income and monthly rent payment.

“The housing crisis in our valley is reaching a critical tipping point, especially for those for whom rentals are the most practical option,” Lund added. “It is tragic when someone gets an improved living opportunity but they cannot take advantage of it because they don’t have the funds to do so. One22 is proud to provide assistance to help these households access safe and more economical housing, but we need to take a serious look at addressing the larger problem as a community.”

“If you don’t want to know that these problems exist, it’s easy not to see it,” Lund said. “If housing should be no more than 30% of your income in order to be sustainable, with the rising cost of rent, how can our working families thrive under conditions this extreme?”

Learn more about One22 Resource Center and its programs by visiting One22JH.org.