The Affordable Bozeman Coalition (ABC) is a group of community members that have come together to oppose another community led initiative.
"On its face, this is something that if it was presented to someone who didn’t know all the ins and outs of it—it does sound kind of good. We’re going to help water and we’re going to help housing. But ultimately that’s not what’s going to happen," says Riley Rivers.
As government affairs director for the Southwest Montana Building Industry Association (SWMBIA), and a blue-collar business owner, Rivers says, "We’re fighting for the guys who swing the hammers, the landscapers that are planting the trees like my company does. This is something that’s going to affect all of us then it’s going to trickle down to the rest of the economy."
ABC says the ballot initiative known as WARD could negatively impact the price of homes.
"It’s going to hurt water and it’s going to hurt housing. So, we’re just trying to make sure that those of you going to vote, you have all the facts, and you make your own decisions that way," says Rivers.
Water Adequacy for Residential Development is a citizen led initiative that seeks to link water conservation and affordable housing.
"So, what it will do is modify the part of the municipal code that uses cash-in-lieu of water right," says Natsuki Nakamura, "So new developments wanting to pay cash to use our water supply, if it’s a residential development of 3 or more units, one-third of that new development would have to be affordable."
Nakamura, a member of the WARD working group, explains the challenge.
"Because all the water is over allocated at this point, in order to have any development right now, most new developments pay cash-in-lieu to use city water rights," says Nakamura, "So it’s a streamline to get new development in the area."
But the Affordable Bozeman Coalition believes this initiative would enact a housing moratorium in the city— halting development, skyrocketing prices, and increasing sprawl as developers move into the county.
"In theory, they could come through, you have a subdivision built, and they’re going to say that’s an affordable house and these are the ones you can sell at market rate," says Rivers, "So now the market rate houses will skyrocket in price to pay the subsidy on the below rate ones."
WATCH: Bozeman groups clash over ballot initiative linking water conservation to affordable housing requirements
As a renter himself, Rivers says this effects individuals hoping to buy homes one day.
"What happens to the people who make 121% of AMI? That house that they wanted to buy for $700,000 is now going to be $900,000. But they don’t qualify for that affordable unit," says Rivers.
But as a retired fisheries biologist, Dan Carty of WARD's working group says, in order to protect water, there has to be a trade off with developers.
"It links the developer’s need to get municipal water and their desire to build, to affordable housing and conserve water," says Carty.
For more information visit WARD website and Affordable Bozeman Coalition Facebook page.
