Mountainlands Community Housing

MOUNTAINLANDS COMMUNITY HOUSING ASSOCIATION'S (MCHA) PURPOSE IS BASED ON THE BELIEF THAT A SAFE AFFORDABLE HOME IS OFTEN A FAMILYS FIRST STEP TOWARD ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY. MCHA ADDRESSES THE DUAL PROBLEMS OF HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND AVAILABILITY ON THREE FRONTS: ACQUISITION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DIRECT ASSISTANCE IN SECURING HOUSING AND NEEDED BASIC SERVICES, AND EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY TO PROMOTE HOUSING POLICY.

ALTHOUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PERSISTED DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF MOUNTAINLANDS COMMUNITY HOUSING TRUSTS (MCHT) FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2021 THE EFFECTS ON OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN MINIMAL. OFFICE STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING FROM HOME SINCE MID-MARCH 2020 AND CONSTRUCTION ON ALL PROJECTS CONTINUES. ALL OPERATIONAL FUNDING CONTINUES AS BUDGETED, ALTHOUGH CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY INCREASED MATERIAL COSTS AND PRODUCTION DELAYS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR THE SELF HELP PROGRAM CONTINUED WITH SIGNIFICANT DELAYS CAUSED BY CHANGES IN USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENTS APPRAISAL PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES, RECORD INCREASES IN THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND DELAYS IN SUBCONTRACTORS DELIVERY OF SERVICE AND MATERIALS. CONSTRUCTION ON 18 HOMES IN SILVER CREEK VILLAGE SUBDIVISION CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND 9 NEW HOMES WERE STARTED IN FRONTIER COTTAGES SUBDIVISION, A 21-LOT SUBDIVISION IN FRANCIS THAT WAS COMPLETED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. MCHT CONTINUED TO RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL GAINS ON THE SALE FROM THE SALE OF THESE LOTS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS FOR PARKVIEW PLACE SUBDIVISION (49 LOTS) IN HEBER. CONSTRUCTION OF AFFORDABLE HOMES WILL START NEXT MONTH. CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED ON THE FIRST BUILDING CONSISTING OF 32 AFFORDABLE FOR-SALE CONDOMINIUMS AT CENTRAL VILLAGE CONDOMINIUMS IN SILVER CREEK VILLAGE AND THE SECOND BUILDING CONSISTING OF 32 CONDOMINIUMS WAS COMMENCED. ALL BUT ONE OF THE FIRST 32 HOMES WERE SOLD DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. THE SECOND BUILDING IS LARGELY PRESOLD AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED MID- SUMMER. CONSTRUCTION STARTED ON CENTRAL VILLAGE APARTMENTS IN SILVER CREEK VILLAGE. THIS 40 UNIT APARTMENT PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED IN EARLY 2022. WITH THE OPENING OF THE PEACE HOUSES TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, MCHT HAS SCALED DOWN ITS PROGRAM TO ONLY TWO APARTMENTS AND CONTINUES TO RECEIVE LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR MCHTS FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR, STEVE LAURENT RETURNED ON A FULL-TIME BASIS. GUY MECHAM, MCHTS LONG TIME CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISOR RETIRED IN DECEMBER AND WAS REPLACED BY PRESTON SESSIONS, A LONG-TIME ASSISTANT TO GUY. SCOTT LOOMIS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT EFFECTIVE APRIL 30, 2021, AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES NAMED PAT MATHESON AS HIS SUCCESSOR. SCOTT LOOMIS WILL REMAIN AS A SENIOR CONSULTANT UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2022. MCHT CONTINUES AS A FINANCIALLY SOUND ORGANIZATION AND HAS SEVERAL YEARS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN ITS PIPELINE. MCHTS STRENGTH IS ITS COMMITTED COMPETENT STAFF WHO CONTINUES TO FUNCTION AT A HIGH LEVEL DESPITE COVID 19 LIMITATIONS AND A SMOOTH TRANSITION OF ITS MANAGEMENT TEAM.