Increasing Housing Availability

Pocatello’s housing crunch is real: mortgage and rent bills keep climbing while listings stay scarce. It’s not uncommon to see dilapidated homes, families doubling-up, or living in unsafe conditions because they have nowhere else to go. Here’s my plan:

• Build more, smartly. Modernize zoning so builders can add townhomes, ADUs, and well-designed multi-family projects, alongside true entry-level single-family homes.

• Keep it affordable. Too many Idahoans spend 30 %-plus of their paycheck on housing while wages lag. I’ll back incentives, expedited permitting, and public-private partnerships that lower construction costs and pass the savings to renters and first-time buyers.

• Use every tool in the kit. From the Idaho Housing Trust Fund to a locally dedicated housing-option tax (if the Legislature lets cities try it), we’ll chase every dollar that helps Pocatellans stay Pocatellans.

• Measure success in stability. When rents flatten out, vacancy rates rise, and young professionals stop moving away, we’ll know we’re winning.

By treating housing as critical infrastructure—not just real estate—we can stabilize rents, expand choices, and make sure every neighbor has a safe place to call home.

City government works only when its doors—and its data—stay open.

• Your voice, every month. I’ll keep public-comment slots in council meetings, host quarterly town halls, and start a standing “Monthly Meeting with Keven” coffee hour so anyone can raise a concern face-to-face.

• Real-time updates. Key votes, project milestones, and spending changes will be posted online—and pushed out through email and social media—before rumors can fill the gap.

• Plain-language budgets. Easy-to-read one-page summaries will show where every dollar goes and how we’re tracking against goals. No more money shuffled around without a public vote.

• Nonpartisan leadership. City Council is officially non-partisan; I’ll keep it that way. Decisions will be rooted in Pocatello’s values, not party talking points.

• Scorecards you can check. Each city program will have clear metrics—potholes filled, permits issued, response times—and I’ll publish quarterly scorecards so residents can judge results for themselves.

Open meetings, open books, open lines of communication. That’s how we rebuild trust and keep City Hall working for everyone.

When trouble strikes, Pocatello’s police, firefighters, EMTs, and dispatchers are the difference between life and loss—yet they’re battling a wave of opioid overdoses and record call volumes with 1970s-era staffing. Here’s how we back them up:

• Equip the front line. Secure grants and city funds for modern fire stations, reliable rigs, protective gear, and enough ambulances to meet today’s call load—so no one waits for help.

• Staff and keep the best. Offer competitive wages and benefits; it costs less to retain seasoned pros than to train new ones while positions sit empty.

• Fight overdoses on both fronts. Put Narcan in every unit, expand citywide harm-reduction hubs, and partner with public-health and recovery groups so those battling addiction get treatment, not just another ride to the ER or jail.

• Prevention through education & enforcement. Support drug-education programs and give police the resources to shut down the flow of fentanyl before it reaches our streets.

• Track results, adjust fast. Publish response-time and staffing dashboards, then course-correct quickly if we’re falling short.

Investing in first responders is investing in every Pocatello family’s safety—and when we take care of them, they can take better care of all of us.

Working families keep Pocatello running, yet too many are one tough break away from falling behind—especially when it comes to childcare and wages.

• Tackle the childcare shortage head-on. Today we have licensed space for barely 1,700 kids city-wide—thousands short of need—and 67 % of providers can’t even pay themselves a living wage. I’ll partner with the new Child Care Advisory Committee, United Way, and local businesses to:

• streamline zoning so more centers can open;

• create a city grant/low-interest loan fund—plus tax incentives—for providers who join the advisory network and willingly submit to safety, wellness, and other set standards;

• chase every state and federal dollar to expand affordable, high-quality care.
  When parents find a safe, affordable seat for their child, they can stay in the workforce and our whole economy benefits.

• Champion great schools and safe after-school options. While the City doesn’t set the school budget, we can still help attract top-notch teachers, expand before- and after-school programs with nonprofits, and open up City facilities for youth activities. Good schools bring families—and jobs—home.

• Grow middle-class jobs right here. I’ll keep Pocatello business-friendly, highlight ISU’s workforce-training strengths, and recruit employers who pay living wages—so ALICE families (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) can move from just getting by to getting ahead. Supporting entrepreneurs and diversifying industry keeps our graduates local and our economy resilient.

• Weave family needs into every policy. From housing and transit to parks and public safety, the question I’ll keep asking is: “Does this help working families thrive?”

When Pocatello families can find childcare, trust their schools, and earn a living wage, our whole city rises together.

Pocatello’s future belongs in Pocatello’s hands—not Boise’s, and not Washington’s.

• Home-grown solutions first. Whether it’s zoning, budgets, or life-saving health measures, our community should call the shots. When the state blocked trained city staff from giving Narcan in an overdose, it put red tape ahead of saving lives. I’ll push back on that kind of overreach every time.

• Protect our standards. If lawmakers try to preempt local childcare rules (think House Bill 243) or any ordinance tailored to Pocatello’s needs, I’ll stand with other city leaders to defend our authority.

• More tools, not fewer. I’ll lobby for options like local-option taxes that let us fund projects voters actually want—without begging the Legislature for permission each time.

• Collaboration when it helps. We’ll work with state and federal partners to bring resources home, but never at the cost of losing our voice.

• Accessible, responsive government. Keeping control local also means keeping it close: open meetings, public input, and leaders who answer to you—not to party bosses or distant bureaucrats.

Bottom line: Pocatello knows Pocatello best. I’ll fight to keep decision-making right here, so we can shape solutions that match our values and our reality.