The Blaine County Housing Authority has elected a familiar face in the community as its new chair.
Longtime Ketchum business owner and affordable housing advocate Keith Perry was unanimously elected chair of the Housing Authority’s board for 2023.
“Keith Perry brings a commitment to housing and a fresh perspective to the Board” said Sabina Gilbert, the BCHA’s outgoing vice chair. “His extensive community relationships, business acumen, and his knowledge of workforce housing challenges in Blaine County will serve the BCHA and the community well.”
Perry represents the city of Ketchum on the BCHA board. Previously, he spent 14 years on the board of the Blaine County Recreation District and 17 years on the St. Luke’s Wood River Community Board.
Perry served on the Ketchum Housing Authority when it was originally formed and was able to purchase affordable housing units in the 1990s.
“We are lucky to have his expertise and commitment,” Interim Executive Director Sarah Michael told the Express in an email.
Perry’s Restaurant—a staple in the community for 38 years—closed its doors in June 2022. Perry and his wife, Paula, experienced first hand the difficulties of hiring sufficient workers as a consequence of the lack of affordable housing in the area. The couple worked seven days a week to keep the business up and running, Perry said.
“I personally know how important housing is for our workers in order to make Ketchum thrive,” Perry said.
Perry is currently participating in the city of Ketchum’s public outreach effort to the business community and residents to get input into whether the city should ask voters in May 2023 to allow the city’s local-option tax, or LOT, to fund housing programs.
“We need to have a dedicated funding source for workforce housing and the LOT is the only tool that resort cities in Idaho have available to pay for it,” Perry said. “I appreciate the city of Ketchum’s efforts to gain more input from the public to make this housing campaign successful.” 
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This is a massive upgrade for BCHA. Never before has its leader been someone who has actually hired people and run a business in the WRV. Interestingly, Blaine County decided not to make BCHA a county agency or to start its own Housing Agency. Not sure what is going on with that, as we need county-wide solutions.
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