POST FALLS — A few dozen community members raised concerns about whether development in the city is happening sustainably during a Housing Needs Assessment Open House on Thursday night.

Residents were invited to share their thoughts on a range of development-related topics with representatives from Camoin Associates, a development consulting firm that has been contracted by the city to conduct a housing needs analysis.

“This is really so the city is grounded by the data without biases,” said Robert O’Brian from Camoin Associates.

Many attendees agreed with 17-year Post Falls resident Jim Hansen when he cited “a rapid influx of both money and people in the area” as significant factors impacting housing availability and need.

Randy Westlund, who serves on the City Council, backed Hansen’s observation.

“There’s a real disconnect in the housing market right now,” Westlund said, adding that wages from outside the area are driving up housing costs for the city’s working class.

“Ten years ago, many of these people would be homeowners. Now you see them being pushed into the renter category,” Westlund said.

Others cited concerns about strains on resources that may accompany continued expansion, particularly the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, which is the primary water source for Post Falls and surrounding cities.

“Whatever happens here happens in Coeur d’Alene, Rathdrum and Hayden. We impact them and they impact us,” said Howard Burns, who has lived in Post Falls since 2019.

Many attendees also offered solutions that they’d like to see in their city, including prioritizing owner-occupied housing over vacation rentals and shifting the focus from housing to infrastructure.

“The city ultimately has the responsibility to protect the prosperity of its citizens,” Burns said.

Several attendees said sustainable growth is key to the continued development in Post Falls.

Camoin Associates plans to host a second open house in the coming months and will also invite residents to participate in an anonymous public survey regarding housing needs.