Model for Workforce Housing in Rural Communities

As the demand for affordable and workforce housing rises, various entities such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, developers, and architects are seeking solutions. Jeff Head, vice president of development at The Habitat Company's Affordable Group in Chicago, acknowledges that this work is not easy and requires perseverance, as it takes time and offers lower returns than market-rate housing, particularly with higher interest rates. The issues facing the workforce housing demographic are similar to those of the affordable housing crisis, with many workers serving communities they cannot afford to live in and facing a housing shortage in the communities where they can afford to live. However, without consistent investment, the gap between the workforce's housing demand and the available supply will continue to grow. Particularly impacted by this are rural communities with workforce demands and inadequate housing opportunities, especially those with seasonal staffing needs. 

Despite being positioned in the center of one of the fastest-growing regions of the United States, New Mexico has not benefited from the significant influx of young families and professionals seen in neighboring states like Utah and Colorado. For example, from 2010 to 2019 New Mexico’s population and labor force grew by 2% and 0.6% respectively, while peer states like Utah (16% and 22%) and Colorado (14% and 16%) grew at far quicker rates. 

New Mexico is a minority-majority state, which includes a significant Native American population. Traditional models of economic development in New Mexico have led to many of these communities being disengaged from the development planning process, institutionalizing inequities between communities and individuals with resources and those without. As a result, poor socioeconomic outcomes have become exacerbated in many of New Mexico’s minority communities, requiring greater public resources to mitigate these outcomes.

This proposed program will not only have an immediate impact on the economic vitality of Candy Kitchen and the state of New Mexico, but it could also be replicated in other communities that face similar challenges of retaining their seasonal workforce due to unfit available living and working conditions. Investing in this model would provide support not only to the local community of Candy Kitchen, but other poverty-stricken, underserved, and needy rural communities in the future.

Within Cibola County, New Mexico lies the small, impoverished, and unincorporated community of Candy Kitchen. Candy Kitchen’s population is only about 100 individuals, per the 2020 census. Wikipedia's description of Candy Kitchen states: "The local job market is slim to none... It is roughly 60 miles from the nearest grocery store," which does a great job of detailing this rural community. With such a minuscule population, there are little to no available employment or housing opportunities, rendering economic development incredibly challenging.

As with many unincorporated communities, Candy Kitchen does not have its own local (e.g., city or municipal) government. This lack of representation leads to political exclusion and diminished access to resources, especially for low-income and minority individuals, who are the majority in Candy Kitchen. Additionally, Candy Kitchen residents are subject to challenges related to location, hindering proximity and access to resources, municipal services, employment opportunities, and even healthcare. Furthermore, residents are subsumed into county or census tract data that is not reflective of their community's composition or context. Without jurisdictional distinction in research, there is no accountability for the inequities in unincorporated communities like Candy Kitchen. As a rural community sandwiched between two tribal nations, the area is victim to an immense level of inequity.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary (WSWS) is the only business and employer in the Candy Kitchen community. As such, it is an important pillar to the community as one of the only places for employment. This proposed workforce housing development project will encourage economic development in the region by increasing the amount of tourism and foot traffic to the area, projected to increase 15% year over year.

This project will also increase WSWS's capacity to hire and employ individuals, which has now been nearly eradicated due to the existing conditions of the site, with several interns, staff, and volunteers opting to quit their positions rather than remain on site. As the organization grows, so does its ability to support the local economy and employ locals and bring strong talent into the region. 

If this project is fully funded, WSWS will be able to hire 5 new full time employees and host up to 16 new paid interns throughout each calendar year. Furthermore, this project allows for the hiring of construction workers, contracted vendors, and other local and regional companies to execute the work. While the exact number of new jobs cannot be determined, as it will rely on the total funding obtained, these newly created jobs are expected to support the creation of additional jobs over the next three to seven years, by way of increased visitation to the organization. Increased visitation to WSWS increases traffic to the community which will also allow for small businesses based in Candy Kitchen to re-open following closures due to COVID and general slowness in visitation to the area over the last 3 years.

Within Cibola County, New Mexico lies the small, impoverished, and unincorporated community of Candy Kitchen. Candy Kitchen’s population is only about 100 individuals, per the 2020 census. Wikipedia's description of Candy Kitchen states: "The local job market is slim to none... It is roughly 60 miles from the nearest grocery store," which does a great job of detailing this rural community. With such a minuscule population, there are little to no available employment or housing opportunities, rendering economic development incredibly challenging.

As with many unincorporated communities, Candy Kitchen does not have its own local (e.g., city or municipal) government. This lack of representation leads to political exclusion and diminished access to resources, especially for low-income and minority individuals, who are the majority in Candy Kitchen. Additionally, Candy Kitchen residents are subject to challenges related to location, hindering proximity and access to resources, municipal services, employment opportunities, and even healthcare. Furthermore, residents are subsumed into county or census tract data that is not reflective of their community's composition or context. Without jurisdictional distinction in research, there is no accountability for the inequities in unincorporated communities like Candy Kitchen. As a rural community sandwiched between two tribal nations, the area is victim to an immense level of inequity.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary (WSWS) is the only business and employer in the Candy Kitchen community. As such, it is an important pillar to the community as one of the only places for employment. This proposed workforce housing development project will encourage economic development in the region by increasing the amount of tourism and foot traffic to the area, projected to increase 15% year over year.

This project will also increase WSWS's capacity to hire and employ individuals, which has now been nearly eradicated due to the existing conditions of the site, with several interns, staff, and volunteers opting to quit their positions rather than remain on site. As the organization grows, so does its ability to support the local economy and employ locals and bring strong talent into the region. 

If this project is fully funded, WSWS will be able to hire 5 new full-time employees and host up to 16 new paid interns throughout each calendar year. Furthermore, this project allows for the hiring of construction workers, contracted vendors, and other local and regional companies to execute the work. While the exact number of new jobs cannot be determined, as it will rely on the total funding obtained, these newly created jobs are expected to support the creation of additional jobs over the next three to seven years, by way of increased visitation to the organization. Increased visitation to WSWS increases traffic to the community which will also allow for small businesses based in Candy Kitchen to re-open following closures due to COVID and general slowness in visitation to the area over the last 3 years.

As the largest canid sanctuary in all of North America located in the third poorest state in the United States, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is perfectly poised to execute this project and demonstrate the success of implementing safe, human dwellings in areas that require housing solutions in order to sustain operations. Based on the size and industry-leading expertise of the organization, Wild Spirit has the potential to become one of the, if not the top tourist destinations in all of New Mexico. The state is in desperate need of improving and increasing tourism in the region. 

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is the ideal Solver to tackle this project, as the endeavor is nonnegotiable for the team. As many of the employees live on-site, in the region where this would provide the first benefit, there is a constant, unignorable reminder of the need to execute this project. Its current staff members are living in 200-square-foot garden sheds without access to heat or running water, with outhouses or a long trek to the sanctuary grounds being the best options for bathroom usage and needs. These conditions are, unfortunately, common for institutions and organizations that are unable to properly fund workforce housing solutions.

The organization has already initiated several collaborative partnerships within the State and County in order to determine how to best execute the nonprofit’s plans for growth, even outside of this capital project. As the community is located between the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo of Zuni, special consideration for the indigenous peoples is given. Furthermore, WSWS is deeply connected to the Candy Kitchen community, as it employs over 10% of its residents.

Finally, the team at Wild Spirit has an insatiable hunger and passion for continual improvement. The organization has the potential to radically change and benefit the landscape of its community, near and far, and the drive to accomplish those goals. Its team members are rooted in a dedication to this mission and are willing to execute every piece of hard work to make this project a success.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is pleased to announce that it has already begun the project, as it has already initiated the process and has its own funds to contribute to the effort. Site structural planning has begun, with architectural blueprints having already been completed. 

Furthermore, WSWS has initiated several collaborative efforts in the region to aid in this solution by means of improving the road conditions in the area. WSWS is currently collaborating with the New Mexico House of Representatives and Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments to coordinate economic development activities in the project area–namely, paving the nearly 4-mile gravel road to and from Candy Kitchen. This project will aid the community by making the road more easily traversable, especially during times of inclement weather, which occurs regularly in the high desert.

Furthermore, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is collaborating with the Ramah Chapter of the Navajo Nation Department of Transportation on the road paving portion of the project, as the Navajo Nation owns approximately half of the 4 miles of gravel road. As such, Cibola County and the Navajo Nation must work together in order to complete this project, and Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is the driving force behind this partnership. 

The current solution would immediately serve up to 15 individuals directly, with the entire population of Candy Kitchen (~100) receiving the indirect benefits. From there, this solution could be scaled to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of other employers and communities.

Becoming a Solver team would be an outstanding opportunity to change the economic landscape for Wild Spirit, Candy Kitchen, New Mexico, and other industries that thrive based on the ability to provide workforce housing. 

While, of course, funding, access to in-kind resources, and increased exposure are compelling benefits of the program, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is extremely interested in the human resources Solve offers and how it can become involved within the peer community of Solvers. The organization is led by a strong, passionate, educated, and experienced team who has a relentless commitment to pursuing its organizational objectives and would be thrilled to offer comradery, guidance, support, and inspiration to other teams. Furthermore, the team is constantly looking for opportunities to expand its knowledge base and skills, so being in a community of other like-minded individuals would be incredibly beneficial to the nonprofit. 

Access to leadership coaching and strategic advice would be an absolute game-changer for Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, particularly in the realm of devising how to share and expand the workforce housing model to other industries. Additionally, its current Board of Directors is fairly new and could benefit from those who would be able to provide insightful guidance of how to succeed not only in this project, but its other endeavors as well. 

Finally, the organization has great interest in learning from experts about how to best monitor and evaluation tactics to measure impact. Unfortunately for the organization, the previous leadership staff, who ran the nonprofit for two decades, did not implement any evaluation tactics. Subsequently, WSWS has experienced great challenges making strategic determinations outside of audience analysis. 

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is wholly committed to being an exemplary and engaged Solver. It would be extremely honored to become a part of the team and both share and receive the benefits of this strong, intelligent, and innovative community.

This solution proposes a solution for the industries that need workforce housing the most in an affordable, humane manner. While districts within populous areas are closely watched by the general public and regulatory agencies, those within more remote areas have increased opportunities for corner-cutting, particularly in regard to affordability. With this project, Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary will prove that livable conditions for the workforce are well within the realm of possibilities, in a safe, environmentally friendly, cost-effective manner. 

Other projects addressing this need currently focus only on high-population density areas, such as Santa Clara County. Rural communities do not currently have the luxury of this sort of development. This solution will provide a model that can be implemented in these regions. This could, in turn, allow businesses to retain the staffing necessary for them to continue operations and succeed. 

Within Cibola County, New Mexico lies the small, impoverished, and unincorporated community of Candy Kitchen. Candy Kitchen’s population is only about 100 individuals, per the 2020 census. Wikipedia's description of Candy Kitchen states: "The local job market is slim to none... It is roughly 60 miles from the nearest grocery store," which does a great job of detailing this rural community. With such a minuscule population, there are little to no available employment or housing opportunities, rendering economic development incredibly challenging.

As with many unincorporated communities, Candy Kitchen does not have its own local (e.g., city or municipal) government. This lack of representation leads to political exclusion and diminished access to resources, especially for low-income and minority individuals, who are the majority in Candy Kitchen. Additionally, Candy Kitchen residents are subject to challenges related to location, hindering proximity and access to resources, municipal services, employment opportunities, and even healthcare. Furthermore, residents are subsumed into county or census tract data that is not reflective of their community's composition or context. Without jurisdictional distinction in research, there is no accountability for the inequities in unincorporated communities like Candy Kitchen. As a rural community sandwiched between two tribal nations, the area is victim to an immense level of inequity.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary (WSWS) is the only business and employer in the Candy Kitchen community. As such, it is an important pillar to the community as one of the only places for employment. This proposed workforce housing development project will encourage economic development in the region by increasing the amount of tourism and foot traffic to the area, projected to increase by 15% year over year.

This project will also increase WSWS's capacity to hire and employ individuals, which has now been nearly eradicated due to the existing conditions of the site, with several interns, staff, and volunteers opting to quit their positions rather than remain on site. As the organization grows, so does its ability to support the local economy and employ locals and bring strong talent into the region. 

If this project is fully funded, WSWS will be able to hire 5 new full-time employees and host up to 16 new paid interns throughout each calendar year. Furthermore, this project allows for the hiring of construction workers, contracted vendors, and other local and regional companies to execute the work. While the exact number of new jobs cannot be determined, as it will rely on the total funding obtained, these newly created jobs are expected to support the creation of additional jobs over the next three to seven years, by way of increased visitation to the organization. Increased visitation to WSWS increases traffic to the community which will also allow for small businesses based in Candy Kitchen to re-open following closures due to COVID and general slowness in visitation to the area over the last 3 years.

Finally, this model can be expanded to other businesses in need of innovative, cost-effective workforce housing solutions.

The success or failure of this project will be evaluated based on a set of rigorous metrics to measure its impact. The project's ability to complete the construction of the identified priority structures on time and on budget will be the first measure of success. 

Additionally, the number of visitors the sanctuary receives on a year-over-year basis for the next three years will be closely monitored. The goal is to achieve statistically significant increases in tourist numbers each year, a clear indication of the project's impact on ecotourism within the community. 

Over the next five years, WSWS anticipates a visitor increase of 15% year-over-year. Another measure of success will be the project's ability to implement energy-efficient components, including appliances, windows, and solar panels, which will aid in the preservation of the natural environment. 

The project's ability to create new employment opportunities will be tracked, as the organization expands and grows towards its goal of becoming one of the state's top tourist destinations. These metrics will serve as the basis for determining the success or failure of the project, and the data collected will be used to inform future decisions and guide economic development strategies in the Candy Kitchen area.

Lastly, the number of other organizations and entities WSWS is able to aid by sharing its workforce housing solution model will be an excellent measure of success.

Strategy Name: Workforce Housing Solution

Activities: Development of modest housing units, construction of the homes, press release once all construction has been completed Short-term outcomes: Construction of homes, employing local vendors and contractors

Long-term outcomes: Provide safe, human housing to staff members, create excellent press opportunity to promote the sanctuary and its solution, grows employment capacity at the organization, increases economic vitality of Candy Kitchen, creates opportunities for additional businesses to open in the region

Strategy Name: Deploy model to other businesses 

Activities: Develop documentation to provide other facilities, create connections with other facilities, deploy model Short-term outcomes: provide a resource to other businesses who are looking to provide safe, human housing to employees, employs local contractors and vendors

Long-term outcomes: increased livability for workers across industries, cost-savings for employers, increased economic vitality across other remote regions

The core technology of implementing metal buildings involves the use of steel framing and metal roofing and siding materials. Steel framing is strong and durable, capable of withstanding heavy loads and high winds. It also resists rot, decay, and pests, making it an ideal material for building homes. Metal roofing and siding materials are also durable and long lasting, requiring little maintenance and providing excellent protection against the elements. 

Metal buildings can also be customized to meet the specific needs of a project with a variety of styles, colors, and finishes available. Additionally, metal buildings can be constructed quickly, reducing the time and cost of construction. 

In addition to the structural materials, the use of energy-efficient technology such as appliances, solar panels, and other implementations can be prioritized to promote long-term affordability and environmental protection. have a significant positive impact on the environment. Energy-efficient appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners use significantly less energy than their traditional counterparts. This leads to a reduction in the amount of electricity needed to power a household, resulting in lower electricity bills and a reduction in carbon emissions from power plants.

Solar panels are another popular eco-friendly technology for homes. They use the power of the sun to generate electricity, which is a clean and renewable energy source. Solar panels can be installed on rooftops, and excess electricity can be sold back to the grid, further reducing the carbon footprint of a household.

Other eco-friendly home implementations include low-flow toilets, LED light bulbs, and smart thermostats. Low-flow toilets use less water per flush than traditional toilets, which reduces the amount of water wasted and the energy needed to pump and treat water. LED light bulbs are highly efficient, using significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Overall, the use of technology such as energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, and other eco-friendly home implementations can lead to significant reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This not only benefits the environment but also saves homeowners money on energy bills and creates a more sustainable future for all.

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is an organization with a long history of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Presently, it hosts a wide breadth of employees with a wide range in race, age,  county of origin, education, and gender identity. Each employee has the same access to development and opportunity within the organization. 

Regarding inclusivity, this is an area where WSWS shines. During its onboarding process and through routine labs with its staff and interns, the organization presents a myriad of opportunities to learn how to better include one another on a day-to-day basis. One such example is a training process in which the team is brought together to discuss how they prefer to communicate, work with one another, and accommodate any special accommodations or considerations they may have for interacting with other people, as the organization employs several individuals with varying degrees of needs such as neurodivergence and conditions like PTSD. The goal of WSWS is to create a welcoming, consistent environment for everyone.