A variety of factors contribute to Rapid City’s shortage of affordable housing. They include a shortage of high-income housing, wage stagnation, growing demand for single-person homes, and an overdependence on

The shortage of homes on the market also comes as the economy continues to stabilize from the deep recession a decade ago, with more people staying in their homes, said Pam Heiberger, president of the Black Hills Association of Realtors.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Affordable housing can improve the quality of life for many in the community. That is the goal of a company involved in an apartment complex project, Sagebrush Flats. “I think there’s a (affordable) housing shortage in Rapid City and in a lot of communities out west,” said the project manager of Blue Line Development Incorporated, Jason Boal.

One of several goals included in the city's current comprehensive plan, the development of affordable housing, has been repeatedly singled out by local elected officials as one of greatest challenges that Rapid City faces. The term affordable housing generally refers to housing that costs less than 30 percent of a family's gross income. There is an estimated shortage in Rapid City of approximately 3,500 owner-occupied housing units costing $899 or less per month, according to a 2018 study by the Black Hills Knowledge Network.

Safety at the forefront, along with various amenities in the city, has played a sizeable role in bringing people to the area over the last couple of years. But with the new year, more issues regarding community needs are rapidly stacking up. “We need a lot of housing—multifamily housing, single-family housing—we need housing across the board,” expressed Johnson.