San Angelo’s economic leaders shared their expertise Thursday at a public forum addressing how the incipient oil boom is affecting the housing market. But all were ready to admit they did not have the answers.
“If I knew what was going to happen, I would be somewhere else right now,” said Phil Neighbors, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting moderated by Ken Stewart, director of Community Development Initiatives at Angelo State University, first addressed economic indicators of San Angelo’s growth this year and wrapped up with housing representatives talking about their programs for moderate- and low-income residents.
“I look every day and see more and more jobs being posted and fewer people to fill them,” said Cathy Ballard, director of planning at the Concho Valley Workforce Development Board. “We just can’t keep up with the demand.”
In San Angelo, the top two industries for workforce demand are health care and trucking, Ballard said.
The shortage of labor partially is the result of a lack of funding and lack of training providers, she said. Although Howard College and ASU have many professional and vocational programs, many of their classes are full.
“Sales tax is a key barometer,” he said. “This has been the longest continual period of sales tax increase, which preceded the oil boom. ... That’s a very good sign.”
San Angelo has had 34 consecutive months of sales tax increases. Increases in sales tax are by comparison with the same month of the previous year because sales tax can vary seasonally.
The average price for a San Angelo hotel room in May or June was about $104.62, whereas the average price was $78.97 the same time last year.
“We’ve been seeing about two and a half times the growth rate of what we’ve experienced historically,” Neighbors said. “These are the positives. But where do they hurt us?”
Many have voiced concerns that occupancy is high and housing is tough to find, but Scott Tankersley, president of the San Angelo Apartment Association, said San Angelo always has been in the 90 percent occupancy range.
“There are vacancies out there,” he said. “You just have to look a little harder.”
He emphasized the importance of leases or written agreements to protect both renters and landlords.
Representatives from the city’s Neighborhood and Family Services department and from the San Angelo Public Housing Authority detailed some programs in place for low-income families.
A Housing Authority program issues vouchers to qualified families based on the local fair market rent.
Odessa’s Public Housing Authority was able to negotiate a higher payment standard for its voucher program, said Amanda Geffers, manager of the Housing Choice Voucher program, but that meant the program could not help as many families.
“That’s a dilemma we have,” Geffers said, “Do we help less families more or help more families less?”
Industry experts project the Cline Shale could be good for 10 to 15 years of drilling followed by a few decades of production, Neighbors said, but the community needs to keep market diversity in mind so it can soften the downward slope of the bust.
“A lot of it depends on how well we as a community manage this process,” Stewart said, “I wouldn’t speculate we would see that kind of up and down if we have enough economic diversification.”
“If I knew what was going to happen, I would be somewhere else right now,” said Phil Neighbors, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting moderated by Ken Stewart, director of Community Development Initiatives at Angelo State University, first addressed economic indicators of San Angelo’s growth this year and wrapped up with housing representatives talking about their programs for moderate- and low-income residents.
“I look every day and see more and more jobs being posted and fewer people to fill them,” said Cathy Ballard, director of planning at the Concho Valley Workforce Development Board. “We just can’t keep up with the demand.”
In San Angelo, the top two industries for workforce demand are health care and trucking, Ballard said.
The shortage of labor partially is the result of a lack of funding and lack of training providers, she said. Although Howard College and ASU have many professional and vocational programs, many of their classes are full.
“Sales tax is a key barometer,” he said. “This has been the longest continual period of sales tax increase, which preceded the oil boom. ... That’s a very good sign.”
San Angelo has had 34 consecutive months of sales tax increases. Increases in sales tax are by comparison with the same month of the previous year because sales tax can vary seasonally.
The average price for a San Angelo hotel room in May or June was about $104.62, whereas the average price was $78.97 the same time last year.
“We’ve been seeing about two and a half times the growth rate of what we’ve experienced historically,” Neighbors said. “These are the positives. But where do they hurt us?”
Many have voiced concerns that occupancy is high and housing is tough to find, but Scott Tankersley, president of the San Angelo Apartment Association, said San Angelo always has been in the 90 percent occupancy range.
“There are vacancies out there,” he said. “You just have to look a little harder.”
He emphasized the importance of leases or written agreements to protect both renters and landlords.
Representatives from the city’s Neighborhood and Family Services department and from the San Angelo Public Housing Authority detailed some programs in place for low-income families.
A Housing Authority program issues vouchers to qualified families based on the local fair market rent.
Odessa’s Public Housing Authority was able to negotiate a higher payment standard for its voucher program, said Amanda Geffers, manager of the Housing Choice Voucher program, but that meant the program could not help as many families.
“That’s a dilemma we have,” Geffers said, “Do we help less families more or help more families less?”
Industry experts project the Cline Shale could be good for 10 to 15 years of drilling followed by a few decades of production, Neighbors said, but the community needs to keep market diversity in mind so it can soften the downward slope of the bust.
“A lot of it depends on how well we as a community manage this process,” Stewart said, “I wouldn’t speculate we would see that kind of up and down if we have enough economic diversification.”
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