Housing Authority set to keep air conditioning off resale-credit list

The Jackson/Teton County Housing Authority is set to decide July 1 whether to keep treating air conditioners as a “luxury item” under its Capital Improvement Policy, which matters because approved improvements can be added to a deed-restricted home’s maximum resale price (and that price increase is permanent for the next buyer) Housing Authority Meeting Agenda Packet.

Housing staff recommend Option 1, maintain the current policy. The staff report says cool summer nights in Teton County usually let homes “cool naturally through ventilation,” and it notes the Housing Department has not received complaints about overheating besides the current request. If a unit really is getting dangerously hot inside, staff say an owner can apply under the policy’s “Health and Safety” provisions and bring documentation. Staff also point to heat pumps, which have been approved before because they provide cooling plus improved energy efficiency, unlike cooling-only air conditioning that “increases energy usage” Housing Authority Meeting Agenda Packet.