Wasco is thirsty for more housing

A common thread runs through discussions of Wasco's housing stock: a need for more housing beyond low-income residences. And it seems like the core issue is much like others in the region: a lack of water.

Resident Sukie Martinez emphasizes the community's struggle to retain families like hers. Real estate expert Tilo Cortez points out that builders primarily focus on entry-level homes, often overlooking the demand for larger, move-up houses. This stagnation in development is compounded by a pressing water shortage.

Martinez, a Wasco native, explains, "The problem with housing in Wasco is that there is no new housing available for those above the low-income level. That is why we are losing Wasconians to Shafter, Bakersfield and other neighboring communities. My son is a correctional officer who would like to live in Wasco, but because there are none available, he hasn't bought here."

Cortez, co-owner of California Home Pros, adds, "Some homeowners may want a three-car garage, big move-up type of house after 10 to 15 years, but we don't have much of that in our community. They will look at Shafter or Bakersfield because we do not have those homes. Sukie asked why we don't have those homes here, and that's because we need a builder who will make that investment in our community."

He says that developers aren't seeing a potential market here. "Most builders are in it to make money," he explains. "The builders who built here over the last decade typically focus on entry-level homes because they know they will sell fast. They are typically not willing to risk building bigger or higher-income homes that will sell slower. Selling slower means less money, while entry-level homes sell fast."

Cortez, a former Wasco City Council member, says the issue goes back decades. "When I was on the council, we always tried to court national builders to build higher-end homes, but we were somewhat unsuccessful. In 2006-2007, Reynen and Bardis built some homes, but not many due to the market crash in 2008-2009. Another builder constructed semi-custom homes near John L. Prueitt Elementary School before the crash. A builder at Poplar Point also built 3,000-square-foot semi-custom homes, but they stopped when the market crashed. So, we had large builders come, but market conditions forced them to stop."

He agrees with fellow resident Martinez: "We need a builder to invest in some move-up homes, and we need to pursue builders to make those investments in our community. We're talking about 3,000-square-foot homes with three-car garages on larger lots."

A bigger dilemma remains regarding the development of new housing in Wasco. Dr. Michael F. Hair, Sr., principal of Your Valley Builders, states, "Land prices are expensive all over, as are oil prices, but that is not the reason we are not in Wasco. The reason is simple: there is no water. If we get water, we hope to come back. We like Wasco." His last development was in 2022, when he built Las Palmas, consisting of 150 homes with an average price of around $325,000. "We sold them as fast as we could build them."

Community Development Director Keri Cobb explains, "We've worked with Michael Hair for many years and would love to see more housing development in Wasco. Our problem here is that our water system and wells are at capacity. We can't pump enough water from the ground to accommodate new housing."

The city has worked with the State Water Resources Control Board for four years to secure funding to drill four replacement wells. "We need to replace wells," Kobb said. "We can't build housing unless we have water and the infrastructure to get it where it needs to go. We're working on it. It's a slow process. There's a lot of red tape and hoops to jump through to get the funding we need."

She notes that a parallel project is underway to analyze water storage solutions.