Affordable Housing Solutions
This series is part of a Rocky Mountain Community Radio reporting collaboration on affordable housing, funded by the Solutions Journalism Network.
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Many approaches to homelessness restrict access to services based on certain criteria. But some service providers are attempting to shift the narrative by offering housing first.
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On June 7, the Town of Crested Butte declared a local disaster emergency in response to the affordable housing crisis. It was the first of its kind among mountain communities in the West. The declaration allowed for a creative housing solution.
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The Bridge Shelter in Cortez is only open in the winter months. The shelter's executive director says “We literally have no options for families right now..."
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With rents at mobile home parks rising across the mountain west, some residents are taking matters into their own hands to keep prices down. One park in Durango, Colorado, was purchased by residents earlier this year and is being run as a co-op. Now, other communities in Southwest Colorado are considering emulating the model.
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The purchase is part of the town's larger plan to ensure available workforce housing.
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The town of Ridgway, Colorado is in an affordable housing crisis. However, some relief is on the way. Ouray County’s first low-income housing complex is under construction
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The USDA's Mutual Self Help Program helps educate builders and provide more space for future homeowners.
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Boulder’s limits on both upward and outward growth have created a hyper-expensive market and limited inventory. ADU's could fill in the gaps. They're a secondary part of a main house, with the components of any other residence, including a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping quarters.
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Telluride, Breckenridge, Carbondale, and Summit County are working on similar programs.
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A new nonprofit is trying to capitalize on record-breaking real estate activity in Jackson Hole and invest in affordable housing projects.
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The effort is attempting to maintain a substantial local workforce in a community struggling with housing and labor shortages.
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The Telluride Foundation is trying to develop a scalable model to build affordable housing in rural Colorado.
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A program in Montrose is aimed at helping youth who have aged out of the foster care system.
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Elected officials in Crested Butte and Jackson are among Mountain West residents monitoring early signs of Vancouver’s success.