Federal Funds can Positively Impact Affordable Housing
Unprecedented Opportunity to Use Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funds to make Transformational Change in Housing
On Monday, July 12, 2021, at Sister Carmen Community Center, Together Colorado and East County Housing Opportunity Coalition (ECHO) announced recommendations for long-term, systemic housing investments with American Rescue Plan Act money for Boulder County. The recommendations were developed by a coalition of diverse community members and organizations convened by Together Colorado and ECHO and represent specific, tangible, affordable housing strategies and tools. The full set of recommendations is available here. https://www.togethercolorado.org/affordable-housing-recommendations-arpa/
The four main proposals include:
Invest $30 million of the $64 million ARPA funds Boulder County is receiving in a Housing Trust Fund (a funding mechanism to provide grants to local communities, nonprofit organizations, and housing authorities to produce and preserve affordable housing for low- and extremely low-income individuals)
Provide Cash Assistance to Individuals (used to pay rental costs, deposits, and first and last month’s rent to help stabilize those who recently faced eviction or relocation or who are transitioning out of homelessness)
Lead Regulatory Changes (local planning and zoning codes and procurement codes can be a help or a hindrance in producing affordable housing or creating equity)
Improve Community Outreach (many renters and mortgage holders are unaware of all the resources and support available)
“There are some things that we MUST do now if we want our next generations to have hope; if we want our communities to thrive…we must provide and build affordable housing for the least of us. Thirty percent or less of Area Median Income (AMI) is what is truly needed today,” states Hermine Ngnomire, Founder of County Collectives and participant in the coalition.
According to a recent white paper by the bi-partisan Common Sense Institute, “Colorado is on the verge of an affordable-housing crisis so severe that it could derail the state economy and contribute to a significant deterioration in the quality of life for those priced out of the market. . . . But addressing the shortfall will require unprecedented actions and intense coordination among the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.” (Common Sense Institute)
Frisco and Crested Butte have declared their communities in a housing emergency. If Boulder County doesn't plan ahead now, we will find ourselves in a similar situation in the future, unable to find employees to staff basic services.
What can YOU do now to prevent a housing emergency here? Contact the Boulder County Commissioners, and your city or town council or board and ask them to use their American Recovery Plan Act dollars to implement the above recommendations. Let us know if you get a response. Here is contact information.
Boulder County Commissioners - commissioners@bouldercounty.org
Louisville City Council - Council@louisvilleco.gov,
Superior Town Board - townboard@superiorcolorado.gov
Erie Town Board - bot@erieco.gov
Longmont City Council - https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/departments/city-council/how-to-contact-city-council/city-council-mayor-contact-form
Lafayette City Council - https://www.lafayetteco.gov/FormCenter/Contact-Us-4/Contact-City-Council-or-Council-Members-171
We have an opportunity with this federal money to make a major change.
SUPERIOR: Town Board to Review Concept Plan for Affordable Housing at RTD Site
On August 9, the town board will presented a concept plan by Boulder County Housing Authority for an affordable housing development at the current RTD site. It will include RTD parking and some community amenities and with community input, will be a visual enhancement to the entry-way to the town. There will be many opportunities for community input along the way, that will include opportunities to review the designs, and to give ideas on the project to the town board. Superior residents who want to see affordable housing at this site are encouraged to contact the town council, and especially to testify in favor of affordable housing at that site, at the board meeting tomorrow. The meeting begins at 6, testimony will likely be at 6:15. If you can't testify in person, please send council an email in support.
Transit sites are particularly good locations for affordable housing because they help lower-income people access public transit, saving the costs of auto transportation, and often reducing traffic, as fewer people need to commute by car into the town. RTD has endorsed this concept of transit-oriented development through a resolution because it reduces traffic and allows people who work in a community like Superior to live in Superior. The Board Meeting will be held in-person and remotely, and members of the public wishing to attend online may link to the Meeting by visiting the Town’s website:
https://www.superiorcolorado.gov/home
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Elections in November will Play a Big Part in Affordable Housing
Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville will be having local city council elections in November. ECHO will be distributing candidate questionnaires to all council candidates. Please contact us, at the email address below and share with us if you have specific questions you want to see asked. Also, stay tuned to this newsletter for news about upcoming candidate forums where you can ask council candidates your own questions about affordable housing. Dates and locations to be posted.
