The Boulder County Commissioners have announced a new approach to housing, which will bring together all of the county’s housing and homelessness-related programs and services, as well as Boulder County Housing Authority (BCHA). Following on from the overwhelming success of the Affordable and Attainable Housing ballot measure passed by voters in November, today’s strategic move builds on the county’s existing work and creates the foundations for a more focused approach to tackling housing challenges in Boulder County.
Under the new structure, a new Housing Department will the harness the skills, talent, and expertise of existing teams currently working in different departments. The new department will be led by a Housing Director, who will also act as Executive Director for BCHA.
“Accessible, affordable, and stable housing is the foundation for community health and well-being,” said Commissioner Marta Loachamin. “As county commissioners, we hear regularly from residents concerned about meeting their basic housing needs, which is one of the reasons we introduced the Affordable and Attainable Housing ballot measure last year and increased existing 2024 funding for the Boulder County Housing Authority, Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, and Longmont’s Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement. Today we are building on this work by creating a structure that reflects our commitment to this topic and puts housing front and center.”
By centralizing housing efforts, the county can more effectively respond to housing challenges through strategic allocation of resources to areas such as affordable housing development, rental assistance, homelessness prevention,
and housing rehabilitation. The lack of availability of affordable homes in Boulder County most impacts people with lower incomes and hits hardest for people of color, who face other social and institutional systemic barriers.
71% of Boulder County voters supported the 2023 Affordable and Attainable Housing Ballot Measure, which goes into effect in January 2025.
Over 28,000 households in Boulder County are housing cost burdened, meaning they spend more than is financially sustainable (over 30% of their income) on housing. As these costs rise faster than wages, they cut into basic human needs, like food, health care and transportation.
Since 2012, BCHA has worked steadily to increase the amount of affordable housing in Boulder County, nearly doubling the number of rental units from 463 to 908. In 2023, the Boulder County Commissioners joined BCHA in celebrating Lafayette’s Willoughby Corner, which is set to begin leasing in fall of 2024 and, when fully developed, will add 400 new affordable units in a net zero energy construction project.
Even with these successes, the scope of the problem remains large. Boulder County currently has about 7,400 permanently affordable homes (including rentals and ownership). Just to meet the current need for the 16,116 house
holds spending over half their income on rent, a 118% increase in the number of affordable homes is required.
Over the next year, housing and homelessness-focused teams currently in Housing and Human Services (HHS) and Community
Services (CS) will transition into the new Housing Department, and HHS will focus solely on Human Services. The change is job neutral with no reduction or addition of roles.
The commissioners are undertaking an internal recruitment process for the new dual role that will lead BCHA and the new Housing Department.