Officials from the City of Ouray, Town of Ridgway and Ouray County zeroed in on housing as a major issue that needs to be addressed during a tri-agency dinner on Oct. 27, while Colorado Department of Local Affairs representative Chantal Unfug discussed how the state agency could help.
“Everything boils down to housing,” County Commissioner Jake Niece said. The statement echoes themes of the last event in May, when Ouray Mayor Ethan Funk said, “If we do not find a way to solve the housing cr...
Officials from the City of Ouray, Town of Ridgway and Ouray County zeroed in on housing as a major issue that needs to be addressed during a tri-agency dinner on Oct. 27, while Colorado Department of Local Affairs representative Chantal Unfug discussed how the state agency could help.
“Everything boils down to housing,” County Commissioner Jake Niece said. The statement echoes themes of the last event in May, when Ouray Mayor Ethan Funk said, “If we do not find a way to solve the housing crisis, then this community will die.” The dinner, which officials aim to hold three times per year, gives elected and appointed officials from all three agencies a chance to discuss what is going on in their communities. The host rotates, and the October event was held in the Ridgway Town Hall with Unfug, a Ridgway resident, as a guest speaker.
Unfug, DOLA’s local government division director, told the crowd of about 30 that DOLA is here to support them, and noted that discussions were becoming more frequent around Colorado about when the state government may be needed to step in. She said the term “of statewide interest” is being discussed frequently, and used the push for installation of rural broadband as an example of an instance where the state took a major role in local affairs.
Ridgway Mayor John Clark said he believed some state officials may think housing shortages are the “fault” of local governments, and he expressed concern that state intervention may result in efforts to stop moratoriums on development or require high-density housing that would be out-of-character in rural communities.
“We have to be prepared to fight for local control,” he said.
Unfug said she understood the concern.
She said DOLA wanted to help local governments find solutions that work. She also said the department is flush with opportunities to take advantage of federal funding from the Infrastructure Act and Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. The latter provides funding for revenue-sharing county governments, usually those which have a significant amount of federally- owned land.
Unfug said some of the federal dollars could be devoted to housing development, and that DOLA’s housing division was going “bonkers” and hiring extra staff trying to keep up with the handling of the federal money. She said DOLA has dozens of programs with many aimed at helping local governments, and her office is hoping to offer assistance in navigating federal funding as Infrastructure Act dollars start coming down the pipeline.
“We have the money, we have the programs, we’re pretty easy to work with,” she said.
Unfug also urged guests to stay involved with stakeholder and lobbying groups like Colorado Counties, Inc., as they will have a voice in the upcoming legislative session when it comes to matters like state involvement.
Before she took the podium, members of each government spoke about their recent accomplishments and goals. Funk said the city broke ground on a new sewer treatment plant, and a new water treatment project will follow, which will provide critical infrastructure that until this point has held back housing efforts.
Niece said the county is focused on increasing housing stock while maintaining its rural character, and wants to assist with growth in the municipalities. In the past month, the county allocated $700,000 to affordable housing initiatives undertaken by the Rural Homes Project and the Home Trust of Ouray County. Niece also said the county is beginning its master plan process, which will include revising the plan for the first time this century.
As for Ridgway, Clark referenced the town’s temporary moratorium while it revises parts of its land use policy and considers implementing more climate change-friendly requirements for builders. He said the town’s first affordable housing project, the Space to Create apartments, already has residents moving in, while two others, the Wetterhorn Homes and Habitat for Humanity triplex, are slated for completion in late 2022 or early 2023. Construction on the old Firehouse mixeduse project, which will deliver four apartments and two condominiums, also began earlier this year.
Kylea Henseler is a journalist with Report for America, a nonprofit national service program which places reporters in underserved areas. To make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work, contact erin@ouraynews.com.