By Jan Wondra
Talk with Central Colorado towns, cities or counties these days and you hear the same concern: housing stock – the lynch pin of a community’s social structure – is not keeping up with demand. While the situation is true across the entire state, rural areas are less able to deal with the effects of state inbound migration, rising housing costs and non-existent supply.
By Mike Rosso
It’s hard for me to fathom, but I’ve called Salida home for 16 years come this November. This is the longest I have lived continually in any one place, including the town I was born in.
Yet, I don’t yet consider myself a local. I reserve that title for those who were born and grew up here, who raised families here, whose ancestors are buried here. I know quite a few locals, those who decided to stay here for their own particular reasons. But there are many Salida natives whom I’ve never, nor will ever meet. They left the city long ago for better jobs, more culture, bigger cities – for any number of reasons.
The absence of affordable housing in a tourist town means a large segment of the seasonal work force must relocate, or make compromises and sacrifices. Long commutes from less expensive areas increase pollution while reducing the net income of workers due to transportation costs and lost time.
by Daniel Smith It’s a phenomenon affecting communities from Denver to small mountain towns – a lack of affordable housing for lower-income workers often employed in service industries vital to a community’s economic health. Many political candidates are voicing concerns over the need for affordable housing, but assessing and addressing the issue is a lengthy …
Essay by Ed Quillen
Affordable housing – May 1995 – Colorado Central Magazine
For a few days in late March, we must have endured the busiest telephones in town. Alas, the constant ringing was not caused by people asking for advertising or subscriptions. We were popular because we had a house to rent: two bedrooms, fenced yard, and we don’t care whether our tenants smoke tobacco, raise children, or keep pets.