This is a very important topic that is becoming a crisis in communities all over the US. The challenge of housing affordability is certainly real in Northern Colorado, where housing cost increases have significantly outpaced median incomes over the past 10 years.
How we solve problems depends greatly on how we view the problem in the fist place. We believe there are two main ideas to keep in mind as we look for solutions.
First, there is no single fix for this crisis. We need every tool in the box applied with tremendous creativity.
Second, affordable housing is a community problem, and it will be most effectively addressed by the whole community. It is a team effort that should include existing city residents and government, builders and developers, local businesses, philanthropic organizations, groups like Habitat For Humanity, and more.
This blog is not meant to recommend a specific solution to this daunting challenge. It is a call for trust and teamwork. It is a request that we all recognize housing affordability as a shared opportunity, and a very important one. The lack of affordable housing in a community is an unsustainable loss of community balance. It hurts all of us, even if we don't feel it yet.
Let's rise to the occasion together.