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Rifle housing lottery yields no buyers

Heidi Rice
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

RIFLE, Colorado ” There were no takers for the second workforce housing lottery in Rifle at the end of August, so the home is back on the block, along with several tri-plex units, and the next lottery is scheduled for Oct. 24.

“We didn’t have the (Sept. 8) lottery because there were no qualified buyers,” said Geneva Powell, executive director of the Garfield County Housing Authority, which oversees the Workforce Housing lottery program.

The home, located at 951 E. 17th St., is a three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom, 1,400-square-foot, two-story home in the North Pastures subdivision. It features a one-car garage, open family room, Berber carpet and appliances that include a washer/ dryer, forced air furnace and evaporative cooler. The price was $226,000.



The Workforce Housing program was initiated by developers at the Savage Land Co., who built the first two homes.

Rifle City Council members approved the formation of the program in the spring to promote affordable, or “attainable,” housing in the city.



A lottery was held in July for two homes, the one at 951 E. 17th St., and 953 E. 17th St. Only one sold.

The home at 951 E. 17th St. went back into the Sept. 8 lottery, where there were no qualified buyers. It is now being listed for $227,500.

“We’re re-advertising for the house and also advertising and taking applications for three tri-plex units,” Powell said. “We expect to close on these by the first of December.”

The tri-plex units are all three-bedroom and range from 1,290- to 1,418 square feet and list at $199,950, Powell said.

Application deadline for the lottery is Oct. 10. Applicants must meet the qualifications that, in Rifle, include a maximum household income of $76,475; assets of no more than $100,000; a full-time resident of Rifle and a full-time occupant of the home.

The goal of the program is to provide housing for local employees who might not otherwise be able to afford a home in Rifle.

“I’ve talked to community members and people in business and they’re very interested in the program,” Powell said. “I can’t tell you why (the latest lottery) didn’t generate more interest. But it’s a new program and maybe people are not sure about deed restrictions. But it is a really good program.”

For more information about the program or to obtain an application, call the Garfield County Housing Authority at 625-3589.

Contact Heidi Rice at 384-9178 or by e-mail at hrice@citizentelegram.com.


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