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Guest column: A progress report on Glenwood Springs housing — and a look ahead

Sumner Schachter
Glenwood Springs City Councilor
Sumner Schachter
Courtesy

Housing stability is a major concern and challenge in Glenwood Springs. High demand, limited supply, and rising costs have made affordable housing a pressing issue for residents, businesses, and city leaders alike. There is no single solution, but thoughtful decision-making and innovation are key to meaningfully addressing the crisis. Two city-appointed advisory boards are committed to doing just that. The Workforce Housing Fund Advisory Board (WHFAB) and the Housing Commission consist of local volunteers dedicated to tackling the housing crunch head-on.

Workforce Housing Fund Advisory Board

In 2022, Glenwood Springs voters approved the 2C lodging tax — a 2.5 percent accommodations tax paid by overnight visitors. This measure created the Workforce Housing Fund, generating an estimated 1.7 million dollars annually to address affordable housing needs. The WHFAB manages these funds and makes recommendations to Council on how to spend them. These funds have already made a tangible impact.

For example, the city recently provided a loan of just over 1.5 million dollars from the Workforce Housing Fund towards a 100% deed restricted development known as the Glenwood Gardens. All 80 rental units will be affordable, with 20 units prioritized for residents that work in Glenwood Springs city limits.



An additional one million Workforce Housing Fund dollars were awarded to help Habitat for Humanity purchase the L3 apartment complex at the Glenwood Meadows shopping center. Until now the units have been rented on the free market and will be converted to deed restricted condos as leases expire. With priority on existing renters and a solid plan to minimize displacement, the units will be sold to income-qualified residents, with 10 units reserved for employees working within city limits.

Housing Commission

The Housing Commission is tasked with exploring policy and code-based solutions, such as zoning updates to accommodate modest infill projects or fee waivers to incentivize affordable development. For example, accessory dwelling units (ADUs or sometimes called granny flats, guesthouses, or carriage houses) can play an important role in addressing the housing crisis without impacting neighborhood character.



Although ADUs are currently allowed almost everywhere single-family dwellings are permitted, relatively few have been built in town, likely due to the cost of construction. The Housing Commission is exploring how the city could offer pre-approved ADU designs, which homeowners could use to lower costs and review time.

Additionally, the Housing Commission is prioritizing conversations and strategies around preserving mobile home parks, one of the last places for naturally occurring affordable housing in the region. More tangible recommendations are anticipated in 2025.

Partnerships and Purpose

Housing challenges require collaboration, and Glenwood Springs benefits from a dedicated network of partners. One partner is the West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition (WMRHC). The Coalition is funded through yearly membership fees from participating jurisdictions, including the City of Glenwood Springs.

The Coalition’s Good Deeds program provides a 30 percent down payment for qualified buyers to ‘bridge the gap’ between what is available on the market and what is affordable, in exchange for a perpetual deed restriction. The goal is to increase the inventory of affordable housing for homeownership without building new units. In 2024, the city contributed 200 thousand to the coalition. A total of eight homes were purchased, four of which were in Glenwood Springs. These homes now house members of the Glenwood Springs workforce including local hospital workers and educators.

The City of Glenwood Springs is also committed to helping our senior citizens. The Benedict senior housing development includes 34 one-bedroom apartments for households aged 55 and older with incomes below 55,600 dollars – a notoriously underserved demographic. The city waived over 360 thousand dollars of impact fees to support the development.

Looking Ahead to 2025

The year ahead brings new opportunities to make a difference. Developed by the WHFAB, the city launched an Employer-Based Rental Assistance Pilot Program to offset rent burdens for local workers while also reducing turnover at local businesses. Cost burdened employees (those paying more than 30 percent of their household income on rent) can receive hundreds of dollars in monthly rental assistance, with half paid by the city’s workforce housing fund and half paid by a respective employer. Applications are currently being accepted. Visit cogs.us/RentalAssistance to learn more about the program or to apply.

Get Involved

We invite residents to stay informed and engaged. We are committed to making information accessible and transparent. Visit the Glenwood Springs Housing Hub at cogs.us/HousingHub for details on current programs, projects, financial transparency, and opportunities to share your voice. Sign up for city alerts to track land-use applications and join us at public meetings to help shape our community’s future.

Addressing affordable housing is no small task, but Glenwood Springs is tackling it head-on. We can continue to work together to create housing opportunities that balance housing needs, affordability, resources and the preservation of Glenwood character.

Sumner Schachter is the City Councilor for Ward 3 for the City of Glenwood Springs and also serves as the City Council liaison to the Workforce Housing Fund Housing Board and the Housing Commission. He has served on Glenwood Springs City Council since 2023.


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