Several investments recently made in the Region’s communities for tourism, creative industries, housing

Several of the region's communities have recently received substantial investments from state and local funding sources in the way of grants for a variety of projects to enhance the economic vitality of their communities. The stories below describe how they are using the funds to enhance tourism, creative arts, and housing.

Success Story

Partnership in Summit County creates Summit Biz: Training program for entrepreneurs and business owners The Summit Prosperity Initiative (SPI), a partnership in Summit County created to enhance economic prosperity has created the Summit Biz Program to provide business training for entrepreneurs looking to start a business and business owners looking to grow their business. Since…

Partnership in Summit County develops training program for entrepreneurs and business owners

The Summit Prosperity Initiative (SPI), a partnership in Summit County created to enhance economic prosperity has created the Summit Biz Program to provide business training for entrepreneurs looking to start a business and business owners looking to grow their business.  Since September of 2020, five cohorts have been held with 44 graduates from the program.

Partnership and capacity building at work to support older adults in Eagle County

Golden Eagle has provided 36 units of housing for low-income older adults since 1986. NWCCOG has helped secure a USDA Housing Preservation Grant to fund improvements to this housing development over the years since 2009, resulting in over $180,000 in funds.

Partnership and capacity building at work to support older adults in Eagle County

Golden Eagle has provided 36 units of housing for low-income older adults since 1986. NWCCOG has helped secure a USDA Housing Preservation Grant to fund improvements to this housing development over the years since 2009, resulting in over $180,000 in funds.

Partnership and capacity building at work to support older adults in Eagle County

Golden Eagle has provided 36 units of housing for low-income older adults since 1986. NWCCOG has helped secure a USDA Housing Preservation Grant to fund improvements to this housing development over the years since 2009, resulting in over $180,000 in funds.

Red Cliff Broadband Program

Cliff never felt so far from civilization as when cell phones and broadband be-came standard tools for living and working. Town doggedly pursued broadband to bring the modern era to it’s citizens for close to a decade, and didn’t get far until NWCCOGs program came along. After nearly 4 years of assistance from NWCCOG and…

A broad variety of housing types can be found in the NWCCOG Region. Many homes support traditional family units. Some are single family homes that serve as the homes to the workforce in the community such as teachers, healthcare workers, police officers, and property managers. Some serve as vacation/second homes to part time residents or those that may just come for two weeks to ski or spend a week of the summer. Still others are made up of seasonal workers renting and living together.

Some homes are deed restricted to remain affordable due to the progressive programs of housing authorities in the region recognizing the need to create attainable housing opportunities in this resort region due to the high cost of housing. The amenity-rich, resort-oriented nature makes it an attractive place for second homes, which drives up the cost of housing.

Overview of Housing in NWCCOG Region – Towns

COUNTIESTotal Housing UnitsOwner Occupied Units% Owner Occupied UnitsRenter Occupied Units% Renter Occupied UnitsVacant/ Seasonal Units% Vacant/ Seasonal Units
Eagle County, CO31,91212,50939.20%5,25616.47%12,28838.51%
Grand County, CO16,5153,94723.90%1,77710.76%9,00454.52%
Jackson County, CO1,31242032.01%17713.49%71554.50%
Pitkin County, CO13,5744,75735.04%2,58319.03%4,63234.12%
Summit County, CO30,6526,28720.51%3,16810.34%19,89264.90%
Total Region93,96527,92029.71%12,96113.79%46,53149.52%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, latest 5-Year Estimates, 2017

Overview of Housing in Region – Towns

TOWNSTotal Housing UnitsOwner Occupied Units% Owner Occupied UnitsRenter Occupied Units% Renter Occupied UnitsVacant/ Seasonal Units% Vacant/ Seasonal Units
Aspen, CO6,219284645.76%135321.76%222335.75%
Avon, CO4,052115628.53%100924.90%157338.82%
Basalt, CO2,157124057.49%55025.49%24411.31%
Blue River, CO73821328.86%486.50%47764.63%
Breckenridge, CO7,08284611.95%5748.11%527174.43%
Crested Butte, CO1,09826323.95%35232.0632229.33%
Dillon, CO1,40324817.68%21715.47%89163.51%
Eagle, CO2,251158770.50%37916.84%1536.80%
Estes Park, CO4,719189140.07%130827.72%117824.96%
Fraser, CO1,16323320.03%31527.09%55547.72%
Frisco, CO3,50571220.31%47113.44%221663.22%
Glenwood Springs, CO4,333207147.80%189143.64%1413.25%
Granby, CO1,61640725.19%29918.50%75346.60%
Grand Lake, CO936798.44%606.41%72076.92%
Gypsum, CO2,275167473.58%44219.43%351.54%
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO33519357.61%6017.91%8224.48%
Kremmling, CO69335551.23%22933.04%10915.73%
Minturn, CO54220738.19%19135.24%10619.56%
Silverthorne, CO2,23974533.27%63228.23%75333.63%
Snowmass Village, CO2,89064422.28%54418.82%126143.63%
Steamboat Springs, CO9,868296330.03%186718.92%320332.46%
Vail, CO7,210140919.54%79711.05%466164.65%
Walden, CO38120353.28%5815.22%12031.50%
Winter Park, CO2,6281867.08%1224.64%186470.93%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, latest 5-Year Estimates, 2017

Median House Value
Eagle County471,100
Grand County285,000
Jackson County171,300
Pitkin County593,600
Summit County547,700
Colorado286,100
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey

Second homes

With its 10 wold-class, internationally known ski resorts, abundant public lands, natural beauty, and countless outdoor recreational opportunities, the NWCCOG region is a popular place to purchase a vacation/second home. Over 10 communities in the NWCCOG region have 50% of housing units being used for “seasonal/recreational use”, a term suggesting a vacation/second home.

Workforce housing

NWCCOG Reg Workforce Housing Report FINAL  – Jan. 2019

The traditional family unit in the Region – i.e. those families that are in the workforce that contribute to the essential basic services in the Region including teachers, healthcare workers, childcare workers, police officers, emergency medical workers, etc. (i.e. middle-income professional wage earners)– often have the biggest challenge finding housing that suits their needs. Often the high cost of housing makes it extremely difficult for these local workforce families to afford a single family home. To illustrate, the bulk of the housing in Region 12, or 55.9%, is priced between $300,000 and $999,999. This price range is very difficult for a family of 4 earning a household family income of $70,000 to afford (approximate average in Region 12). To further show the high cost of housing in the region, 15% of the housing in Region 12 is priced over $1 million. To respond to this need, local governments have responded, through housing departments and housing authority programs, by creating opportunities for the local workforce family to afford a single family home. These opportunities come from the development of deed-restricted housing, which refers to housing for local residents or employees, and has some type of restriction attached to: occupancy standards, appreciation or resale value, or incomes.

Seasonal rental housing

Due to the seasonal nature of the region and the demand for service workers during the busy months the ski resorts are in operation (October through April generally), there is a need in the Region for temporary seasonal housing for these workers. Local governments and private resort owners have responded to this need by creating seasonal employee rental housing. Most ski areas in the region have employee rental units. Many counties and towns have incorporated requirements into their permitting structure requiring developers to build employee housing units if their business will generate a need for new employees, or pay fees in lieu of building these units.

SENIOR HOUSING

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