Breckenridge and Summit County officials are committing to the lifeblood of the town: its locals, making strides to fix the housing crisis and create housing solutions.
Town Council member Elisabeth Lawrence is quoted in the New York Times, expressing: “It’s so important that Breckenridge retain this identity of having locals live here. Real town. Real people”
New housing developments are underway to provide housing for residents that have jobs, but need a place to live. These developments include: Pinewood Village Two, Lincoln Park as part of the Wellington Neighborhood, Huron Landing, Denison Placer and the McCain Property.
Local governments are encouraging new partnerships to help offset the building costs associated with the creation of these developments.
Vail Resorts and Beaver Run have put money toward building efforts, specifically to provide employee housing. The Summit Foundation recently expressed interest in partnering with the local government.
The Summit County Workforce Housing Needs Assessment, created in June 2013, determined that 400+ new units would be needed to keep up with the county’s population growth by 2017. Even with the five development projects in place, it is projected that the efforts will fall short by at least 250 units.
An updated assessment will be published in 2017.
A town meeting held in Breckenridge last week opened the floor to new proposals, aiming to create housing solutions in the short-term.
Topics included:
- Finding ways to encourage owners to opt-in to the long-term rental market rather than the more lucrative short-term rentals.
- Create a three-tiered lease structure with an application process to provide peace of mind to the landlord that the property is in good hands.
- Implement new sales tax, on limited basis, with sunset clause.
Breckenridge is among several resort towns in Colorado and Wyoming that are creating housing solutions for the overflow of residents they rely on to keep up with increased tourism.
