The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
First month rent-free for unoccupied units
By Olivia Lueckemeyer
Six units remain in the recently constructed Anthracite Place Apartments, and to fulfill contractual obligations with its equity group, the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority (GVRHA) is offering a leasing incentive to potential renters.
“For people who move into the remaining units, we are willing to give the first month free,” Karl Fulmer, executive director of the GVRHA, said. “Upon move-in they would owe the last month’s rent and at least one-third of the security deposit.”
For a one-bedroom apartment, which rents between $640 and $760 per month, that comes to right around $1,000. A two-bedroom unit, renting at $930 a month, would require a down payment of just $1,240. And it’s not only rent that’s affordable at Anthracite Place—utilities are a steal, too.
“The in-floor heat and hot water are provided by the landlord; residents only pay an electric bill for the unit’s lights and cooking,” Fulmer said. “The electric bills we have seen so far are between $35 and $50.”
Tenants will also enjoy free Wi-Fi as part of their lease—an amenity that Fulmer says the GVRHA hopes to offer by the end of this month. However, available broadband will allow only for tasks such as checking email, and won’t be strong enough for streaming video.
“We have been dealing with punch lists and getting our general contractor out of the building before we bring in a tech person to set up a Wi-Fi relay system,” Fulmer explained. “It will definitely be up and running by the end of this year—hopefully by the end of October.”
According to Fulmer, a couple of applications are in the queue for the remaining units, which include five one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment. Two of the units, including the remaining two-bedroom, are located on the first floor. The remaining four units, all of which are one-bedrooms, are evenly dispersed between the second and third floors.
“It’s first-come, first-served, so as long as they have a decent rental history and nothing significant on their criminal history, whoever applies first generally gets the unit,” Fulmer said. “The applications currently in the queue are either in review or not complete.”
Once the units are filled, the GVRHA will continue to accept pre-applications that will be placed in the queue based on date of submission. Once a unit opens up, applicants will be contacted according to their place in line.
So far, Fulmer says tenants are satisfied with their accommodations. Save for a couple of technical issues, the feedback has been positive.
“We had one or two issues with washer-dryers in the units, so we’ve had some warranty claims submitted and workmen coming in to repair the machines that had a glitch when installed,” Fulmer said. “Overall, the vast majority of feedback has been positive.”
To learn more about affordable housing or to apply for an Anthracite Place unit, visit www.gvrha.org.
