Officials to strategize on community housing needs

Housing movers and shakers headed to Glenwood Springs for conference

By Toni Todd

Community Builders of Glenwood Springs has selected Gunnison County to participate in two-and-a-half-day strategy building workshop called the Community Builders Housing Institute (CBHI). The event will take place September 27-29.

“This will be an opportunity for representatives from our community to work together to develop a strategy to address housing needs,” says Gunnison county community development director Cathie Pagano.

According to its website, Community Builders’ mission is “to help create successful, prosperous communities through training, information and assistance.” They are the same organization that facilitated Gunnison County’s One Valley Prosperity Project.

CBHI promises “to engage community teams of six to nine participants in an intensive workshop that builds leadership and practical understanding of ways to address the housing needs of their community. Working with dynamic trainers and facilitators,” says their website, “participants will leave the CBHI with a better understanding of how to develop an effective housing strategy, and a clear plan of action for next steps in their community.”

Pagano says, “The team for Gunnison County will likely include myself, John Messner, John Cattles, Russ Forrest, Jim Gelwicks, Jennifer Kermode, Julie Feier, Dara MacDonald, Carlos Velado, Pam Montgomery, and a representative from the Gunnison Valley Housing Foundation. Our goal at the Institute is to begin development of a strategic plan that can also inform the desire of the GVRHA to seek additional funding in 2018 in the form of a property tax increase.”

Pagano says the strategic plan will likely address the numbers and types of units to be constructed, where and when they should be built, land-banking opportunities for future development, and other related issues.