ECHO and Together Colorado Hosting a Community Listening Session for Renters Impacted by the Fire
Sunday, March 6, 1-3 PM
Ascent Community Church in Louisville
Please share this information with renters impacted by the fire.
ECHO and Together Colorado are hosting a community listening session for renters to ensure their voices are carried to policy makers. We will also be inviting some community resource providers to attend the meeting so people can seek assistance. If you are a renter, we want to hear from you and hope you will attend.
Sunday's Longmont Leader has an informative article about how renters’ struggle in the wake of disasters. According to that article, we are already seeing that in "hot markets like Boulder County, Colorado, renters face a different challenge. Rebuilding in those markets allows developers and speculators to take advantage of redevelopment opportunities. Research suggests that affordable housing will almost always be replaced by more expensive housing targeted to a wealthier demographic.” If we want to change this trajectory - renters need to engage, and ECHO is here to help you do that. Here is a link to register for this event.
https://www.echocolorado.com/community-listening-session-for-renters
ADDITIONAL CALLS TO ACTION: Please complete ECHO’s survey for renters affected by the Marshall Fire: https://www.echocolorado.com/renters-questionnaire
In addition, if you are interested in sharing your story with us by being interviewed please contact us at echobouldercounty@gmail.com.
Legal Assistance for Renters/Homeowners impacted by the Marshall Fire
"Our home is uninhabitable, but the landlord says we still have to pay rent."
"The apartment I was going to rent, went up $500 since yesterday."
"My landlord says the unit is remediated, but we still get sick."
"My home is no longer standing, but the landlord is not responding to my request to get my deposit returned."
These are the kinds of legal issues many people face after a disaster. There are some local resources to assist with these legal issues. The Boulder County Bar Association is helping renters and homeowners impacted by the Marshall Fire. Use this link to fill out their form for assistance.
Virtual Legal Clinic for the Community
Bridge to Justice a local nonprofit has grants to enable them to provide services to seniors and to renters making no more than 200% of the Area Median Income. They can help you determine if you qualify. If you need legal help, seek out these resources.
https://www.boulderbridgetojustice.org/legal-services
Help for those with Smoke and Ash Damage
Local financial assistance has been expanded to include renters and homeowners displaced by smoke or ash contamination from the Marshall Fire, and those who suffered business-related losses related to the fire are also encouraged to apply for help. Boulder County Housing and Human Services continues to accept applications for funding that comes from Community Foundation Boulder County’s Wildfire Fund and from Elevations Credit Union.
Those who qualify for help due to smoke or ash contamination could receive $2,500 for a household of one to two people and $5,000 for a household of three or more people. Documentation of displacement due to smoke or ash contamination is required, and county staff will work with applicants to identify what is needed. Applications can be submitted online at www.boco.org/MarshallFireAssistance.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Louisville and Superior – An Opportunity to Create Options for Displaced Homeowners
Many homeowners in Louisville and Superior are beginning to understand that they were significantly under-insured and therefore lack sufficient resources to pay for rebuilding what they once had. Lower and middle-income homeowners will especially have less resources for rebuilding. Creating more flexibility in rebuilding options could help not only homeowners, but displaced renters, too. The homeowner could build two smaller units, such as townhomes, where once stood a larger home. The second unit would provide rental income and help create a revenue stream to cover costs. A smaller home could be built on a lot, with an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) within it or behind it or over the garage. These options would both create a revenue stream for the homeowner and provide much-needed rental housing. This option is not for everyone. But to help some of these homeowners stay in our community, the communities of Louisville and Superior will need to create more flexible zoning. There are numerous examples of lovely townhouses, duplexes and ADUs throughout Boulder County. These units blend in with the existing community seamlessly and protect neighborhood character. Where whole neighborhoods were destroyed, a new neighborhood character can be created – one that includes a diversity of housing types, suitable for people at different price points and ages, including renters.
We encourage the communities of Louisville and Superior to review their building and zoning codes to create needed flexibility for those seeking to build back, and for those renters who are now being priced even further out of our community through rising rents. Let’s keep options open for rebuilders and give people a chance to stay in our community, while creating opportunities for our fire-displaced residents (both homeowners and renters) to afford to live here. We need to let displaced homeowners know quickly that they have choices, so they can make appropriate decisions. If you are a Louisville or Superior resident, please communicate to your elected officials your desire to create flexible options for homeowners displaced by the fire.
The City Council for the City of Louisville can be reached at Council@LouisvilleCO.gov. Please contact them before their meeting on February 22, where they will be setting their work plan for the upcoming year and ask them to create more flexible zoning for rebuilders.
The Superior Town Board can be reached at townboard@superiorcolorado.gov.
The Town of Superior has engaged an outside consultant to help facilitate a series of community conversations with residents and property owners who lost their homes in the Marshall Fire. Superior is asking about resident and property owner interest in a range of possible strategies that could be pursued to help facilitate efficient and cost-effective redevelopment of affected areas. They will be having some community meetings for displaced homeowners and renters via zoom. The meeting schedule is as follows.
UPCOMING Neighborhood Meetings to be held virtually on the Zoom platform or dial-in by phone. Information below.
Original Town
Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
Meeting Information
Downtown Superior, Coal Creek Crossing & The Ridge
Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Information
Sagamore
Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
Meeting Information
Rock Creek Ranch
Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
Meeting Information
The Superior community also has a survey which can be accessed here.
Please take the online survey by Monday, February 21 at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Superior_Rebuild1
Congratulations to Longmont Housing Authority for Project to Address Multiple Affordable Housing Needs in the Longmont Community
It's hard to build housing for very low income people, but the Longmont Housing Authority is proving once again that it can be done. Congratulations to the Longmont Housing authority and MGL Partners for adding on to their existing affordable housing project, with help from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. The Crisman II project will provide 83 homes in 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units.
9 units restricted to households earning 30% or less of area median income,
12 units restricted to households earning 40% or less of area median income,
28 units restricted to households earning 50% or less of area median income, and
34 units restricted to households earning 60% or less of area median income.
Crisman II will consist of four (4) three-story slab on grade wood frame walk-up buildings. The buildings will be designed to energy efficient standards that comply with the 2020 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) program. The building enclosures will be energy efficient with Energy Star windows and doors as well as appliances and light fixtures. Amenities include a community room, business center, fitness center, picnic areas, a play structure and tot lot, and a community garden. The project will share outdoor amenity space with the first phase, which will be connected with a pedestrian walkway. The buildings will offer 124 surface parking spaces at no cost to residents. The 3.4-acre site also provides access to jobs, childcare, public transit, and other retail amenities. An RTD bus stop is located within 0.1 miles of the site.
New Affordable Housing coming to Longmont: The Crisman II project will provide 83 homes in 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units.
Erie is Making Strides in Creating Inclusionary Housing - Erie Residents Urged to Support
The town of Erie recently had a study session in preparation for a spring draft of an inclusionary housing ordinance to come before the town board for approval, likely in April. Erie planning staff have done a great job in preparing for this ordinance. Erie has a goal of achieving 12% affordable housing by the year 2035. In order to achieve that goal the town will have to require more than 12% affordable from new developments. As a fast-growing community, Erie can really make a difference in the regional housing stock available through an inclusionary housing ordinance. Erie residents are encouraged to contact the town board in support of inclusionary housing at 20% or above. The town board can be reached at bot@erieco.gov. Please share a copy of your communication and any response with us at echobouldercounty@gmail.com.
Lafayette Hires Housing and Economic Development Consultant
Root Policy Research was hired by the City of Lafayette to complete the Economic Development and Housing Strategic Plan. In meeting with the consultants, Council expressed a desire to support seniors, protect mobile home communities, use accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to keep rents affordable, evaluate existing affordable housing strategies and partnerships, attract primary employers, examine live-work options, discuss the evolution of the Lafayette Urban Renewal Authority, and explore land banking opportunities. Council urged the project team to consult the City’s boards, commissions, and business community, to seek out members of the public who don’t typically engage, to utilize local culture brokers, to look at practices in neighboring communities, and to be creative in developing its recommendations. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage in this planning process.
“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone… and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads form one to another that creates something. ”
