The Need for Affordable Housing in Our Area

Housing is the key to reducing inter-generational poverty and increasing economic mobility in our communities. It’s no secret that poor living conditions negatively affect physical and mental health. Research shows that increasing access to affordable housing is the single most cost-effective strategy for reducing childhood poverty and increasing economic mobility in the United States.

In Colorado, 86% of respondents to a 2022 poll indicated that the cost of housing is an extremely or very serious problem

(Source: “What’s Keeping People Up at Night? Increasing Cost of Living and the Lack of Affordable Housing,” Colorado Health Foundation, May 2022).

Only 13% of housing in Northern Colorado is affordable to a teacher.

In Boulder County, 1 in 6 individuals pays 50% or more of their income on housing. The national recommendation is that we spend no more than 33% of our income on a place to live.

More than 25% of our community doesn’t earn enough to provide for their basic needs.

(Source: Boulder County Trends: The Community Foundation’s Report on Key Indicators, 2019).

Homeless children are three to four times more likely to have mental health problems than kids who are housed.

ECHO’s Mission

Understanding the depth of these implications to individuals and families in East Boulder County, ECHO has worked to co-create a positive impact. We engage in our mission as an active resource on affordable housing issues for residents, commuters, and policymakers.

“ECHO’s mission is to inform, educate, and train residents, commuters, and policymakers in east Boulder County on affordable housing needs, local policies and projects, on the impacts of local planning decisions, and on ways to advocate effectively for housing affordability in eastern Boulder County, Colorado. Our goal is to provide tools for individuals to self-empower, share their voices, and hold policymakers accountable for creating and maintaining access to affordable, inclusive housing for everyone.”

To do this, we partner with nonprofits and inform residents of local affordable housing discussions that would lead to better decisions with their input. We provide best practices research insights to municipalities and invite neighbors to speak at city council meetings or write email letters that reflect their needs. We testify at city council and planning meetings with data and insights from reputable research sources and community conversations.

We initiate outreach and engagement activities in collaboration with individuals across all economic, social, ethnic, cultural, and self-identification intersectionalities. We inform folks so they know we’re here as a training resource with tools to self-empower and hold policymakers accountable to their needs.

We are mindful of providing language access and cultural understanding to historically underserved BIPOC community members. We also partner and learn from local nonprofits that serve different segments of our communities. For example, we are excited to actively listen and learn from a local partner how to co-create affordable and attainable housing educational materials and advocacy tips that are appropriately accessible and reflect the needs of people with disabilities.

ECHO’s Work to Date

Here are some highlights of ECHO’s activities and accomplishments that are effecting positive change and creating impact in East Boulder County, one initiative at a time.

Visit our Learn page for links to reports and recorded events resulting from some of these ECHO initiatives.

• Educated the public on Proposition 123, which successfully passed and will bring $300 million per year in new housing funding to our state.

• Advocated for and successfully supported Erie’s first-ever purchase of land for affordable housing.

• In collaboration with local and state entities, hosted a training on smart land use with registrants from throughout Boulder County, to help attendees begin to understand and share lessons on the connections between land use, taxes, infrastructure, and climate change.

• Created extensive support for ARPA funds to be used for affordable housing by Boulder County. Served on the panel that made recommendations to the Boulder County Commissioners about what specifically should be done with the funds.

• Shared information on alternative ways to rebuild in areas impacted by wildfires.

• Coordinated the sponsorship of legal services for Marshall Fire survivors in Louisville and Superior, serving about 80 families with free legal services after the fire.

• Developed a report on the needs and issues facing renters after the Marshall Fire that was shared with elected officials and the public.

• Supported Louisville’s efforts to create Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

• Supported Boulder County and Town of Superior efforts to allow ADUs in fire-impacted areas.

• Provided best practices research and testified in support of Boulder County’s efforts to create a transit-oriented affordable housing development in Superior.

• Successfully advocated for changes to Longmont’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance to better account for all housing costs, such as insurance and HOA dues.

• Hosted a city council candidate forum in Longmont in partnership with environmental groups, to give residents an opportunity to share views and ask questions.

• Publicized results of candidate questionnaires on affordable housing for local races throughout the county in 2021 and 2022.

• Participated in a number of community fairs, events, farmers’ markets, and community meetings to listen to people’s affordable housing stories, inform them about local affordable and inclusive housing projects, encourage them to share their voices at decision-making tables, and obtain signatures on informal petitions in support of affordable housing.

• Initiated and participated in events focused on introducing ECHO; engaging with Latinx individuals, parents, and children; sharing our program news and affordable housing resources in Spanish, and beginning the process of creating relationships with these highly diverse communities and the partner agencies that serve them.

Scroll down for another look at ECHO’s accomplishments in community organizing, policy change, and training

Together We Make a Powerful Difference

ECHO’s accomplishments could not happen without your support. Nonprofit work is community work!

ECHO has been able to create this level of impact because of you…residents, advocates, newsletter subscribers, open-minded municipalities, local business owners, workers, stay-at-home moms, dads, and grandmas, donors, and volunteers. Thank you!

Our work requires consistency and persistence. With your help, ECHO will continue to create a safe, respectful space to inform, educate, and train our community members and leaders so that together we can achieve a more just, inclusive vision. A future where people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences are able to access more affordable, quality homes in the neighborhoods in which they work, study, and play.

You can help by making your voice heard, organizing others in your neighborhood, or making a contribution to support ECHO’s work.