Housing authority seeks higher county support as voucher and lot‑sale revenues fall; recommends reserve for BlackBear property

Grand County’s housing authority presented 2026 budgets for its administrative functions and its affordable housing properties, reporting falling revenues and requesting additional county support to cover operating and administrative workloads.

The authority told commissioners the administration budget is forecast conservatively because sales of lot inventory and Section 8 voucher reimbursements have trended lower; it said federal funding freezes and limits on issuing new vouchers reduced administrative revenue. The presenter said she expects lower income from Coyote Creek and Ranches at Devil’s Thumb property sales in 2025 and therefore asked the county to increase MOU support for housing-authority administration above the prior year’s level.

Property budgets: For the subsidized BlackBear property the authority requested a $40,000 reserve to cover potential shortfalls and capital needs; Grand Living and Silver Spruce budgets included planned capital replacements (carpet, appliances, and a second phase of windows) and routine maintenance. The authority noted a roof claim and insurance dispute for one property; they also said they planned to submit a rent increase request to USDA for one property to offset depreciation and operating needs.

Why it matters: The housing authority funds and maintains county-affiliated affordable housing stock and administers the Section 8 program for multiple counties. Reduced voucher administration revenue and lower lot-sale receipts could require greater county subsidies to maintain staffing and services.

Clarifications and process: The presenter said the Section 8 contract is administered for multiple counties and that the authority bills other counties for per-voucher administrative costs; the authority plans to recontract for 2026 to ensure administrative costs are fully covered. The presentation recommended modest cost controls on nonessential line-items and indicated the authority would continue seeking grant revenue and program changes to reduce county subsidy needs.

No formal county appropriation vote or a specific dollar increase for the MOU appears in the provided transcript excerpt; the authority asked commissioners to review the request and consider additional support if the projected conservative revenues materialize.