At a City of Lafayette candidate forum, multiple candidates described local housing shortages as an urgent affordability crisis and sketched different policy options for council action.

"This is absolutely a crisis. We have an affordability crisis in the city of Lafayette," said Saul Tapia Vega, a sitting Lafayette council member, during a question from forum partner Sister Carmen about families forced to move out of Lafayette. Candidates said the issue is driven by regional pressure on the Front Range and by local market forces.

Why it matters: Lafayette has lost residents who can no longer afford to live in the city, speakers said, and candidates tied housing to broader affordability issues such as childcare and wages. Multiple speakers urged that the city pursue both short- and long-term measures so workers and families can remain in town.

Policy options discussed included targeted density and infill rather than sprawl, protections for existing below-market units and mobile home communities, stronger inclusionary housing requirements in major developments and incentives for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

- Luke Arrington, who serves on an Open Space advisory body, suggested "density in the right places" and preserving existing rental options including mobile homes and apartments so people who work in Lafayette have choices.

- Josh Barrell said he is "open to rent freezing" and city participation in Section 8-type programs, and urged higher affordable-housing set-asides in large developments, pointing to Boulders 25% requirement on large projects as a benchmark.

- Anne Marie Jensen recommended targeting rental support to households at 60% area median income and exploring a community land trust to buy land for affordable ownership.

- Rob Glenn and others cited Willoughby Corner as an example of local affordable housing development but noted that many units remain unaffordable relative to residents incomes and that AMI definitions drive eligibility.

- Several candidates, including Adam Gianola and others, urged protecting existing affordable options such as mobile home parks and exploring cooperative ownership models for those communities.

Context and limits: Candidates repeatedly framed Lafayettes housing problem as part of a regional shortage and noted limits on what the city can do alone. Multiple speakers said redevelopment and infill should be balanced with preserving local character and open space. No formal council actions or ballot measures were decided at the forum.

Ending: Candidates generally agreed the city must continue to assemble funding and tools to produce and protect lower-cost housing while pursuing a mix of infill, ADUs, mobile-home protections and partnerships with regional housing authorities to expand options for working families.