Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing And Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Custer County pledges $10,000 and backs nonprofit plan to pursue DOLA planning grant for workforce housing
Summary
The board approved a letter of support and pledged $10,000 from the county’s workforce housing fund as the county seeks an 80/20 DOLA Local Planning Capacity grant to help form a nonprofit to develop 12 workforce housing lots in Silver Cliff.
The Custer County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to issue a letter of support and pledge $10,000 from the county’s workforce housing account toward a Local Planning Capacity (LPC) grant application to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA).
A presenter from the county’s workforce housing committee outlined a plan to form a local not‑for‑profit named the Custer County Community Development Corporation to act as a local owner/operator and fiscal agent for workforce housing projects. The immediate project described is a 12‑lot site in Silver Cliff intended for small duplexes and single‑family residences to house local workers.
The LPC grant is an 80/20 matching planning grant; the full grant request is $100,000 and the county’s pledged match is $10,000. The towns of Silver Cliff and Westcliff are each expected to provide a $5,000 match; Silver Cliff has provided a letter of commitment and Westcliff was expected to adopt a resolution at its June 17 meeting. The county presenter said the grant is reimbursable — the town paying invoices, submitting them to DOLA and then billing partners for their shares.
The board approved the pledge and the letter of support on a voice vote. The motion recorded that the $10,000 is already held in the county’s workforce housing account and would be reserved for this matching purpose; commissioners stressed that the funds would not be spent for other purposes absent future board action.
Officials said the Chaffee County Housing Trust has agreed to serve as an interim fiscal sponsor while the local nonprofit establishes capacity. The presenter described the nonprofit as a new entity that will need a functioning board and basic administrative setup (bank account, PO box, bylaws and compliance policies) before it can take full fiscal responsibility for development and operations.
Speakers and committee members noted the grant would fund legal and compliance work (lease templates, deed restrictions and operations policy) essential to running affordable housing projects. The presenter said a capital stack for development could include previously committed county funds (referred to as LITCF funds) and that a realistic earliest occupancy date — assuming grant and development timelines proceed — would be late 2026.
The board’s action: issue a county letter of support and pledge the $10,000 county match for the DOLA LPC application. No additional county funding commitments were made at the meeting.
