San Luis Valley Housing Coalition reports high occupancy, low evictions at Horizon Heights

The San Luis Valley Housing Coalition told the Alamosa City Council on Tuesday that Horizon Heights, the temporary supportive-housing development the city opened in 2024, has a high occupancy rate, a large waiting list and "better than expected" move-out outcomes for residents.

The coalitionpresenter, Donnell Garris, said Horizon Heights consists of 20 small buildings (15 one-bedroom units, four two-bedroom units and a laundry/maintenance building) and opened for the first move-in on Aug. 15, 2024. Garris said the site has had steady turnover because the leases are six months with renewals allowed up to two years; he said the program's aim is to move tenants into longer-term housing.

Garris told the council the property was built quickly using non-housing grant funding and is managed in partnership with the city and several service providers. He gave a detailed accounting of applications and resident outcomes to illustrate demand and program performance. "We have had 109 applications, 80 approved, 15 denied and 14 withdrawn," Garris said. Of the approved applicants, 29 had moved into units and 13 had moved out in the year since operations began; 10 of those move-outs were described as successful transitions into permanent housing.

Garris described the tenant population as variedsingle adults, single parents, veterans, people with accessibility needs and some with prior minor justice involvement or addiction-recovery histories. He credited on-site coordination with La Puente, SLV Behavioral Health Group, Hope in the Valley, veteran services and other Valley providers for helping residents stabilize and transition to permanent housing.

The presenter described unit features and operating details: one-bedroom units are roughly 350 square feet, two-bedrooms about 550 square feet; bathrooms in one-bedroom units are ADA-accessible with walk-in showers; tenants pay electricity while city services (water, trash and sewer) are included in the rent. Garris said the current rents are $125 for a one-bedroom and $575 for a two-bedroom, figures that include city services, and that there have been no rent increases to date.

Garris also reported on property issues and maintenance challenges: plastic window coverings used in winter trapped moisture in some units, grass cover did not recover after winter, portable movable closets have been damaged during turnovers and staff have dealt with trespassing and nuisance animals. He said mosquito-control spraying and an installed camera system that APD can access have helped manage safety and livability concerns.

The coalition described outcomes: "The average housing has an 80% success rate for residents, and Horizon is just over 90% currently," Garris said, referring to the percentage of tenants with positive move-outs versus eviction. He said 51 applicants remained on the waiting list at the time of the report and two two-bedroom units were expected to be available soon.

Council members praised the partnership and thanked staff, construction managers and community partners for the projectwhich council members said was an innovative, community-led attempt to address local homelessness and housing instability. No formal action was required; the presentation concluded with council questions and staff acknowledgments.

Horizon Heights remains managed by the San Luis Valley Housing Coalition with ongoing collaboration from city staff and local service providers; coalition representatives indicated they will return with future updates and said the project has drawn interest from other communities seeking similar models.