Custer County picks America West Solutions as preferred workforce housing developer, will negotiate agreement

Barry Keane, reporting for the workforce housing committee, told the Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 18 that the county solicited roughly 22 prequalified developers and received two proposals by the deadline, and that an objective scoring committee unanimously selected America West Solutions as the preferred developer.

"We had a clear winner, America West Solutions," Keane said, noting the firm can act as its own fiscal sponsor, focuses on small rural developments and favors permanent deed-restricted ownership to preserve long-term affordability. Keane said the company also demonstrated experience managing compliance for state programs.

The recommendation follows the county's recently awarded $50,000 Division of Housing predevelopment grant, which Keane said will pay for a market study and other predevelopment work to make projects shovel-ready. Keane said the county has additional funds in its attainable housing account to cover items the grant will not.

Keane said the scoring committee included elected officials from each jurisdiction and outside finance expertise, and that he recused himself from scoring to avoid a conflict of interest but acted as a referee. "We went through a rigorous scoring process," he said, adding the committee's unanimous result aligned with his referee findings.

Commissioners asked for clarity on the county's role. Keane said the nonprofit developer would take primary responsibility for loans and grant management while the county would provide land with deed restrictions and offer guidance and partnership; "our main role in this will be guidance and partnership," he said. Keane added that the county expects the developer to manage compliance with the Division of Housing and CHAPPA requirements.

Next steps approved by the board include notifying the respondents, scheduling follow-up discussions with America West Solutions (and the local runner-up, which offered construction services rather than sponsorship), and involving the county attorney in negotiations. Keane said the parties will also explore collaboration between the two finalists so the county can build capacity for multiple projects over time.

The commissioners did not adopt a contract at the meeting; they authorized staff to pursue detailed discussions and a working agreement that would be "more than a handshake, but less than a contract" to advance predevelopment work and the market study.