DOLA-funded assessment finds severe housing affordability gap in Ridgway
Summary
Consultants told Ridgway leaders that HUD-based AMI measures and local market conditions leave many local renters cost-burdened and effectively block first-time homebuying for current renters; the study was funded largely by DOLA with policy recommendations for town and county action.
Consultants Brian and Carson presented a DOLA-funded housing cost and needs assessment to Ridgway and Ouray County leaders, saying the report both satisfies state grant rules and provides locally relevant data for planning. Vice Mayor John Clark opened the meeting and emphasized the study’s local focus.
Brian highlighted the scale of local affordability problems. He said the study uses HUD regional AMI definitions and explained how that changes eligibility for state programs. He reported cost-burden figures and an especially stark finding: “Literally 0% of renters who reside in the town of Ridgway are able to afford a home, who haven't owned a home before. Literally 0%.” That finding framed later discussion about worker housing and program eligibility.
Carson summarized how the project was funded and reviewed next steps toward formal adoption. “DOLA is paying 75 percent of the total cost through the HPLN, the housing planning grant, and the town and county split the remaining 25%,” he said, noting the study was prepared to meet requirements tied to Senate Bill 24-174. The consultants said the final technical report (executive summaries available) will go to planning commissions and council bodies for review and adoption.
Why it matters: the consultants said the study provides the eligibility and demand evidence that developers and state programs often require to justify affordable projects or higher AMI limits for funding. The report’s data and recommendations are intended to inform concrete next steps — from grant petitions to zoning changes — to expand housing accessible to local workers.
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