Brighton Standard Blade 011923

Our in-depth look at the housing crisis

Trickling up:

BY TAYLER SHAW AND LUKE ZARZECKI COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

A home means everything to Shelley Gilson, a 50-year-old single mother of three girls who works as a guest service agent at an airline.  “It’s one word: priceless,” she

said.

e rising cost of housing in the Denver area has made it di cult for her to a ord a home. She spent years bounding around working for low pay, including to several a ordable housing communities across the state.

Eventually, more than a decade ago, she found a home at Orchard Crossing Apartments in Westminster. It is an a ordable housing community that includes Section 8 housing, the federal government program that provides vouchers to low-income families, the disabled and elderly.

Graduation rates increase in 27J Schools for a fifth year

STAFF REPORT

In spite of a pandemic-caused disruption of academics, 27J Schools’ graduation rates increased for a fth straight year, according to the district.

e rate was almost 91 percent for the 2021-2022 school year, the district said in a press statement. For comparison, 27J matched Cherry Creek Schools for the third-highest rate. e state average was a bit more than 82 percent.

e district also said it has the highest graduation rate among Hispanic students, students of color, English Language Learners, among homeless students, among foster children and among Title I students. Among its Adams County peer districts, 27J has the highest graduation rate for the fth year in a row, according to 27J o cials.

e district has three high schools, Brighton High School, Prairie View High School in Henderson and Riverdale Ridge in ornton.

In the press statement, deputy Superintendent Will Pierce said the results are part of the district’s mission to empower today’s students to take control of their future tomorrow. When asked about its keys to success, Deputy Superintendent Will Pierce says it’s all about 27J’s mission of empowering every student today to take control of their future tomorrow.

e district said it used graduation rates to make changes in its support of students as they nish high school and graduate on time. As an example, 27J said it took the pro le of students in advanced courses and matched it with students of color who weren’t enrolled. e result, the district said, was an increase in the number and diversity of students taking higherlevel courses. In turn, the result was more students involved in the highest levels of learning.

How housing is becoming less a ordable for more Coloradans

FROM

Spokeswoman Janelle Asmus said school counselors approach students any time they fall behind in their work as opposed to waiting for seniors to be partway through their last year of school to see if they are on track to graduate. e counselors can build a plan for students to regain missed credits that could get in the way of an on-time graduation. “We don’t wait for a student to take credit recovery courses during the summer, or the spring before graduation,” Pierce said in the statement. “We intervene to rectify the problem as soon as we see it.”

TURN TO THE COLORADO SUN FOR NEWS ACROSS THE STATE

The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself. In this way, The Sun contributes to a more vibrant, informed and whole Colorado.

The Sun, launched in 2018, is committed to fact-based, in-depth and non-partisan journalism. It covers everything from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and education.

Now, The Colorado Sun co-owns this and other Colorado Community Media newspapers as a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy. The Sun is CCM’s partner for statewide news.

For Colorado Sun stories, opinions and more, and to support The Sun’s misssion as a member or subscriber, visit coloradosun. com.

New boutique o ers fashion and fun in Brighton

spired to open My Local Boutique

women’s clothing hope their store becomes the place where Brighton ladies to dress to impress, but also to enjoy the downtown.

Erica and Justin Horiuchi, owners, invited the community to a Jan. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony at the store, at 5 North Main St.

“I hope to grow and expand and o er a place for people to come have fun, get a unique out t, maybe stay in Brighton or grab a bite to eat downtown and make it a destination and a great experience for everybody,” said Erica Horiuchi.

e boutique has a selection of women’s clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry. e women’s

Justin’s family has been in the farming community for generations in Brighton, so they decided to move to the area to be close to family.

Erica worked in the telecom industry, and due to the stresses of the corporate world, she had been exploring ideas for her own business for a few years that she was passionate about and to keep her going until retirement.

“I decided to go back to my retail days of fashion, helping people with their fashion needs and to do a little personal shopping and con dence building,” Erica said.

With that in mind, she was in-

so customers can walk out wearing occasion.

Her dreams come true with the help of her family, partners, and friends.

“I’ve met lots of new people in Brighton fellow business owners, the city government, and everyone has been so supportive in driving my success. It’s a great place to be,” Erica said.

“We are happy to have a local business investing in Brighton. I think Erica is going to be very successful on a very busy corner,” said Brighton Mayor Greg Mills.

Call 303-916-1247 for more information.

E AGLE VIEW A DULT C ENTER

1150 Prairie Center Parkway • Brighton, CO 80601 • 303-655-2075 • www.brightonco.gov

Eagle View Adult Center Update – Jan 18 - 25, 2023

Eagle View Adult Center is open Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Call 303-655-2075 for more information. e January and February Newsletter is available.

Cards, Games and Pool

If you like to play games like bridge, pinochle, dominos, scrabble and pool… Eagle View is the place to get connected. Check out the newsletter for playing times.

VOA Lunch

A hot, nutritious lunch is provided by Volunteers of America, Mondays and ursdays at 11:30 a.m. Please reserve your VOA meal in advance: For Mondays reserve the ursday before, for ursdays reserve the Monday before.! Call Eleanor at 303-655-2271 between 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Mon. & urs. Daily meal donations are appreciated. $2.50 Donation per meal if age 60+ $8.50 Mandatory charge if under 60

Active Minds: National Parks e world’s rst national park, Yellowstone, was created by an act of Congress in 1872. Join Active Minds as we tell the story of the development of our national parks system and highlight some notable parks. 1:30 p.m. Wed. Jan 18 $5 Deadline: Tues. Jan 17

Margaret Sanger

In 1921 she founded the American Birth Control League, the precursor to the Planned Parenthood Federation. Presenter Paul Flanders 1:30 p.m. urs. Jan 19 $4 Deadline: Wed. Jan 18

Sock Hop

Who doesn’t love music from the 50s and 60s? Wear your favorite 50’s attire - poodle skirts, jeans, letter jackets…! Root beer oats, singing and dancing. 1:00 p.m. Fri. Jan 20 $5 Deadline: Wed. Jan 18

Feathered Friends: Red-Tailed Hawk e North American hawk is anything but ordinary, with a dazzling array of plumage and a range that extends the US. 1:00 p.m. Tues. Jan 24 $5 Deadline: Mon. Jan 23

Low Vision Support Group

Beyond Vision will be o ering a support group for older adults, share tips for living with low vision and resources available. 1:00 p.m. Wed. Jan 25 Free Deadline: Mon. Jan 23

Owner Justin and Erica Horiuchi with the community of Brighton cutting the ribbon ceremony.

PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

Vicki Powell, Brighton HS counselor, dies at 61

noon Saturday, Jan. 21, at Darrell Howe Mortuary, 1701 S. South Boulder Road, Lafayette.

Powell, a Brighton High School counselor, died Dec. 23 in Denver. She died of complications after a short stay in an area hospital for a short-term illness.

Powell was born Sept. 2, 1961, in Brighton. Her family moved to Boulder County, where spent her life. She graduated from Centaurus High School in 1978 and was an NCAA Division I track-and-field athlete at Utah State.

Powell was a counselor at BHS for 21 years and was a track-and-field coach for more than 30 years. She

earned recognition as Boulder County’s Track and Field Honorary Coach of the Year in 2022.

Her obituary said Powell cared deeply about people. She loved animals, angels, coaching, her home on Baseline Road, game nights, watching movies, the Denver Broncos, scratch tickets and spending time with friends.

Her grandmother, Myra Anderson; her mother, Ilene Powell; and her brother, Phillip Powell, preceded her in death.

Survivors include her niece and nephews, Billie Rae, Danny, and Cody Powell; a close circle of friends whom she cherished like sisters; and her two beloved cats, Smokey and Baby J, who have been adopted into a new loving home.

The celebration of life program is open to the public. It’s an openhouse gallery walk with no formal start time. Parking is available in the back parking lot or on nearby streets.

Adams County o cials swear oaths of o ce

STAFF REPORT

Emma Pinter doubled down on progressive values in her 2023 inauguration address, promising to support Adams County LGBTQ residents and protect abortion rights.

“We need to make sure that all of our services have this framework of care and community for all who live here,” Pinter said.

“It is important that when you look at the care provided by every aspect of our community, that we are thinking about everyone that lives here,” Pinter, the Commissioner for Adams County’s District 3, said. “You don’t want to be worried about your civil rights when you are seeking medical care.”

Pinter was one the of six county o cials and one 17th District Judge that swore their oaths of o ce Jan. 10 at the Waymire Dome in the county’s Riverdale Regional Park.

Chief District Judge Don Quick, who administered the oaths, said only new Treasurer and Public Trustee Alex Villagran missed the inaugural ceremony because he is traveling. Quick said he administered Villagran’s oath on Christmas Eve.

It was the rst live inauguration the county has hosted since the COVID shutdowns. e 2021 inaugural

ceremony was done via Zoom, and the 2023 event was largely an afternoon celebration, with food and a live jazz trio performing before and after the o cial ceremony.

Deputy County Manager Jim Siedlecki encouraged the attendees — mostly county employees and family — to stick around after the o cial ceremony concluded.

“We know you have private parties planned this afternoon but you don’t have to rush out of here,” Siedlecki said. “We have a band, we have a bar and we are looking forward to a couple of hours of fun. So please stick around with us. I know the formal ceremonies have concluded, but we’d love to spend some time with some Adams County people.”

Pathways

And county o cials, especially county Democrats, had plenty to celebrate after sweeping all county categories for the second straight election cycle.

e winners who were sworn in Jan. 10 had plenty of gratitude for their supporters. Pinter, who had 90,541 votes to Republican challenger Sean Forest’s 71,129, thanked her family and her supporters.

“It’s a lot to ask your family to join you in public service,” she said.

“And it’s even more to ask them to come along and campaign with you county-wide.”

Pinter said one of the most common questions she was asked during her campaign was just what a County Commissioner does. For Pinter, it’s being the builders of pathways.

“We build pathways to success, whether it’s to start a small business, pathways to a job, pathways to services whether it is Head Start or a food access program,” she said. “We also build the literal roads and pathways and bike lanes that connect our beautiful county and work with our federal and state partners to make sure they stay in good working order.”

District 4 Commissioner Steve O’Dorisio, who defeated challenger Joseph Domenico 90,438 votes to 68,621 to win re-election, said he is grateful for his family and his supporters as well as other county o cials and sta that have helped him.

“You look around and see that some people spend their whole life trying to get what they deserve,” he said. “I am committed to working the rest of my life to deserve all that I’ve been given.”

is is O’Dorisio’s third and nal term in the o ce. His term ends in 2027.

New Sheri Gene Claps defeated then-Sheri Rick Reigenborn in the 2022 Democratic primary before beating former Sheri Mike McIntosh in November’s race 85,860 votes to 76,117.

Claps said he learned a lot during his campaign.

“ ese last two years have been incredible,” Claps said. “I have knocked on countless doors, attended community meetings and events and listened to what matters to you most of all, that is making our community safe for everyone and I am con dent we can lead our sheri ’s department in the right direction.”

Other county o cials swearing their oaths of o ce, included Assessor Ken Musso claimed 90,732 votes to challenger Hieu Truong Nguyen’s 68,850; Clerk and Recorder Josh Zygielbaum who defeated challenger Karen Hoopes 90,262 votes to 69,488. Coroner Monica BroncuciaJordan, who had 91,597 votes to challenger David Shaklee’s 68,372 votes.

Chief Judge Quick also administered the oath of o ce to Judge MaryAnn Vielma. Five other judges —Emily Lieberman, Rayna Gokli McIntire, Patrick Pugh, Kyle Seedorf and Je rey Smith, were in court during the inaugural ceremony and were sworn individually.

Riverdale Ridge Ravens fly out of the gate

BY JONATHAN MANESS SPECIAL TO COLROADO COMMUNITY

e Ravens jumped out to a 10-1 overall record and have gone from being unranked to start the season to being ranked No. 3 in class 4A.

“Our group is resilient,” Riverdale coach Tim Jones said. “We play with a higher level of energy because we know we have to. We respect all of our opponents and know that they will all give us their best and, in return, we process the same way.”

e lone loss for Riverdale came was a 57-52 setback to Olympian High School from Chula Vista, Calif. Since then, the Ravens have been on re. ey beat their last three opponents (through Jan. 11) by an average of 30.3 points.

Leading the way has been freshman phenom Brihanna Crittendon, who has been receiving national recognition, including an o er from UCLA. Rightfully so, as she has been dominant this season. She is leading the state in scoring at 30.2 points per game and also has a team-high 9 ½ rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.9 blocks.

She is also shooting an impressive 70 percent from the eld, despite being the focal point of the opponents’ defense each night.

“Bri is a special player and person,”

Jones said. “Her impact on the game is huge because she is a ‘get it done’ type player. At such a young age, she is determined and humble. Her success comes from her e orts.”

Crittendon and the Ravens supremacy was on full display in their 70-33 victory over Mountain View.

Riverdale held the Mountain Lions to only 29 percent from the eld and forced 27 turnovers. While Crittendon was dominating in the post with 30 points and eight rebounds, sophomore Gabby Herr was getting hot from outside. She hit ve, 3-pointers in the contest and nished the game with 19 points. Macayla Stark also had nine points in the win.

e Ravens held a 39-23 advantage at the half and continued their onslaught in the second half. ey kept Mountain View scoreless for nearly four minutes in the second half and went on a 19-point run to seal the victory.

“ e key to our success is the buy-in from our players,” the coach said. “With us being a 5-year-old school, we have worked really hard to harness and build our culture, and the girls have been all in. We had a very productive o season and they’ve earned every piece of success they get.”

Riverdale is back in action this week with games against Northridge (6 p.m. ursday. Jan. 17, in ornton), and at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, at Roosevelt.

Riverdale freshman Brihanna Crittendon pulls up for a basket during Thursday’s game against Mountain View. Riverdale won 70-33.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MANESS

Borgmann, former CHSAA assistant commissioner, dies

BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

When former Colorado High School Activities Association assistant Commissioner Bert Borgmann died Jan. 9, Skyview girls basketball coach Chris Kemm summed up the feelings of many who are involved in high-school athletics in Colorado.

“Nooooo. Not another friend and one of the good guys,” Kemm tweeted. “My heart hurts. Bert helped me elevate my voice for highschool basketball in Colorado.”

“Shocked and saddened by the passing of retired CHSAA assistant commissioner Bert Borgmann,” tweeted Cherry Creek High Schol Athletic Director Jason Wilkins. “Bert was a big deal and really good for kids. He advanced Colorado and put his soul into his work. Bert helped me out a great number of times. He is a legend in Colorado highschool sports”

Our Family Helping Your Family

Borgmann, who spent 33 years with CHSAA before retiring in 2021, died of complications from recent surgery. He was 67. His son,. Logan, made the announcement on Facebook.

“On Monday Jan. 9, at approximately 6 p.m., our father, Bert Borgmann, the strongest man I’ve ever known, left this mortal plane and went to be with our mom,” the post read.

“ e loss of my father was a surprise and de nitely has

been a very di cult time. We will miss him dearly and know that his in uence and mentorship spread far and wide.”

“My dad was one of the best people I’ve ever known. He was sel ess and caring. He loved sports and his family more than anything. I won’t remember him the way I’ve seen him the past few days, but I’ll remember him the way he looked when he walked me down the aisle on my wedding day,” said Borgmann’s daughter, Callie Kryder, on Facebook. “ e way he danced with me to a song picked out by my mom before she passed. I’ll remember the way he looked when Kyle and I told him that we were expecting. And the way I knew his smile lit up when we told him that we were having a baby girl.”

“We lost a great man and massive in uence on CO High School Basketball. RIP,” said Rangeview basketball coach Shawn Palmer on Twitter.

CHSAANow.com recounted Borgmann’s many awards during his 33-year tenure at CHSAA. He received the Jim Saccomano Award (National Football Federation – Colorado Chapter), the Ray Lutz Award (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference), is a member of the Colorado Dugout Club Hall of Fame (Colorado Baseball Coaches Association), received the NFHS Section 6 Citation Award for outstanding contribution to the mission of the NFHS, served as chair and acting member of the NFHS Press Committee and was a Lifetime Honorary Member of the International Association of Approved Basketball O cials Board 4.

“ e hearts of the CHSAA family are breaking tonight at the loss of a true champion for high school sports and activities,” tweeted CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger. “Rest in peace and love my dear friend. ank you for epitomizing servant leadership.”

“Wanna pass my deepest condolences to the family of Bert Borgmann, who passed away,” said Altitude Sports personality Vic Lombardi. “Bert was the backbone of CHSAA for so many years. A remarkable career serving youth in Colorado highschool sports.”

“So heartbreaking to lose a good man,” said Virginia Lorbeer, who helped Borgmann run the state basketball tournaments for several years.

“When I started as an AD, Bert was always there to talk to and get guidance from,” said Horizon’s Marty Tonjes on Twitter. “Loved our conversations about everything Colorado sports. He loved the preps.”

Borgmann grew up in Broom eld, graduated from Colorado State University and lived in Aurora.Service arrangements are incomplete. His wife, Alexandra Hays, predeceased him. Survivors include his two children, Logan and Callie, and his grandson, Connor.

24-Hour Phone Lines 303-654-0112 • 303-857-2290 Brighton: 75 S. 13th Avenue Obituaries, Arrangements and Resources Online at taborfuneralhome.com

January

Carl Dean Patton, 85, passed away December 11, 2022 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Fort Morgan.

Carl was born on January 1, 1937 to omas and Blanche (Hendrickson) Patton in Fort Morgan. He was the oldest of ten children, raised on the family farm in Roggen. Carl attended Kiowa’s one room schoolhouse until the 8th grade. He was a mechanic and spent his days farming and operating heavy equipment. He enjoyed driving truck, so he purchased a semi and started his own business, C&F Custom Hauling. Carl retired at the age of 84 and spent his last years turning wrenches with his son Tommy. He knew a little about everything when it came to xing things and was as tough as they come. Carl enjoyed shing and boating with his family and friends, telling jokes, and a tall glass of whiskey.

Carl was preceded in death by his parents;

2022

and two sisters, Dorothy Ley and Betty Burnett.

Carl is survived by his three children, Don (Luann) Patton of Fort Lupton, Carlene Patton of Fort Lupton, and Tommy (Connie) Patton of Fort Morgan; six grandchildren, Mistie Coursey, Nicole Engbarth, Sandy Fry, Craig Patton, Autumn and Brittannie Ramirez; 12 great-grandchildren; four brothers: Jim Patton of Greeley, Ira and Clyde Patton of Roggen, and Roy Patton of Frederick; and three sisters: Carol Rice of Bridgeport, NE, Toby Schwindt of Wheatland, WY, and Ruth Collins of Crested Butte.

A memorial service will be held at Life Fellowship Church Friday January 20, 2023 at 2:00pm, followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments. Donations are being accepted to help o set funeral expenses at fundafamily.com.

Bert Borgmann and his son, Logan PROVIDED

PATTON

Carl Dean Patton

1, 1937 - December 11,

VOICES

A new year, a clean slate

more on your bond or money market yields.

FINANCIAL STRATEGIES

As we usher in 2023, we say “good riddance” to the market mayhem of 2022. “A year to forget” is how one of our research partners dubbed 2022. Despite a modest rebound for many asset classes during the fourth quarter, 2022 turned out to be one of the worst years on record for multi-asset portfolios. ere were very few investment categories that posted positive returns for the full year. According to Ned Davis Research, it was the rst time on record that both the S&P 500 Index and the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index lost more than 10 percent in a calendar year. is means there was nowhere to hide. Both conservative and aggressive investors likely lost money. Some bond funds, normally considered the safer haven in a portfolio, were down double digits for the year as interest rates pushed higher. e good news is you might be earning a little

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Brett Lapierre, CFA cites stubbornly high in ation and aggressive rate hikes from most of the world’s central banks as two main reasons for the di cult year and weak performance across the nancial markets. e Russia/Ukraine con ict also added to the volatility, although it helped energy-related assets post positive results for the quarter and year. China shutting down for much of the year hurt exports and supply chains.

“ e U.S. economy showed more signs of slowing despite rebounding during the third quarter and likely seeing positive gains for the fourth quarter. e labor market remained one of the bright spots in the U.S. economy as the year ended, but the risk of a recession unfolding over the next 12 months remains elevated in my view,” says Lapierre.

During the fourth quarter, markets got a little reprieve with in ation data further improving and the Federal Reserve slowing down its rate hiking campaign. But the Fed has not quite nished raising rates yet. Nevertheless, interest rates were a little steadier during the fourth quarter than

earlier in the year with the 2-year U.S. Treasury yield nishing at 4.41%, up 19 basis points on the quarter, while the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield nished at 3.88%, up 5 basis points on the quarter. For the year, yields were up 363 basis points and 225 basis points, respectively.

is is signi cant movement in the xed income world where many retirees are invested. Designing custom portfolios this year will be crucial for investors, especially if you were able to tax-loss harvest last year. You have a clean slate to begin a new strategy in a new year that ts with your nancial plan. Don’t wait to get in front of your advisor while the year is young.

Brett Lapierre, CFA, is Senior Investment Strategist for Mariner Wealth Advisors

Patricia Kummer has been a certi ed nancial planner professional and a duciary for over 35 years and is Managing Director for Mariner Wealth Advisors, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser.

Our focus controls our balance

WINNING

As a part of his workout, he included time standing on in atable balance discs in between sets of weightlifting. His goal was to maintain his balance on the disc for 45 seconds while standing on each leg. Sometimes he stayed in balance for more than 45 seconds, and other times he lost his balance quickly. As I watched his routine, I became curious. When we both nished our workout, I approached him to ask about his workout and goals for the balance disc.

He shared with me that he was using the balance disc for several reasons. He wanted to make sure he was working on the little muscles around his ankles and knees. And he also felt like it improved his balance when walking, hiking, gol ng and skiing. en I asked him about why he was able to remain standing on one leg on the balance disc sometimes for a minute or more, and other times he lost his balance early or in just 10 or 15 seconds.

His response didn’t shock me. He shared that when he was able to maintain his focus on staying in balance on the disc, he could stay on for longer periods of time. He always stood in front of a mirror in the gym and would center his eyes on his chest in the re ection.

e times when he achieved the greatest success were when he remained focused on his position. However, he said that when he lost his balance early it was because he allowed his mind to drift onto other things going on in his life.

How many of us lose our balance in life when we allow ourselves to become distracted? We all want balance, yet too often we wind up being our own worst enemy as we spread ourselves too thin. When we do this, we invite distraction into our lives, knocking us o balance and out of harmony. And when we nd ourselves feeling like we have lost it and balance is nowhere to be found, we should remember the lesson from my friend in the gym and reacquire our focus.

e rst thing we need to do is to understand our priorities and where we want balance and harmony in our lives. Once we are completely aware of what is truly important to us, then we can align our expectations and boundaries so that we don’t give way to the distractions that pop up. And most importantly, after establishing our priorities and setting our boundaries, is that we remain focused on the people, activities and things in life that bring us the greatest joy and satisfaction.

Let’s face it, distractions come at us all day long, life happens. ey come in the form of calls, texts, emails, news, social media, unexpected circumstances and situations. We can never completely avoid being sidetracked, but we can minimize our chances of being distracted by knowing and owning our priorities and remaining focused on those.

Not taking the time to think through and commit to what is most important to us is like trying to drive somewhere that we have never been without GPS or a map. And as the old quote by Lewis Carroll goes, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”

Where are we missing our balance? Is it at home? At work? In our relationships? If we could improve the harmony in our lives, where would it create the greatest impact? For me, my balance comes when I remain focused on the ve Fs in life: my faith, family, friends, tness and nances, and in that order. And now thanks to my new friend from the gym, I can add the sixth F, focus.

Are you nding balance in the most important areas of your life? Would a little more focus and less distractions help you nd your balance? I would love to hear your story at gotonorton@gmail.com and when we can maximize balance by minimizing distractions, it really will be a better than good life.

Michael Norton is an author, a personal and professional coach, consultant, trainer, encourager and motivator of individuals and businesses, working with organizations and associations across multiple industries.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher

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ssmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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The Long Way Home Examining the impacts of the housing crisis

People across the metro area are struggling to a ord a place to live. Minimum wage earners might spend upwards of 60% of their paychecks on rent. Many millennials, now entering their 40s, have accumulated less wealth than prior generations and are struggling to nd a rst home they can a ord. At the same time, those who might sell, baby boomers, are prone to hold onto their homes, unable to downsize in the supercharged market. ese and other factors, including homelessness, a history of racial disparities where 71% of white Coloradans own homes but only 42% of Black Coloradans do, and a slow down in building that began more than a decade ago during the Great Recession, add up to constitute what some experts call a crisis in housing a ordability and availability.

Over the last six months, two dozen journalists, editors and sta at Colorado Community Media worked to answer questions on why this is happening, how

TRICKLING UP

FROM PAGE 1

From work to school to neighborhood events, the program has created a way for Gilson’s family to be a part of a community. With housing and communities come resources, though not all are created equal.

Gilson explained that in her prior communities — predominantly lower socioeconomic status and people of color — it resulted in a lack of resources, such as academic and mental health.

at’s why she moved to Westminster, where she has lived for 12 years.

“I wanted my kids to have a stable education and stable housing,” she said.

It’s not just low-income residents who struggle to a ord housing. Across the metro area and along the Front Range, rising in ation and mortgage rates, a long-term building slowdown and increasingly crowded cities and towns have combined to create what some observers and experts say is a housing crisis.

More and more people throughout the metro area are nding the cost of renting or buying a home eating up signi cant portions of their budgets.

“ at’s the No. 1 reason that people move, is they can’t keep up with their rent (and) utilities payments,” said Heidi Aggeler, manag-

we got here and what the solutions are. e work to nd the answers carried our journalists along the Front Range to talk to mayors, housing authorities, experts and, most importantly, lower- and middle-class families experiencing the crisis rst hand.

Our reporters and editors also held focus groups, talking directly to prospective homebuyers, like the single mom worried that another rent increase could land her in her car and the real estate agent who understood the problems but worried about a lack of solutions.

Over the next four weeks, Colorado Community Media provides an in-depth look at how the current crisis impacts our communities. In Week 1, e Long Way Home breaks down how we got here. On Week 4, we look at how local, state and federal governments are investing millions of dollars into a range of possible solutions – from helping the homeless to a ordable housing programs.

ing director and co-founder of Root Policy Research, a Denver-based community planning and housing research rm.

ere’s a term for it: “cost-burdened,” which describes households paying more than 30% of their income on housing. A little more than 700,000 households in Colorado are cost-burdened, most of which are renters, according to a November 2021 report from Root Policy Research.

“We’ve never done a very good job of housing extremely low-income people and families and helping to move them out of poverty,” Aggeler said. “We’ve never had enough resources to adequately address that.”

People who make $25,000 or less a year have long faced a housing crisis on some level, Aggeler said. But now, the number of people who make more money and are feeling the pinch of high housing costs is growing.

It has become increasingly common for middle-income households with incomes of roughly $35,000-$75,000 to experience cost burden, according to Root Policy Research.

As long as Colorado continues to be an attractive place for people to move to, invest in and retire, Aggeler thinks housing challenges will continue.

ere are also too few options for would-be buyers. Many nd the cost of single-family homes beyond their reach but have few options a

Contributors to theproject include:

step below that, such as condos.

“If you believe that Colorado will be a place that employers will continue to want to move to, then I think … the outlook may not be good unless we accelerate production and density and fund housing at the level that is needed,” Aggeler said.

The cost of housing

Practically every community in the metro area is facing its own housing a ordability and availability issues. South of Denver, in Lone Tree, Mayor Jackie Millet said there is a “housing crisis.”

“I think it varies in severity throughout our state, but I do think it is a problem that is a ecting all of Colorado,” she said. “ ere’s so much supply pressure on our market right now that we have, then, created this crisis.”

Not everyone is describing it as a crisis, but those who use that word point to the numbers across the metro area, as the costs of singlefamily homes and townhomes have skyrocketed.

Northwest of Denver, in Arvada, the median sale price of a singlefamily home was $667,000 as of late 2022, according to the Colorado Association of Realtors. at’s up by 71% from 2017, when the price was around $390,000.

e story is similar in Brighton, northeast of Denver, where the median sale price increased by approximately $225,000 over that period.

Littleton, south of Denver, saw an increase of approximately $300,000 in the price of single-family homes from 2017 to 2022.

Lone Tree saw an increase of $473,750.

“What we have seen is our housing prices doubling and our wages have not been keeping up,” Millet said.

From 2000 to 2019, median rents rose at a faster rate than median renter household incomes did “in every Colorado county and city with 50,000+ residents,” according to Root Policy Research.

Many residents want a home of their own, Millet said.

“ at was our ultimate goal, and that is also the way most of us accumulated wealth,” she said.

When the cost of buying or renting is too high, however, people cannot establish these roots, she added.

Supply versus demand

One of the main causes of the rise in cost-burdened households and lack of a ordable housing is that production has failed to keep up with demand.

ere was a 40% decrease in the number of homes built between 2010 and 2020 in Colorado, according to the 2022 “A ordable Housing Transformational Task Force Report.”

Susan

Daggett,

executive director of the Rocky Mountain Land

Use Institute, said the crash of 2007 a ected housing supply. People left the construction industry and many companies went bankrupt.

“ e housing market bottomed out, people left the construction industry, a lot of people went bankrupt,” she said.

At the same time that housing development slowed, Colorado’s population grew.

“In the meantime, the population has grown tremendously and the supply just hasn’t been able to catch up with that demand,” Daggett said.

In 2010, Colorado had a population of 5,029,196, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2022, the population was estimated at 5,839,926 — a roughly 16% increase.

As of June 2021, Colorado’s for-sale housing inventory was 13% of what is needed for a functioning sales market, according to Root Policy Research’s report. A functioning sales market means there are enough units so that people can move easily, such as being able to upsize or downsize, Aggeler said.

To return the housing market to a functioning level, Colorado would need an average of 44,250 units built each year until 2030, according to the report, published in November 2021.

is would be 1.6 times the state’s current production levels.

Ted Leighty — the CEO of the Colorado Association of Home Builders, an a liate organization of the National Association of Home Builders — said, overall, depending on who is talking, Colorado is somewhere between 175,000 to 200,000 units short of demand.

“ at’s really challenging to come back from, especially, you know, the pace by which we were able to produce new housing in Colorado,” Leighty said.

He hates to use the word “crisis” when discussing housing in Colorado, describing it instead as a major challenge.

Leighty explained the challenge comes down to the ve L’s — lumber and other building materials, labor, land, loans and access to capital, and local government. All have played roles in slowing down housing construction, especially since the Great Recession, leading to higher demand and decreased a ordability.

“ ese are always our main cost drivers for residential construction,” Leighty said. “All ve of those right now, and have been, unfortunately, for the last several years, been huge challenges for us.”

He said high lumber costs and some supply chain issues have improved marginally recently, but they still pose problems for developers.

Also, there is a labor shortage.

“We’ve seen a little bit of uptick in (the) labor participation rate for construction, but not nearly enough,” Leighty said. “We’ve got an aging skilled labor demographic, and we haven’t done a great job replacing that labor with younger, skilled laborers.”

In addition to training the laborers of the next generation, Leighty said a “sound immigration policy” could help bring more workers to projects.

“ ere’s a pretty big de cit, and we need to do all we can, policy standpoint and otherwise, to increase labor,” Leighty said.

During the pandemic, there was a

perception the housing market was hot, Leighty said.

“It was the most challenging hot market ever on record — to source materials, to source labor, to get projects through the pipeline was immeasurable in how di cult it was,” Leighty said.

The market cools

But there are signs the hot market is cooling.

Lending issues have recently risen to the top of many homebuyers’ concerns. Leighty cites concerns for in ation, economic uncertainty and rising interest mortgage rates.

Imagine a $500,000 home that roughly a year ago a person could buy at a 3% rate, Leighty said. eir monthly payment might be around $2,600.

By July 2022, as rates rose to roughly 5%, the payment for the same house would rise to $3,500. at’s an increase of more than 34%.

“So, how do you get back down to that $2,600, you know, something that’s more achievable for the average home buyer?” Leighty asked rhetorically.

In December, rates on a 30-year xed mortgage were more than 6.5%, according to Bankrate.

Higher mortgage rates caused a spike in cancellation rates for home-sale contracts last summer, reaching above 40% — causing further disruptions, Leighty said.

“By the time the home was ready, or maybe even wasn’t ready yet, they knew what their debt-to-income ratio was going to be and that it had increased immensely, and they could no longer a ord it, so they canceled,” he said.

By comparison, the cancellation rate was 13% in July 2021 and 18% in 2019.

Due to these high cancellation rates, it is likely there will be fewer homes on the market in the next few quarters, Leighty said, further exacerbating housing issues.

Yet Matthew Leprino, a spokesperson for the Colorado Association of Realtors, explained there’s an upshot for some potential homebuyers. ere are more homes available now than in years past as the market reacts to the changing economy.

“ e story that I’ve been telling a lot of clients lately is, ‘Yeah, you can pay a higher interest rate now than you were a year ago, but you’re paying $100,000

less for the house,’” he said. ere are more properties available now than any time since October of 2019, he said.

“It’s a better time to buy now than in the last three years,” Leprino said.

A balanced market’s months’ supply of inventory stands at about four months. For the metro area, October 2022 was the rst time that number hit two months or above since October 2019.

e metro Denver area hasn’t reached a balanced market for housing since at least 2014, when the Colorado Association of Realtors started tracking that data — and Leprino suspects it’s been much longer than that.

“Number one, houses are a lot more expensive than they used to be,” Leprino said. “Number two, there’s not enough of them.”

The role of local governments and zoning

Local governments have played a huge role in the lack of housing supply and lack of a ordability in Colorado, Leighty said.

He notes they play a role through their regulations, land use zoning and entitlement process and their fees.

Zoning can be a signi cant factor in the housing issues people see today, Aggeler of Root Policy Research said. It refers to when a city or county divides its land into di erent sections and designates an intended use for each, such as industrial or residential development.

“Really, the problem, it’s very simple: ere’s a scarcity of housing for people of all income levels,” said Pat Cronenberger, vice chairperson for South Metro Housing Options, the City of Littleton’s public housing authority. “Colorado is a popular place. People want to be here, and we have restrictive zoning laws that really don’t make it easy to build housing.”

“And that’s all contributed to high rents and big, skyrocketing home prices,” she said.

One of the more controversial zoning issues across the metro area is how dense a city can build.

“People are very afraid of adding units, very afraid of density — and I think probably overly so,” Aggeler said. “We should be zoning artfully, in a way that preserves what we love about communities but also provides opportunity for other people to live there.”

Leighty said some local elected of-

cials have expressed concerns that if they approve denser housing units, they could be recalled “because there’s so many people that believe we have — we’re growing too fast.”

“But the numbers belie all of that,” he said. “Our net migration is still positive.”

Net migration refers to the di erence between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants throughout the year.

“ at’s how you’re going to attack this issue, right, is allowing greater density — taking down the land costs a little bit by being able to do more with less as far as more construction on less land,” Leighty said. “Zoning plays a huge role in our ability to bring new product on the market.”

A lot of communities in Colorado are mostly single-family homes, resulting in lower density and forcing developments to sprawl out.

With the dominance of single-family homes, many communities in Colorado face a “missing middle,” meaning there are not a lot of diverse housing options such as townhomes, cottage courts, accessory dwelling units and duplexes.

Part of the reason for that is because of a policy change, Leighty said.

“We made it really, really easy to sue for what they call ‘construction defects’ on multifamily for-sale condominiums,” he said.

Multifamily for-sale condominiums went from roughly 20% of the market to about 2% of the market when going into the recession, Leighty said. By 2017, it rose to about 12% of the market, but then the pandemic hit.

“If you kept that 20% pace of condominiums, you wouldn’t be in the same situation you are now. You wouldn’t necessarily be in market equilibrium, right? But you wouldn’t be … 200,000 units shy either,” Leighty said.

Condominiums are a really important product, he said, as they provide places for young professionals and families to achieve homeownership and for empty nesters to downsize.

“ at product has been absolutely missed in this marketplace and it has certainly contributed to our inability to keep up with demand,” Leighty said.

Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet said in 2004, she served on the city’s planning commission and approximately 20% of the new buildings were condos.

“To my recollection, in Lone Tree, we haven’t seen one in probably 15 years. And the ones that are being built in the metro region are either — they’re very, very expensive,” she said. “ at was our supply of entry-level housing, and it is no longer being produced.”

Millet thinks the constructiondefects law played a signi cant role in the supply of the entry-level housing market. She also knows of residents who wish to remain in the community and want to downsize, but cannot nd any a ordable options.

Typically, Millet believes the markets should resolve the issues themselves.

“But in my opinion, the markets have been corrupted by a number of things,” Millet said. “And so I do feel at this point, we must do something other than just complain about it, because we’ve seen it increase as a priority issue for our residents and our businesses.”

“If we just keep complaining about it, which is what we’ve been doing, without taking any kind of action to increase the supply of housing that people can a ord, the problem is just going to get worse.”

The perfect storm: Many factors lead to today’s housing crisis

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Kim Howard of Evergreen has been in her 2,600-square-foot home for 40 years. Now alone, the 70-year-old is looking to downsize and move closer to Denver, but she can’t nd a smaller home with the same or lower mortgage payments.

She feels guilty staying because she knows the house is a perfect size for a young family, but she’s staying because she can’t a ord to move. Rising interest rates in the last year aren’t helping, since that increases monthly payments on any home she could buy.

“I’m going to wait it out … because it has to make economic sense,” Howard said. “I can’t a ord to move, and that puts a damper on those who want to move in. We need more a ordable housing for retired and rst-time buyers instead of large, expensive homes that we can’t a ord.

“I feel kind of guilty. (Young families) are desperately looking to start their lives, and we senior citizens can’t a ord to move. Unless someone provides for those rst-time home buyers and for seniors who want to downsize, it’s not going to happen.”

Howard’s story is typical of the issues faced by many in the metro area when it comes to housing. While it seems like the crisis came on suddenly, it cannot be attributed to one moment or incident. Instead, think of it like the spokes on a bicycle wheel, with the center being the current housing situation.

Each spoke contributes to rising costs and shrinking availability, starting with the Great Recession that began in 2007, the loss of builders and labor, the dichotomy of home ownership between baby boomers and millennials, and more recently the pandemic, the consequences of the Marshall Fire and the popularity of short-term rentals.

Couple all that with population increasing in metro Denver, and it’s a recipe for disaster for many: higher home prices, increasing number of unhoused, lack of places to both buy or rent, frustrated home buyers and more.

A perfect storm has combined to create what many experts say constitutes a housing crisis throughout the Denver area and into the foothills — from Brighton to Empire and everywhere in between. It’s been brewing since the Great Recession more than a decade ago that created a harsh economic downturn, pushing skilled workers who built homes out of their careers.

It’s been exacerbated by a rising younger population and part-time residents who converted residences in some of the state’s most attractive settings into vacation homes, the skyrocketing costs of homes and increases in interest rates.

“ ere’s no incentive in the traditional market structure that we have around housing to build for those who are struggling economically,” said Phyllis Resnick, executive director and lead economist for the Colorado

Futures Center, an independent, nonpartisan, academic nonpro t. “We think (the housing market) is feeling unhealthy for folks because housing that is a ordable to lower-middle to low-income households is still very di cult to nd and isn’t probably being built at the rate it’s needed.”

Great Recession

e metro area’s housing challenges start with the Great Recession that began in late 2007, part of a national trend where the housing market crashed. Before the recession, rising home prices, loose lending practices and low interest rates were the norm. When the economy soured, many homeowners could not keep up with their payments, prompting a rash of foreclosures.

According to real estate data company RealtyTrac, 6.3 million homes went through foreclosure in the United States from January 2006 to April 2016, more than double the norm of around 250,000 foreclosures per year. According to the Colorado Department of Local A airs, from 2006 to 2016, Colorado saw 299,775 foreclosures.

With foreclosures came a glut of available homes that ooded the market, according to real estate agent Gaye Ribble with e Ribble Group, a real estate rm that o ers home-buying services across the metro area. In the Denver metro area at the peak of the recession, 45,000 homes were on the market, Ribble said, when a balanced market is roughly 10,000 to 12,000 homes.

“As a result, builders were reluctant to get back in and buy land, buy materials, pay wages and build — all the capital expenses they incur before selling a single home,” said Tupper Briggs with Madison & Co. Properties, a real estate agent for more than four decades. “ ey did not add to the supply of housing for years.”

In other words, Ribble said, “builders stopped building homes because of the glut, and some builders went out of business because of the lack of work.”

Loss of tradespeople

e Colorado Futures Center bears

out what Ribble noticed. A 2018 study by Resnick and Jennifer Newcomer, research director, examined the factors contributing to the growing cost of housing in Colorado. Much of it could be traced to the Great Recession. e decrease in units built after the recession was linked, in part, to limited amounts of developable land, rising material costs and little incentive to build entry-level housing, according to the study. A bigger issue turned out to be the closure of several local construction companies and the related issue of a shortage of labor in specialty trades.

“Labor was short, it was a mixed story on materials, and there were some regulatory barriers, but I think we came away thinking that part of the biggest problem was we lost a lot of people in the development and building ecosystem,” Resnick said.

According to a 2014 report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Housing: Before, During and After the Great Recession,” construction industries experienced signi cant job losses during the recession.

From 2003 to 2013, for example, the residential construction industry experienced a 26.8% decrease in employment, which the report said was “precipitated by the recent recession.”

e report also showed from 2003 to 2013, the number of businesses in the residential construction industry decreased by 10.8%.

Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet said she thinks the recession absolutely impacted the growth of housing.

“ e bottom fell out of the market, the tradespeople — we lost people in the trades, we didn’t have people coming into the trades, and we lost that time,” Millet said. “And it’s, you know, cyclical, so we have been playing catch-up ever since then.”

Ted Leighty, the CEO of the Colorado Association of Home Builders, said the Great Recession made a lot of people more cautious, including banks, lenders and builders.

ere were fewer land developers coming out of the recession, he said, so more builders have had to become their own land developers.

“ eir access to capital and their cost

of capital has increased greatly since the recession,” Leighty said.

Ribble added: “Not only every year are we lagging (in home construction), but we were never able to make up for six years with no new construction. During that time, population continued to increase.”

Population growth, interest rates

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the seven-county metro area has seen a substantial rise in population in roughly the past decade. Douglas, Arapahoe and Adams counties each grew by more than 80,000 people, with Je erson County gaining more than 45,000 people.

When the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates to move the United States out of the Great Recession, many more people who wanted to buy a home could. Rates remained low as the economy rebounded. at increased demand across the housing market. As demand rose, prices across the metro area began to skyrocket, creating a crunch. Fewer homes were available and many people were simply priced out of the market.

Real estate agents interviewed by Colorado Community Media agree that the Federal Reserve should have increased the ultra-low interest rates to keep the market more balanced.

Baby boomers, millennials and shortterm rentals

Adding to the housing challenges is stagnation. Baby boomers, those nearing retirement age and older, aren’t leaving their homes. Meanwhile millennials, some now new to Colorado and in their 40s, are looking to get into their first home and sometimes even a second home such as a short-term rental that can be used for both vacation and added income..

Boomers, many of whom are empty nesters, aren’t downsizing for many reasons. While some simply don’t want to move, others want to downsize but can’t nd a good deal on a home in the community they want.

According to Jackie White, a real estate agent in the Conifer and Evergreen area for nine years, if a baby boomer sells a home for $1.5 million, that person isn’t going to nd a home about half the size for $750,000.

“That doesn’t feel good to them,” White said. “Add to that, because of low inventory of homes, kids can’t afford to buy homes in the communities they grew up in, so there are fewer multigenerational families in one community. Kids can’t easily check in on their parents.”

Many millennials can’t a ord homes that are for sale. at eventually will

Shelley Gilson smiles at the playground at Orchard Crossing in Westminster on Sept. 27, 2022.

PHOTO BY ANDREW FRAIELI

Low Rate of Pay:

How minimum wages are failing to keep pace with housing costs

BY ANDREW FRAIELI AFRAIELI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In recent years, minimum wages have slowly increased, with Denver reaching $17.29 an hour, and the suburbs surrounding the city being lower, based on the state of Colorado’s minimum of $13.65 an hour.

While workers have welcomed the increases, apartment rental prices have outpaced those gains for workers, with almost 60% of a minimum wage worker’s paycheck expected to go to a landlord.

at’s the highest proportion in a decade, and a calculation that doesn’t include other expenses, such as utilities.

“We’ve seen over the years that the minimum wage actually erodes over time, and periodically has to be readjusted,” said economist Markus Schneider.

Schneider, chair of the Economics Department at the University of Denver, said these cost-of-living adjustments to the minimum wage do help workers — both Denver and the state make adjustments to their minimum wages — but despite increases, the adjustments don’t completely stave o the consequences of rising in ation and skyrocketing housing costs on low-income workers.

Even after a decade, workers are still forced to dedicate too much of their salaries to housing, and it’s only worsened.

A “living wage” is what is needed to keep up with the costs of living, the “very ne line between the nancial independence of the working poor and the need to seek out public assistance or su er consistent and severe housing and food insecurity,” according to MIT’s Living Wage calculator. MIT describes it “as a minimum subsistence wage.”

For the metro area, that living wage is $19.62, well above the state minimum wage and even Denver’s. e cost-of-living adjustment that both minimum wage rates are tied to is called the Consumer Price Index — a “positive step in the right direction,” according to Schneider.

“At the same time, the minimum wage is below a living wage,” Schneider said. “It’s, at best, going to keep it in proportion.”

at means the disparities won’t grow as badly as they could, but will still not keep up with a living wage.

In 2010, the state minimum wage was $7.24 an hour. Rent for a studio in the metro area was $638, according to U.S. Housing and Urban Development fair market rent data. at came out to half of a worker’s wages, which the National Low Income Housing Coalition — a nonpro t that aims to end the a ordable housing crisis through policy and data research — deems una ordable, as is anything upwards of 30% of wages spent on rent and utilities. e coalition considers paying upwards of 30% as placing workers at risk for homelessness.

By 2023, the situation had only grown worse for minimum-wage workers. While their wages rose to $13.65 an hour, metro-area studio

apartment rents hit $1,390, meaning workers have to pay almost 60% of their wages to keep a roof over their head.

Part of the gap between the index increases and rent is inequality, Schneider said.

CPI is calculated by looking at how much change there is in the average price of household items, food, energy, rent, electronics and more, weighted by how big that category is in the household budget. is calculation is for the entire metro area, though. With di erent parts having di erent wages and costs of rent, the CPI can become skewed for some.

“ e CPI for Colorado is going to be very responsive to what’s happening in Denver just because that’s the big population center,” Schneider said. “We know that Denver has actually had a hotter housing market, and housing is a big component of what that living wage means.”

However, higher minimum wages do not cause rents to increase, in his view.

“ ere’s really not much evidence for it — in the ranges that we’re talking about raising minimum wages,” he said. “If we raised it by a factor of two, or even of ve, then yes, that’s probably a big thing. But we’re talking about just getting closer to a living wage — I’m very skeptical that it’s a big e ect.”

“Certainly not a big impact on the price aspect, because even when people get up to that living wage, it’s really only going to impact relatively cheap housing, and relatively bottom end of the rent market — you’ll see some of those rents go up a little bit. But the average rent in Denver isn’t going to budge much.”

is leads to CPI not adjusting enough for the lowest wage earners in the metro area, and not keeping up with their rising rents. As Schneider said, the adjustments are better than nothing, but still do not set mini-

mum-wage workers to earn a living wage — a goal that, since more than a decade ago, has only become further away.

“When people make more money, particularly at the bottom end, when we’re talking about pushing poverty line or at least well below the living wage, they’re likely to move to a nicer neighborhood or closer to a nicer school, which means the rents in the places that they were living won’t be a ected that much,” Schneider said.

According to MIT, a “livable wage” for Colorado is about $19.16 an hour, and the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood metro area “livable wage” is even higher at $19.62 per hour. Current minimum wage in the state is far less at $13.65 an hour, with Denver’s being $17.29 per hour. Both the state and Denver may be increasing minimum wage year over year to follow in ation or cost of living, but they may never actually reach a “livable wage” when they are already so far behind.

Colorado state’s minimum wage, and Denver’s own minimum wage, rise incrementally based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). is is functionally a measurement of the cost of living, measured by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. It includes food, housing costs, transport, medical care and recreation among others, all broken down to smaller parts like gas, and electric bills. MIT’s “living wage” considers many of the same categories, but is stricter.

“ e living wage is the minimum income standard that, if met, draws a very ne line between the nancial independence of the working poor and the need to seek out public assistance or su er consistent and severe housing and food insecurity,” according to MIT’s Living Wage calculator. “In light of this fact, the living wage is perhaps better de ned as a minimum subsistence wage for persons living in the United States.” eir calculator uses Fair Market

Rents (FMRs) — which “represents the cost to rent a moderately-priced dwelling unit in the local housing market” — along with local utility prices, to determine housing costs.

According to e National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a nonpro t that aims to end the a ordable housing crisis through policy and data research, anything upwards of “the generally accepted standard of spending no more than 30% of gross income on rent and utilities,” is considered una ordable housing, though. is brings needed wages, according to NLIHC, even higher than MIT’s livable wage that already lies on the razor’s edge of nancial independence and public assistance.

Other major costs in MIT’s calculation are food and transportation, which take up another $9,160 per year — $4,153 and $5,007 respectively. Housing, food and transport together take up 75% of their salary — which leaves some room for the $4,814 cost for “clothing, personal care items, and housekeeping supplies,” and $2,768 for medical care, but none for the $7,929 in annual taxes.

MIT speci es that the calculation “accounts only for the basic needs of a family. It does not account for what many consider the basic necessities enjoyed by many Americans,” such as dining out and other forms of entertainment, but it also “... does not provide a nancial means for planning for the future through savings and investment or for the purchase of capital assets.”

And this is all for single adults without children. A single adult with one child brings the livable wage from $20.61 an hour to $39.96.

NLIHC’s “Out of Reach” reports use “housing wage” as the wage a full-time worker must make to a ord FMRs without spending over 30% on rent. For a studio apartment in Denver with an FMR in 2022 of $1,236 per month, the “housing wage” would be $23.77 an hour before taxes — 1.5times what a minimumwage worker currently makes. is is even higher than MIT’s $20.61 an hour “livable wage” for a studio apartment and even includes utilities, as MIT’s wage is only enough to be on the brink of nancial ruin.

Based on NLIHC’s metric, no housing in Denver is actually “affordable” to a minimum-wage worker. It may never reach this point either.

Denver’s 2020 minimum-wage ordinance began with increasing minimum wage to $12.85 per hour in January 2020, then $14.77 in January 2021, then $15.87 in January 2022, and $17.29 this year.

From now onward, it’s tied to CPI. According to the ordinance, “the Denver minimum wage rate shall increase by an amount corresponding to the prior year’s increase, if any, in the Consumer Price Index …” But this wage is already below the “living wage” determined by MIT, so staying on par with the CPI will only ever keep the minimum wage stable, not increase its value.

With voter approval, the state will embark on how to have more a ordable housing statewide. SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE

TRIVIA

1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the second-longest river in North America? 2. MOVIES: Which 1973 movie advertised itself as a place “where nothing can possibly go wrong”? 3. GAMES: Which party game claims that it can “tie you up in knots”? 4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was the rst to appoint an African American as a member of his Cabinet? 5. HISTORY: When was the Warsaw Pact between the Soviet Union and seven Eastern Bloc countries signed? 6. TELEVISION: Which TV game show often uses the phrase “Survey says ...”? 7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a female peacock called?

FOOD & DRINK: How many meals do Hobbits eat in a day,

according to the movies? 9. ADVERTISING: Which product used a manicurist named Madge in its advertisements?

10. MEDICAL: What is a common name for the condition called septicemia?

Answers

1. e Mississippi. 2. “Westworld.” 3. Twister. 4. Lyndon Johnson. 5. 1955. 6. “Family Feud.” 7. A peahen. 8. Seven. 9. Palmolive dishwashing liquid. 10. Blood poisoning. (c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Legals

City and County

Public Notice

Case Name: Text Amendments to the Adams County Development Standards for Aviation-Related Regulations

Case Number: PLN2022-00015

Planning Commission Hearing Date: January 26, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.

Board of County Commissioners Hearing Date: February 21, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

Case Manager: Nick Eagleson Request: Text amendments to Section 3-36 of the Adams County Development Standards and Regulations Location of Request: Unincorporated CountyWide

Applicant: Adams County Public Hearings Location: 4430 S. Adams County Pkwy., Brighton, CO 80601 Please visit http://www.adcogov.org/bocc for upto-date information. The full text of the proposed request can be obtained by accessing https:// adcogov.org/current-land-use-cases.

Legal Notice No. BSB2081

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: January 19, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Section 32-1-808, C.R.S., that one vacancy currently exists on the Board of Directors of the District. Any qualified, eligible elector of the District interested in serving on the Board of Directors for the District should file a Letter of Interest with the Boards by 5:00 p.m., on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Letters of Interest should be sent to Brighton Crossing Metropolitan District No. 6, c/o WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON, 2154 E.Commons Ave., Suite 2000, Centennial, CO 80122.

BRIGHTON CROSSING METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 6

By:/s/ WHITE BEAR ANKELE TANAKA & WALDRON Attorneys at Law

Legal Notice No. BSB2071

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: January 19, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Bids and Settlements

Public Notice

NOTICE OF FINAL PAYMENT

NOTICE is hereby given that South Beebe Draw Metropolitan District of Adams County, Colorado (the “District”), will make final payment at 80 E. 62nd Avenue, Suite 101, Denver, CO 80216, on or after Monday, January 30, 2023, at the hour of 8:00 a.m. to Fiore & Sons, Inc. of Denver, Colorado (“Contractor”) for all work performed for the District by Contractor in construction of or work on the Pond 331 Recharge Project (the “Project”).

OR CERTIFIED FUNDS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THEIR HIGHEST BID AT TIME OF SALE. **

Further, for the purpose of paying off, curing default or redemption, as provided by statute, intent must be directed to or conducted at the above address of the Civil Division of the Sheriff’s Department of Adams County, Colorado.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.

First Publication: January 5, 2023

Last Publication: February 2, 2023 Published In: Brighton Standard Blade

NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CURE AND RIGHT TO REDEEM

RE: Sheriff’s Sale of Real Property pursuant to Order and Decree of Foreclosure and C.R.S. 38-38-101 et seq.

This is to advise you that a Sheriff sale proceeding has been commenced through the office of the undersigned Sheriff pursuant to a Court Order and Decree dated September 21, 2022, and C.R.S. 3838-101 et seq., by Riverdale Farm Homeowners’ Association, the current holder of a lien recorded on June 16, 2017 at Rec. No. 2017000051951, in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Adams, State of Colorado. The judicial foreclosure is based on a default under the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions of Riverdale Farm Homeowners’ Association, recorded on 08/12/2010 at Reception No. B592466 in the records of the Clerk and Recorder of the County of Adams, State of Colorado. The Declaration and notices, as recorded, establish a lien for the benefit of Riverdale Farm Homeowners’ Association, WHICH LIEN BEING FORECLOSED MAY NOT BE A FIRST LIEN ON THE SUBJECT PROPERTY AND IMPROVEMENTS.

Statutes attached: §§38-37-108, 38-38-103, 3838-104, 38-38-301, 38-38-304, 38-38-305, and 38-38-306, C.R.S., as amended.

Legal Notice No. BSB2057

First Publication: January 5, 2023

Last Publication: February 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Misc. Private Legals

Public Notice BEFORE THE OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COLORADO

IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION FOR A RULE 702.B FINANCIAL ASSURANCE PLAN, ADAMS, LARIMER, HUERFANO, AND WELD COUNTIES AND THE MUNICIPALITIES OF MILLIKEN, DACONO, HUDSON, P LATTEVILLE, MEAD, JOHNSTOWN, GREELEY, FIRESTONE, FORT LUPTON, FREDERICK, BERTHOUD, NORTHGLENN, WINDSOR AND ERIE, COLORADO

CAUSE NO. 1 DOCKET NO. 221000283

TYPE: FINANCIAL ASSURANCE PLAN

AMENDED NOTICE OF HEARING

Oxy USA Inc. (Operator No. 66561) (“Applicant”) filed an Application for a Rule 702.b Financial Assurance Plan. This Notice was sent to you because the Applicant believes you are an interested party entitled to notice pursuant to Rule 504.b.(10).

DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION OF HEARING (Subject to change)

On August 19, 2022, Dale M. Doughman, Personal Representative for Howard and Irene Doughman, did file a notice in accordance with C.R.S. 7-42-114 to 7-42-117 which states the following:

COMES NOW Dale M. Doughman, , Personal Representative for Howard and Irene Doughman, after first being duly sworn, does state under oath that the Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company certificate number 5331 for one quarter (0.25) share has been lost, mislaid, or destroyed and that said certificate is the property of Howard and Irene Doughman and has not been transferred or hypothecated by the said stockholder. Demand for issuance of a duplicate certificate in accordance with C.R.S. 7-42-114; 7-42-115 and 7-42-117, is hereby made.

Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company will issue on or after March 19, 2023, a duplicate certificate to Howard and Irene Doughman or their legal representative or assignee, unless a contrary claim is filed with the Farmers’ High Line Canal and Reservoir Company, prior to March 19, 2023.

Legal Notice No. BSB2074

First Publication: January 19, 2023 Last Publication: February 16, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

The Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing at a Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall at 703 Weld County Road 37, Lochbuie, CO. The purpose of the public hearing will be to consider an Ordinance to rezone the commercially designated property of Outlots G through N Highplains Filing No. 1 from Highplains PUD to Commercial District zoning described in the Lochbuie Land Use Regulations (the “Regulations”). The public is encouraged to attend and participate.

A copy of the Ordinance is available for inspection and review at the Town Hall. Further information about the Ordinance may be obtained by calling the Town at 303-990-5773.

Legal Notice No. BSB2080

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: January 19, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade Public Notice

HOUSING AUTHORITY TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE (TBRA) NOTICE OF WAITING LIST OPENING

The Brighton Housing Authority (“BHA”) will begin accepting applications for its tenant-based rental assistance (“TBRA”) program. This is an Adams County funded program and is open to most Adams County residents in need of temporary rental assistance. Applications will be available beginning:

Monday, January 30, 2023, at 10:00 A.M.

Applications will be available online only at www. brightonhousingauthority.org. Applications will not be available for in-person pickup at BHA offices.

THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION FOR HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (“SECTION 8”) ASSISTANCE. This is temporary assistance supported by a grant program and participation will be shortterm – between 12 and 24 months. Applications will be available online until a sufficient number of applications has been received. Applications will be processed in order of the date and time a complete qualified application was submitted. If necessary, applications will be divided into separate cohorts and processed accordingly.

These applications are separate and distinct from the BHA Section 8 lottery applications.

If you are a person with disabilities and are in need of a reasonable accommodation in order to apply, please call BHA offices at 303-655-2160 or contact the agency through the above listed website.

Legal Notice No. BSB2076

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: January 19, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Metropolitan Districts

Public Notice

NOTICE OF VACANCY ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BRIGHTON CROSSING METROPOLITAN DISTRICT NO. 6

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and particularly to the electors of the Brighton Crossing Metropolitan District No. 6 (the “District”), City of Brighton, Adams County, Colorado.

Any person, copartnership, association of persons, company or corporation that has furnished labor, materials, team hire, sustenance, provisions, provender, or other supplies used or consumed by such contractors or their subcontractors, in or about the performance of the work contracted to be done for the Project, or that supplies rental machinery, tools, or equipment to the extent used in the prosecution of the work for the Project, and whose claim therefor has not been paid by the Contractor or its subcontractors, at any time up to and including the time of final settlement for the work contracted to be done on the Project, is required to file a verified statement of the amount due and unpaid, and an account of such claim, to South Beebe Draw Metropolitan District, 8301 East Prentice Avenue, Suite 100, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 on or before the date and time hereinabove shown for final payment. Failure on the part of any claimant to file such verified statement of claim prior to such final settlement will release the District, its directors, officers, agents, and employees, of and from any and all liability for such claim.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SOUTH BEEBE DRAW METROPOLITAN DISTRICT

By: /s/ LAW OFFICE OF MICHAEL E. DAVIS, LLC General Counsel

Legal Notice No. BSB2070

First Publication: January 12, 2023 Last Publication: January 19, 2023 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

You may have an interest in the real property being affected, or have certain rights or suffer certain liabilities or loss of your interest in the subject property as a result of said foreclosure. You may have the right to redeem the real property or you may have the right to cure a default under the instrument being foreclosed. Any Notice of Intent to Cure must be filed no later than fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the date of the foreclosure sale. A notice of intent to cure filed pursuant to section 38-38-104 shall be filed with the officer at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the first scheduled sale date or any date to which the sale is continued.

If the sale date is continued to a later date, the deadline to file a notice of intent to cure by those parties entitled to cure may also be extended.

A notice of intent to redeem filed pursuant to section 38-38-302 shall be filed with the officer no later than eight (8) business days after the sale.

In this regard, you may desire and are advised to consult with your own private attorney.

IF THE BORROWER BELIEVES THAT A LENDER OR SERVICER HAS VIOLATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT IN SECTION 38-38-103.1 OR THE PROHIBITION ON DUAL TRACKING IN SECTION 38-38-103.2, THE BORROWER MAY FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE COLORADO ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE FEDERAL CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BURAU (CFBP), OR BOTH. THE FILING OF A COMPLAINT WILL NOT STOP THE FORECLOSUE PROCESS.

Colorado Attorney General 1300 Broadway, 10th Floor Denver, Colorado 80203 (800) 222-4444 www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov

Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau P.O. Box 4503 Iowa City, Iowa 52244 (855) 411-2372 www.consumerfinance.gov

Further, you are advised that the parties liable thereon, the owner of the property described above, or those with an interest in the subject property, may take appropriate and timely action under Colorado statutes, certain sections of which are attached hereto.

In order to be entitled to take advantage of any rights provided for under Colorado law, you must strictly comply and adhere to the provisions of the law. Further, you are advised that the attached Colorado statutes merely set forth the applicable portions of Colorado statutory law relating to curative and redemption rights; therefore, you should read and review all the applicable statutes and laws in order to determine the requisite procedures and provisions which control your rights in the subject property.

The Commission will hold a hearing only on the above-referenced docket number at the following date, time, and location:

Date: April 12, 2023 Time: 9:00 a.m. Place:Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission The Chancery Building 1120 Lincoln Street, Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203

PETITIONS

DEADLINE FOR PETITIONS BYAFFECTED PERSONS: March 13, 2023

Any interested party who wishes to participate formally must file a written petition with the Commission no later than the deadline provided above. Please see Commission Rule 507 at https:// cogcc.state.co.us, under “Regulation,” then select Rules.” Please note that, under Commission Rule 510.l, the deadline for petitions may only be continued for good cause, even if the hearing is continued beyond the date that is stated above. Pursuant to Commission Rule 507, if you do not file a proper petition, the Hearing Officer will not know that you wish to formally participate in this matter and the date and time of the hearing may change without additional notice to you. Parties wishing to file a petition must register online at https://oitco.hylandcloud.com/DNRCOGExternalAccess/Account/Login.aspx and select “Request Access to Site.” Please refer to our “eFiling Users Guidebook” at http://cogcc/documents/reg/Hearings/External_Efiling_System_Handbook_December_2021_Final.pdf for more information.

Any Affected Person who files a petition must be able to participate in a prehearing conference during the week of March 13, 2023, if a prehearing conference is requested by the Applicant or by any person who has filed a petition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For more information, you may review the Application, which was sent to you with this Notice. You may also contact the Applicant at the phone number or email address listed below.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if any party requires special accommodations as a result of a disability for this hearing, please contact Margaret Humecki at Cogcc. Hearings_Unit@state.co.us, prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made.

Legal Notice No. BSB2083

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: January 19, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

Notice to Creditors

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of SEVERN ANN CHUMLEY, a/k/a SEVERN A. CHUMLEY, a/k/a SEVERN CHUMLEY, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31073

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before February 3, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Patricia Rankin, Esq.

Counsel for Alexander Chumley Personal Representative

The Germany Law Firm, P.C. 600 17th Street, Suite 2800 South Denver, Colorado 80202

Legal Notice No. BSB2075

First Publication: January 19, 2023 Last Publication: February 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of RALPH MOISES APARICIO, aka RALPH M. APARICIO, aka RALPH APARICIO, Deceased Case Number: 2022 PR 31052

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before May 5, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

Virginia Gurule Personal Representative 306 S 3rd Ave. Brighton, CO 80601

Legal Notice No. BSB2052

First Publication: January 5, 2023 Last Publication: January 19, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of ALAN STEPHEN REEVES, aka ALAN S. REEVES, aka ALAN REEVES, Deceased Case Number: 2023 PR 30010

All persons having claims against the abovenamed estate are required to present them to the Personal Representative or to the District Court of Adams County, Colorado on or before May 24, 2023, or the claims may be forever barred.

You and each of you are hereby notified that a Sheriff’s Sale of the referenced property is to be conducted by the Civil Division of the Sheriff’s Office of Adams County, Colorado at 9:00 A.M., on the 2nd day of March 2023, at 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, Colorado 80601, phone number 303-655-3272. At which sale, the above described real property and improvements thereon will be sold to the highest bidder. Plaintiff makes no warranty relating to title, possession, or quiet enjoyment in and to said real property in connection with this sale.

**BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE CASH

DATED in Colorado this 6th day of December 2022.

Sheriff of Adams County, Colorado

By: Kathy Grosshans Deputy Sheriff

ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF: ORTEN CAVANAGH HOLMES & HUNT, LLC 1445 Market Street, Suite 350 Denver, CO 80202

Joan Card Personal Representative 6266 Fenton Street Arvada, CO 80003

Legal Notice No. BSB2073

First Publication: January 19, 2023 Last Publication: February 2, 2023

Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Sharon Bandelin,

BRIGHTON

More dead birds found in Westminster, Adams County

BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Dead birds have been showing up across Adams County and Colorado since the fall of 2022, and reports keep coming in.

After Adams County reported a dead red-tailed hawk found at Barr Lake State Park had tested positive for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu, a flock of geese were found dead in a retention pond in the south western part

of the county. HPAI is suspected in those deaths.

Although it’s rare for an HPAI strain to cause infections and illness in humans, Le said for residents to not approach the birds.

“If you find three or more dead wild birds in a specific area within a two-week period OR if you see live birds showing clinical signs of disease, please contact your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office,” Van Hoose said.

You are further notified that the parent-child legal relationship may be terminated by this action, if prayed for in the petition.

You are further notified that the Court has set said petition for hearing on the 6th day of March, 2023 at the hour of 9:10 am. You are hereby notified to be and appear, at said time, before this Court located at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO 80601.

Witness my hand and seal of said Court this 12th day of January, 2023.

Alana Percy Clerk of the District Court

Legal Notice No. BSB2079

First Publication: January 19, 2023

Last Publication: January 19, 2023 Publisher: Brighton Standard Blade

To

You

Withoutpublicnotices, thegovernmentwouldn’t havetosayanythingelse.

Publicnoticesare acommunity’swindow intothegovernment.Fromzoning regulations tolocalbudgets,governments haveusedlocalnewspaperstoinform citizensofitsactionsasanessentialpart ofyourrighttoknow.Youknowwhereto look,whentolookandwhattolookforto beinvolvedas acitizen.Localnewspapers provideyouwiththeinformationyou needtogetinvolved.

Noticesaremeanttobenoticed.

Kaylani

Felisha