Gov. Polis stresses more housing is key to Colorado’s economic health

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

If lawmakers don’t act to make housing more a ordable now, “we will soon face a spiraling point of no return.” at’s what Gov. Jared Polis said in January, during his annual State of the State Address. He noted myriad problems linked to rising housing costs.

People, he said, “are being forced out of their neighborhoods with no hope of ever living close to where they work.”

“ at means more tra c, lost time and money spent on long commutes, more air pollution, and greater economic and workforce challenges,” Polis said. Polis added that rising housing prices are “putting the dream of homeownership out of range for more and more Coloradans.” e governor’s assessment squares with the ndings of Colorado Community Media in our four-week series exploring what many experts say is a housing crisis — one that a ects practically everyone in the Denver area.

Lower-income workers are seeing larger chunks of their paychecks go to landlords. Young families can’t nd starter homes they can a ord. Retirees don’t see any attractive options for moving and downsizing, meaning their homes stay o the market, helping keep prices high.

“Just look west,” Polis said in his address. “In California, decades of poor planning has led to interruptions of drinking water and electricity for entire towns and cities, average home prices over $1 million in major cities and 16lane freeways” with “bumper-to-

SEE STRESSES, P7 e community gets its chance to meet with the nalists during a special meeting Wednesday, March 1. at’s followed by contract negotiations and then an appointment Wednesday, March 8, according to the district’s timeline. e debate among the board was whether to stay in-house for Fiedler’s replacement or go outside. Board member President Greg Piotraschke seemed to lean local.

It’s fast. e board would like to appoint someone during its March 8 meeting. e deadline for candidates to submit application materials to the board was Feb. 3. e board planned to meet in executive session Feb. 8, after press time, to consider the applicants and then to name nalists.

“I look at the program, the graduation rates. at’s a long process,” he said. “Hiring someone from California may not re ect that.”

Before the board approved the search process, district resident and former TV journalist Stacey Baca

SEE BOARD, P5