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.

Silver Plume purchases 200 acres to preserve history

The small town of Silver Plume raised $600,000 in less than a year to purchase an area of land with a rich history

BY OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE OLOVE@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

e town of Silver Plume recently purchased 200 acres of Brown Gulch and Republican Mountain in an e ort to protect cultural resources, preserve open space and protect the history of the town.

On Jan. 30, town o cials closed on the historic land purchase after raising $600,000 in just shy of a year. e town of around 200 people saw donations from businesses, foundations and individuals from the community.

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

SEE STRESSES, P10 e land the town purchased has a history for Silver Plume that won’t soon be forgotten. e purchased area includes 95 mining claims and what was once the Mendota Mine, which saw its heyday in the late 1800s.

Doug Watrous, founder of Jack Pine Mining, was a xture in the Silver Plume community for years, known for his passion for mining.

SEE PURCHASE, P2