High home prices, lack of supply sever metro residents from communities

home costs and a lack of supply, residents like Laney have struggled to live in their communities.

BY ROBERT TANN COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

When Chris Laney moved into his new three-bedroom home last summer, he felt like he’d won the lottery. After more than a decade of chasing the cheapest rent across the metro area, the Littleton bartender nally has a house to call his own.

“I almost feel guilty that I have it,” said Laney, 49.

Laney is one of a handful of residents who have secured housing through a subsidized program aimed at helping lower- and middle-income people live where they work. But as cities and towns contend with historically high

“I’ve always felt like I was just passing through instead of living somewhere, putting down roots,” said Laney. He has worked at Jake’s Brew Bar in Littleton since 2012.

“ is is where I want to be,” Laney said. “My friends and family are Jake’s.” e median price of a singlefamily home in the metro area has roughly tripled since 2010, according to an August 2022 report by the Colorado Association of Realtors. Back in 2010, the median price was about $200,000.

In numerous counties, residents — spanning a range of employment from the service industry to teaching — have faced the brunt of what many o cials are calling a housing crisis.

And wages have not kept up with home costs. Between 2000 and 2019, median rents rose at a faster rate than household incomes “in every Colorado county and city with 50,000+ residents,” according to a November 2021 report from Denver-based consulting rm Root Policy Research. e report also said that, as of June 2021, Colorado’s overall housing inventory was 13% of what is needed for a functioning sales market.

“Quite honestly, we just don’t have enough housing, whether it’s a ordable or otherwise,” said Kelly Milliman, city council member for Littleton’s District 4 and a member of the city’s housing task force. “It’s really vitally important to the overall health of our community going forward.” e sentiment is similar for leaders in the neighboring cities of Englewood and Sheridan. ere, o cials said a ordable home options used to be more common.

“For the people that can a ord it, e discussion was spurred in part because of an incident that occurred on Christmas Day at School House Kitchen and Libations; one of the many Olde Town establishments owned by Scott Spears. e man was eventually placed in jail, according to Spears, and Spears himself had to leave his family to take care of the situation.

In an email to city council, city team members and other community stakeholders, Spears reported that a homeless man broke into Schoolhouse and vandalized the restaurant and its alcohol stock. Spears said a bar manager at Schoolhouse found the man on Christmas morning, at which point Arvada Police responded.

“I’m sick of this,” Spears said in the email. “Do something. Shut down the church that is bringing all of these people down here. We all know that is the main problem. If any other business was causing these types of problems, they would be shut down immediately.

“Not only has my family and I invested millions of dollars into Olde Town, but I have given my heart and soul to our wonderful town,” Spears continued. “And now it is being destroyed. Get this homeless situation under control. You are our leaders and you are letting us down. Do something. Now.”