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Building Community By Housing Your Workforce
See how our study helped the Town of Winter Park understand its housing needs to be able to move forward with a plan to develop 30 to 40 units of attainable housing for its workforce over each of the next 5 years.
Learn how this regional study is being used to help inform housing planning in Jackson, Wyoming, and neighboring Teton County, Idaho, where many of Jackson’s workers live.
Our team has conducted studies for Summit County and the Town of Breckenridge for over 20 years. See how our most recent study is being used to further housing development in the area.
Quantifies the present and future housing needs of the local workforce and residents to ensure that safe, affordable housing is available to support the local community, residents, employers and economy. May also include seasonal fluctuations in employment. Studies always include extensive community interviews and may include resident, employee and/or employer surveys depending upon client needs. Each study and report is structured to meet the unique needs of each client; however, housing needs are typically quantified by unit type and price point. Reports may also include strategies to help provide needed housing and next steps to help clients implement affordable housing programs.
South Tahoe Region, CA.
Bozeman, MT.
Big Sky, MT.
Town of Estes Park, CO.
Grand County, CO.
Town of Fraser, CO.
Eagle County, CO.
Town of Mammoth Lakes, CA.
Summit County, CO (2013 and 2016 update).
Gunnison County, CO.
City of Whitefish, MT.
Western Greater Yellowstone Region, WY and ID (2014).
Town of Winter Park, CO.
City of Hobbs, NM. Measures the impacts of the oil and gas economy on jobs and the housing market in Hobbs and recommends housing needs to support its residents and workforce as the city’s economy becomes more diversified.
The "hot topic" of 2017: Housing action plans help communities identify housing goals and priorities, prioritize housing strategies, assign responsibilities to carry out the housing plan and identify a general timeline for achievement. This component typically involves “roll up your sleeves” work from community stakeholders and the public. The objective: define realistic strategies that work within each unique community environment, capacities and resources to address local housing needs. Housing Needs Assessments tell you "what" housing is needed; Housing Plans are the next step and identify "how" to produce needed housing.
Plans completed in 2017 or later (see my blog for more information):
South Tahoe Region, CA.
City of Bozeman, MT
City of Whitefish, MT
Town of Mammoth Lakes, CA
Big Sky, MT
Grand County, CO
Vacation Home Rentals: Issues, Emerging Trends and Best Practices. A study sponsored by the Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST) on the impact of short-term vacation rentals by owners on ten mountain resort communities and best practices in tracking, monitoring and regulating theses uses. A great resource for communities wanting to understand more about the impacts of rentals by owners and methods that have been used to address the negative impacts, ensure a level playing field with other lodging establishments and enhance compatibility with their community.
Short-term Vacation Home Rentals Impacts on Workforce Housing in Breckenridge, CO. Estimates the impact of short-term rentals both on the available supply of housing for residents and the demand for housing from employees needed to fill jobs created by the short-term rental industry (unit leasing, maintenance, management, etc).
Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority Affordable Housing Guidelines Policy Study. An assessment of the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority’s housing guidelines and affordable housing qualification criteria. Recommends household qualification standards, affordable for-sale prices and rent calculations, unit maintenance and upgrades and other policies – to ensure that program management is furthering APCHA’s goal to affordably house the local workforce over the long term.
San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. Policies and procedures manual updates regarding management of below-market housing units and program.
These studies are similar to housing needs assessments, except they are conducted for individual employers seeking to improve housing options for their workers. Employer goals typically seek to improve employee attraction, retention and satisfaction - reducing costs associated with high turnover and improving client service through experienced, satisfied and dedicated staff. Example studies:
St. Johns Medical Center, Jackson, WY, to inform the Medical Center on how they can improve their employee satisfaction and retention through improved housing options. The Medical Center is using this information to plan for housing development and workforce assistance programs.
St. Lukes Wood River Medical Center, Ketchum ID, to inform the Medical Center on the extent to which access to housing affects employment recruitment and retention, costs associated with current turnover, and programs that could be considered to improve access to housing and employee satisfaction.
Eagle County School District, Eagle County, CO, in support of the District's Employee Housing Master Plan.
Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency, Truckee, CA, to inform four partner agencies (school district, public utility district, hospital, airport district) of priority employee housing needs to help shape programs.
Promoting Infrastructure Maintenance in Manufactured Housing Communities. Study conducted for Grounded Solutions and with assistance from the City of Boulder. This is the first national scan of local policies, practices and strategies for improving infrastructure in private, investor-owned manufactured housing communities. Presented by WSW at the 2016 I’m Home conference in San Antonio, Tx, sponsored by CFED.
The Impacts of Affordable Housing on the Telluride Area Economy and Community (2019). A study of the economic and community benefits that the existing stock of the over 1,200 deed-restricted homes for employee and year-round resident households has had on the Telluride, CO, area. See also: short version.
The Impact of Affordable Workforce Housing on Community Demographics, Economies, and Housing Prices and Options (2014). Case study on the benefits that workforce housing in the Town of Breckenridge, CO, has had on the community.
Deed Restrictions in a Down Market: What's Working and What's Not (2012). Conducted by a common co-consultant: Rees Consulting, Inc. A study on the effects of the 2007/08 recession on deed restricted ownership housing in various communities - prices, foreclosures, and retention. In many cases, deed restricted homes performed better than market rate homes, but lessons can be learned (and have been identified) from those that did not.
Town of Breckenridge housing strategy and rental market studies.
Teton County/Town of Jackson, WY. Technical assistance for their Housing Summit in 2015.
LIHTC housing market studies, including PSH projects. Town of Vail; Eagle County; Boulder Housing Partners; Fort Collins Housing Authority, CO (2012/13/14/15).
Fee-in-lieu studies to evaluate, support and recommend a fee that can be paid by developers in lieu of building required affordable housing units. Summit County, CO (2014); Pompano Beach, FL (2012).
