housing access

Colorado’s mountain resort towns are seeing the pros and cons of attracting America’s wealthiest residents.

New data shows an overwhelming majority of Colorado residents view the rising cost of living as a serious problem.

Imagine turning 18 and finding yourself aged out of the foster care system. You don’t have the resources to support yourself and now face homelessness. There’s a program in Montrose aimed at helping youth in this situation. As Laura Palmisano reports for KVNF and Rocky Mountain Community Radio, the program provides affordable housing along with support and guidance.

Southwest Colorado is facing a housing crisis just like many other rural communities across the Mountain West. To combat the problem, local organizations in the region are building affordable housing developments. But the housing crisis is a complex issue, and additional housing inventory won’t solve it alone. For KSJD News, Lucas Brady Woods has this report.

Many in Colorado can agree that the cost of living is outpacing adjustments in pay. But when it comes down to defining just what constitutes a living wage, opinions are split. KGNU’s Shannon Young spoke with Tamara Chuang, Tech, Business and Economy reporter for the Colorado Sun.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous changes in mountain towns across the West. Local governments have been struggling with how to address rapidly shifting demographics and accelerating housing crises in their communities. And now a new report from Colorado shows that many pandemic-era changes are likely here to stay. Will Walkey from KHOL in Jackson, Wyoming, has more.

The pandemic has made the housing market even tighter in the mountain West, where first-time buyers are trying to decide whether this is just the future or a bubble headed eventually for a bust.