Mission
To provide well informed analysis of the housing market, conditions and other factors affecting affordable housing in La Plata County and be a resource for the local governments to make sound policy decisions regarding housing.
Overview
As a result of its strategic planning process and in order to implement its Action Plan, RHA has developed the following policy agenda for consideration by its member local governments.
Enact Fair Share Programs
Formalize and standardize policies requiring developers of new housing to provide certain percentages of affordable/attainable homes in exchange for increased entitlements and fee waivers.
Capitalize the La Plata Homes Fund
Raise $10 million in capital for this fund, using it for mortgage assistance to make home purchases affordable, and for development of affordable/attainable homes.
Encourage Annexations and Provide Infrastructure
Local governments should take a proactive stance in encouraging well-conceived annexations and providing some infrastructure to them in order to:
- Relieve shortages of residential land that is buildable near jobs and services.
- Make homes more affordable, encourage compact development and discourage sprawl.
Encourage Green Home Designs
Local governments should encourage, or require developers to encourage, resource conservation and healthy indoor environments. For example, local governments and RHA could encourage developers to adopt the Green Communities Criteria or LEED standards for green building.
Adopt Smart Growth Principles
Local governments should continually refine and improve land use policies to discourage sprawl and to protect rural and environmentally sensitive land. This requires:
- More annexations.
- Encouragement of compact, higher-density development near jobs and services.
- Thoughtful designs of new residential developments, allowing these areas to be walkable and well connected to surrounding neighborhoods.
Apply Multi-Family Design Guidelines
Areas where development is more intense benefit from design guidelines. Durango has guidelines for commercial space and single-family homes but not multi-family housing.
Preserve Existing Affordable Housing
RHA, local governments and the private sector should work together to preserve existing affordable housing such as mobile home parks, affordable/attainable market-rate rental units, and federally subsidized apartments with expiring rent restrictions.
