With roughly 60,000 daily in-commuters, there is a severe mismatch between jobs and available housing. While the city continues to make progress in housing development, these projects are heavily focused on above market rental housing and high-end townhomes with few affordable options for service workers and families. To ensure our housing initiatives align with the needs of the community, we need to survey the individuals who commute to Boulder for work but are unable to reside within the city due to affordability constraints to better understand their housing needs, preferences, and challenges. This data will serve as a foundation for designing targeted market-rate housing solutions that cater to the evolving needs of our community.

While the number of new housing units is on the rise, given Boulder's unique market profile, density will not translate into affordability without explicit policy measures. Simply increasing supply by building more high-end rentals and townhouses will not drive prices down, nor will they provide affordable options for our large in-commuting workforce. Whether we are considering occupancy limit changes or upzoning in our neighborhoods, permanent affordability commitments should be a condition for approval. And all future planning and development decisions must be viewed through this lens in order move the city closer to its affordable housing goals.

Recognizing that CU student housing is a major driver of the Boulder housing landscape, the university needs to take more responsibility for meeting its students’ housing needs. Rather than placing the burden solely on the Boulder community to accommodate student populations through changes in its occupancy limits and housing infrastructure, CU needs to invest in expanding and improving its own on-campus housing options. The City of Boulder should have a seat at the table when it comes to CU planning decisions that have direct community housing impacts. By doing so, the university can ensure that students have access to safe, affordable housing options without exacerbating the housing challenges faced by other Boulder residents.