The Summit Daily News ran a front-page story on April 29 featuring factory-built homes. Senate Bill 2 offers a reasonable solution to our high housing costs. Local governments fear being “big footed” by the state regarding building codes. But workforce housing isn’t just a “mountain” problem. It’s a statewide problem. Consequently, it needs to be approached from a statewide level.

A task force will be appointed to draft guidelines providing a framework. These will be the basic standards these factory-built homes will need to meet. If this task force is composed of fair and knowledgeable people from the building trades, there’s no reason the outcome can’t be a good one.  Factory-built doesn’t have to mean shoddy.

 We already have a workforce community of these homes in Breckenridge. This isn’t “new,” and it isn’t an experiment. It works to keep costs down and significantly cuts the time before occupancy. “Stick built” is just too expensive in our mountain communities. Given our weather limitations, factory-built also makes a lot of sense.

All this isn’t to say local governments shouldn’t provide input to “customize” a development for the unique criteria our mountain climate dictates. But they don’t need to be “driving the wagon.” They don’t have the expertise. Needless not-in-my-back-yard or wouldn’t-it-be-nice-if regulations slow the process and drive up the cost.

Commissioner Tamara Pogue’s observation regarding the layers of state and local codes was “cumbersome at best.” Our county commissioners toured the Buena Vista facility of Fading West that builds these homes here. The Breckenridge project was the result.  

It’s time to use this tool on a statewide basis. Write Gov. Jared Polis and have him appointment knowledgeable professionals to lead the charge.