It’s no surprise the candidates participating in Summit Daily News’ election forum on Monday, Oct. 21, unanimously identified the high cost of housing and the resulting high cost of living as the top issues facing Summit County this election. 

A considerable number of rental units are coming online across the county over the next two months, and there are plans for construction of many more housing units over the next few years. The consensus was to continue doing what is already being done. That may be okay for adding more housing inventory, but I would like to see more creative thinking from our candidates.

Subsidized, deed-restricted housing is still very expensive, and there is little chance for most owners to move up into market-rate housing, so it is no surprise that downpayment assistance programs are attractive to many residents. This market-oriented incentive should be expanded.  Several candidates favored constructing more accessory dwelling units, commonly known as mother-in-law apartments. If implemented correctly, accessory dwelling units are a win-win for homeowners, renters and taxpayers.  Unfortunately, the county’s program has almost zero participation. Increasing the level of subsidy will not increase participation — so long as the program requires recipients to deed restrict their property in order to access the incentives. Aside from a handful of altruistic souls, no rational homeowner is going to cap the appreciation of their largest investment.

Throwing more money at a fundamentally flawed model will not fix the problem. Try using liens instead of deed restrictions to revive the program. For example, the county/town would place a lien on the recipient homeowner’s property for the cost of the water and sewer tap fees, the planning and permitting fees, and whatever construction assistance applies. If the accessory dwelling units is rented to a qualified local, the lien will be extinguished after ten years. If the accessory dwelling unit is removed from qualifying rental between seven to 10 years, then the homeowner would have to pay 50% of the fees to extinguish the lien. If the unit is in qualified rental for less than seven years, then the owner must pay all the fees, plus a penalty, to extinguish the lien. Odds are the accessory dwelling units will remain in the long-term rental market, and property tax relief incentives could be applied to ensure they do.

From Summit County’s early days to the present, housing has been scarce commodity. Many mining companies provided housing, and in some cases complete company towns to ensure an adequate workforce. I am not a fan of condominiums in general — especially for workforce housing. However, there are exceptions to every rule. One approach I would love to see Summit County try is a public-private partnership with local businesses to construct garden-style apartment condominiums that are sold directly to local qualifying businesses. This could be a win-win proposition for all involved:

• Public-private partnership combines public money with private money that stretches housing money farther. 
• Businesses that have housing own an asset that makes the business more valuable. 
• Job-attached housing encourages employee loyalty and longevity. 
• It does not matter what area median income, the employee would qualify for it. If the business needs managers, they can house mangers. If they need electricians, they can house electricians. If they need dishwashers, they can house dishwashers. 
• The condominium covenants will be self-enforcing, so there is minimal need for additional oversight. Local business owners are not going to allow their asset to fall into disrepair or be abused by employees or another local business owner who is not housing employees on the property.

The covenants could even be set up like a cooperative. If a business decides to close or no longer needs employee housing, the other business owners in the condominium would have the first right of refusal. If no business already in the condominium wants to purchase the unit, then it will be available for sale to another Summit County qualifying business. This model functions like a rental for employees and is maintained as a private housing property by the owners, addressing two status quo problems.

The solution to Summit County’s workforce housing problems requires a multifaceted approach.  While progress is being made, let’s encourage our local leaders to explore some creative housing ideas.

Bruce Butler's column "Common Sense Conversations" publishes biweekly on Tuesdays in the Summit Daily News. Butler is a former mayor and council member in Silverthorne, where he has lived for 20 years. Contact him at butlerincolorado@gmail.com.