HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

Housing forums (2017 – 2021)

On Friday, June 29, HBA hosted its third forum in the affordable housing series, which focused on state and local housing finance. State and local housing finance agencies play a critical role in the availability of affordable and workforce housing. These agencies finance low- and moderate-income housing. With an understanding of the needs of local housing markets, housing finance agencies are uniquely positioned to responsibly underwrite mortgages—often with down payment assistance—for low-income, first-time homebuyers and to finance the development of multifamily affordable rental housing.

Panel Members | Link to Bios

• Irv Halter, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA)
• Allison George, Director of the DOLA Division of Housing;
• Cris White, Executive Director and CEO of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)
• DeAnne McCann, Executive Director for the El Paso County Housing Authority
• Mike Burks, Deputy Director for City of Colorado Springs Housing Authority
• Steve Posey, HUD Program Administrator for the City of Colorado Springs

View the slide deck for the event and video recording from the event

To provide easy access to important housing resources, DOLA has created this edition of the Affordable Housing Guide for Local Officials; a one-stop compilation of funding, programs, housing options, service providers, and terminology available to local communities in Colorado.

Media Coverage

• Down Payment Helps Make Homes More Affordable 

The Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs hosted a community housing forum on Friday, February 23, 2018 at Centennial Hall.

The HBA’s second housing event was well attended by elected officials, community leaders, government staff and HBA members. After opening remarks from Mayor Suthers, economist Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. gave a powerful and exciting presentation that began by reviewing the health of the national economy and the national market so as to better put into context local economic conditions. Dr. Eisenberg first discusses GDP, inflation, employment, wages, interest rates and then moved on to housing prices, mortgage rates, new home construction, housing affordability, inventories, declining home ownership rates, demographics, and much more.

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., a former Senior Economist with the National Association of Home Builders in Washington, D.C., is the creator of the multifamily stock index (the first nationally recognized index to track the total return of public firms principally involved in the ownership and management of apartments), the author of more than eighty-five articles, serves on the Expert Advisory Board of Mortgage Market Guide and is a regular consultant to several large real estate professional associations, hedge funds and investment advisory groups.

View the presentation (PDF) and the video recording from the event.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Economist: No quick fix for Colorado Springs’ affordable housing shortage
HBA’s second affordable housing conference set for Friday in Colorado Springs

The Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs hosted a housing market panel discussion on Friday, November 17, 2017 at Centennial Hall.

The purpose of this panel discussion was to engage and inform local elected officials and housing advocates on the complex and timely topic of affordable housing in the Pikes Peak Region. The panelists provided economic data that illustrates the current overall housing market – for sale and rental, single family and multifamily, existing and new housing – as well as perspectives on housing at various prices in the market.

With this and future events, the HBA hopes to further the discussion regarding the complex issues affecting housing affordability in our local market. Providing safe and affordable housing is at the core of the HBA’s mission, and we are honored to be part of this important community conversation.

“Colorado Springs is growing fast, so we want to lead a constructive conversation about what a healthy housing market should look like,” said panelist Kevin Walker, president of Walker Schooler District Managers, a consultancy for special district management, land development, entitlement and construction management. “We’re fortunate to have an esteemed group of experts join us in illuminating these issues.”

Panel Members | LINK TO BIOS

• Tom Binnings, Economist, Summit Economics
• Tatiana Bailey, Ph.D., Economist, UCCS Economic Forum 
• Laura Nelson, Rental Market Representative, Executive Director for the Apartment Association of Southern Colorado
• Todd Anderson, Builder/Developer, Building Colorado
• Aimee Cox, Local Housing Expert, Past COS Community Development Manager
• Andrea Barlow, Moderator, N.E.S. Land Planning
• Kevin Walker, Introductions, Walker Schooler District Managers

VIEW THE PRESENTATION (PDF)

MEDIA COVERAGE

• Panelists to discuss affordable housing availability in Colorado Springs
• Housing & Building Association to Host Housing Market Panel Discussion

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Colorado Springs Metro Area Apartment Vacancy and Rent Study; Third Quarter 2017​
• Contact: Marla Novak at Marla@cshba.com or 719-231-3906