Habitat for Humanity: Elevating all voices

Last year, the county and every municipality in Eagle County participated in a regional housing needs assessment. This group of local governments and Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley are collaborating on solutions to affordable housing challenges in the Eagle River Valley. The study provided data and statistics for what we all know is a problem. 

Habitat Vail Valley was integral in helping elevate the voices of community members who often are not heard when studies like this are conducted. Habitat encouraged people to complete the survey and held focus groups with key community members, such as residents living in deed-restricted housing and mobile homes, as well as long-distance “in-commuters.” They shared their insights as to how affordable housing, or the lack thereof, impacts them. Their lived experiences are why we do what we do. 

What did the study show? A home is the foundation of everything, and homeownership is imperative to building and retaining our community.  

Let’s talk affordability. In 2023, the median home price in Eagle County was over $1.3 million overall and $1,055,000 in non-resort areas. Even excluding resort areas, median home prices grew by 15.2 percent annually between 2019 and 2023. A household would need between 3.7 and 7.5 jobs, paying the median wage of $52,900 per year, to afford to buy the median-priced home of more than $1 million. That means the median wage is approximately $220,000 less than the wage needed to purchase a median-priced home. Homeownership can be unaffordable for households earning over 300% of the area median income. 

What the numbers don’t say, though, is what kind of community we would be if affordable homeownership opportunities were available only for people making more than 100% of the area median income, which is $91,100 for a single person and up to $130,100 for a family of four. These are not small salaries, and they are earned by members of the workforce who deserve the opportunity to purchase a home. Rentals can’t solve the housing crisis. There is a need for more rentals, but often rentals can cost more than homeownership.  

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This is where Habitat Vail Valley comes in. We know people earning less than the median income deserve to own a home — they just are not able to in Eagle County through the free market. The stark reality is that not many of us can.

We recognize that the free market cannot produce housing affordable to this salary, but for our community’s sake, we can’t just stop there. Teachers, law enforcement officers, EMTs, resort workers, nurses, service industry professionals — a large and important segment of our population — earn within this range. We, and you, need these people to be able to live and thrive where they work.  

While there has been some home-building movement, there is much work to be done. The housing shortfall has immediate consequences. Renters are less likely to anticipate staying in the community than owners. If our workforce doesn’t have the opportunity to be a homeowners, they will go where they can. 

The housing shortage is causing out-migration, especially for 30-somethings. Without affordable homeownership, we will continue to lose our community’s important workforce. These impacts mean businesses can’t grow, people can’t grow in their jobs, and our community suffers. 

We know this is true from the hundreds of people who come into our office every year. People are committed to Eagle County, but not at the expense of compromising their well-being and the well-being of their families. They are living in overcrowded conditions. They are stressed about making their next rent payment, even as they work multiple jobs. They worry their rental will be sold.  

Working in partnership with homeowners, governments and the private sector we produce homeownership opportunities for those earning 100% of the area median income and below — our critical workforce.

“I would love to continue to raise my daughter in this valley, but with the rising rent, I will not be able to continue to do so. I have been a special education teacher for 17 years in the valley, and I hope to be able to stay,” shared one future Habitat homeowner. Without an affordable home to purchase, the schools lose a teacher, and we lose a valued community member.

Our community depends on all of us working together to create a robust housing continuum that makes sense for our workforce.

Emily Peyton is the vice president of operations at Habitat Vail Valley. In this role, she oversees program development and building capacity. If you would like to learn more about future plans, reach out to emily@habitatvailvalley.org.