Perhaps you noticed that housing in Garfield County made national news yet again in May. Comparing cost, competition, scarcity and economic stability, NBC reported how “homebuying has gone off the rails”. Ranked against historically popular coastal communities and one in Alaska, Garfield County earned the troublesome distinction as the top spot in the NBC News’ Home Buyer Index—the most difficult in the nation.

For Habitat for Humanity of the Roaring Fork Valley, this is a call to action. We ask the entire community to learn about our proposed solution and provide its support. The problem is only getting bigger, so the solutions must be larger still. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year we are even more dedicated to our mission to build affordable workforce housing at scale. That’s why I am emboldened and encouraged by our innovative solutions and new partnerships that will make Habitat’s goals a reality in 2024 and beyond.

Habitat is creating a transformational approach to the future of homebuilding in our region, as conventional onsite construction for workforce housing is no longer affordable or sustainable. We intend to build high-quality homes that are less costly, greener, and faster to construct at our new Modular Housing Production and Education Center in Rifle. With this facility, our yearly construction volume of net-zero-ready homes will multiply by a factor of more than five. Additionally, this facility will train students in an advanced manufacturing curriculum that will boost economic vitality and quality jobs in the Colorado River Valley. Our annual production goal is 200 net-zero units and the training of 100 students per year, who will work alongside Habitat’s operational team of 27 new full-time employees.