Housing Needs Unveiled in HNA

After months of careful research, Elbert County—with the help of an experienced 3rd party consultant—has completed a Housing Needs Assessment (HNA).

The purpose of the HNA is to provide guidance for short-term decision-making and long-range strategic planning for the county and its towns. It includes an analysis of the supply, type, and cost of housing needed to support the county—especially regarding workers in critical fields. It is an important step in updating the housing section of the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

Housing and economic development are closely interlinked. Housing availability affects labor mobility and attraction and retention of talent. A lack of housing can lead to an increase in business costs and economic instability overall. Elbert County is currently experiencing limited housing inventory, with only 164 units (less than 2% total) for sale as of September 2022.

The focus was on analyzing the existing housing inventory, identifying the market conditions that affect housing needs, any gaps in housing, and forecast housing needs for the next 10 years.

“The HNA was quite the technical analysis,” says Marc Dettenrieder, Elbert County’s Economic Development Manager. “It confirmed a lot of what we know, as expected, and will serve as a bridge to a full Housing Master Plan for 2024. Not all the recommendations outlined in the report will fit or suit our needs, but we will distill what was suggested and craft a plan based on what makes sense for the county and what aligns with leadership philosophy.”

The next phase of the project will be to create a Housing Master Plan (HMP) in 2024. HMP will invite feedback from leaders of Elbert County, along with engagement from the public. The HMP will ultimately determine which types of changes to implement.

Elbert County’s HNA received help in funding from both the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). If you’re interested in learning further about the HNA’s findings, you can read it in full under “How We Help” on the Elbert County Economic Development website www.elbertcountyworks.com