Like many rural mountain communities, Archuleta County and Pagosa Springs have experienced a rapid increase in housing demand due in part by population growth, an influx of second-homes buyers, and limited housing supply.
This demand, coupled with a constrained rental market and rising home prices, has made it difficult for local residents and its workforce — teachers, law enforcement, nurses and government workers — to afford housing that meets their needs.
The county’s tourism-driven economy further strains the housing market, as vacation rentals often compete with long-term rental units, reducing the availability of affordable housing options for year-round residents.
Additionally, the area’s remote location and rugged terrain limits the provision of water and sewer infrastructure, limiting the development of new, affordable housing stock.
In 2023, Archuleta County was awarded a Strong Communities Program grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to retain a consultant team and conduct a regional housing needs assessment.
The housing needs assessment will ultimately inform the development of a workforce housing strategy and help adjust other initiatives to support potential housing developments and programs as they arise.
The County has retained ECOnorthwest and Western Spaces to conduct a comprehensive housing needs assessment to better understand the housing needs of the county’s workforce and identify the projected housing need in the next 10 to 20 years.
The housing needs assessment will further identify the types of housing, at what income range and size, are needed in our area.
The county, the Town of Pagosa Springs and the Pagosa Springs Community Development Corporation appreciate in advance all resident input.
Links to the survey in both English and Spanish can be found at archuletacounty.org.
Residents and employers are both urged to participate and there are individual surveys for each. The survey closes on Nov. 22.
Questions? Please email Ashley Springer at aspringer@archuletacounty.org, Pamela Flowers at pflowers@archuletacounty.org, or call (970) 989-2037.
