Recently, two citizen initiatives were submitted that—if approved—could severely limit our community’s ability to address one of its most urgent challenges: the lack of attainable housing in Estes Park.
As the Executive Director of the Estes Park Housing Authority, I understand the housing crisis not just as a policy issue, but as something deeply personal. Every week, we hear from members of our community who make this town run—who are being priced out of the very community they serve. Many face two-hour commutes, overcrowded living conditions, housing expense which do not match their income, and sadly, many have had to or are facing a decision to leave the Estes Valley all together, despite the fact this is THEIR home.
Our mission at EPHA is simple: to create and support housing opportunities for people of low and moderate income. These are our neighbors, your children’s teachers, or your favorite servers at local restaurants. Without attainable housing, we lose the people who make Estes Park a vibrant, diverse, and functioning town.
What’s Being Proposed?
The two citizens’ initiatives put forward by Preserve Estes Park may sound procedural, but their consequences are far-reaching:
1. Neighbor Veto Power:
The first measure would require a two-thirds approval from nearby property owners before any rezoning or Planned Unit Development (PUD) could move forward. This means that even if a proposed housing development meets the Town’s land use code, aligns with the comprehensive plan, and passes all environmental and infrastructure reviews, a small group of neighbors could block it simply because they don’t like it.
2. Eliminating Housing Incentives:
The second measure would remove the ability to offer modest density or height flexibility in multifamily zones—tools that make attainable housing financially viable. These incentives don’t create skyscrapers; they allow for slightly more homes to be built on expensive land, helping projects pencil out for households earning 30% to 150% of the area median income.
Together, these measures would make it nearly impossible to build the housing our community needs and desires most.
Why This Matters
In 2023, the most recent housing needs study projected that Estes Park will need over 2,700 new homes by 2033 to meet demand—and a significant share must be attainable to working households. Without them, businesses will continue to struggle with staffing, our school enrollments will continue to decline, and the essential workforce that keeps Estes Park safe, educated, and cared for will continue to disappear.
These ballot initiatives would tie the hands of local government and housing providers, introducing costly delays and uncertainty into an already complex development process. They would empower a small number of neighbors to override community-wide planning efforts. And they would send a chilling message to nonprofit builders, developers, and state funding partners: Estes Park is closed for housing.
A Better Path
We all want a beautiful, livable Estes Park. That’s not in question. But housing policy should balance neighborhood concerns with broader community needs. We already have a robust public process that allows for community input, environmental review, and professional planning oversight. These initiatives tip the scales toward obstruction and exclusion.
Instead of voting to block housing, we should be coming together to support it—thoughtfully, responsibly, and with the values of equity and sustainability in mind. Let’s make sure the people who work here can live here. Let’s build a future where our kids, our seniors, and our workforce have a place in this town.
EPHA is committed to being part of the solution. We invite you to be part of it too.
Perhaps Mr. Moulton’s most urgent challenge is housing, but this is not the case for the majority of Estes Park residents, and it certainly is not an urgent challenge on my list. There are already too many people living here now. Estes is becoming crowded and unbearable. I suggest that the Housing Authority relinquish all its money to buy a nice greyhound bus that can transport workers (free of charge) from Longmont and Loveland to Estes every day. Problem solved. No more high density housing!
C.E. Cross
Estes Park
I’m glad to see anyone in an official capacity willing to stand up to the economic bullying that seems to be happening concerning affordable housing in particular in the Estes Valley. The same people plotting to limit or eliminate any view of affordable housing from their homes will often be the first to complain about the lack of services or the quality of those services in this community. Thank you for trying. It remains to be seen if our local elected officials have the same concern and courage to do the same.
The bonues were not “affordable” housing. Developers were able to put on an extra floor and build closer to the property lines only made it more profitable for the builders … the rental rates and sales price of the 2 very big projects are extremely high. (rents approaching $2000/month) The housing for sale was too high for the “workforce”, which is what these were for, and some remains empty after a year. It is for developer profits.
The ballot vote is to protect existing single family homes. It is only if a builder wants to CHANGE your neighborhood. If a building meets the zoning, no neighbor approval is required. If you live in an area with, say, 1 acre lots, you need approval of those within 500 feet if you want to re-zone to allow, say, tall townhouses to be crammed in. As the Town Board keeps voting in. You waited all your life for a quiet, open area for your home. If you didn’t care about that you could live and work in Loveland.
Ballot initiative is to protect your home, not stop new housing.
If any project meets the zoning, no neighbor approval is required.
Will this EPHA person deed restrict his 4 short term rentals for “attainable” i.e. short term rentals? Will the Board members who own houses for lodging in residential areas do the same?