As most people know, housing in our county is no longer affordable to many of our workforce. This is due to limited developable land and high land, infrastructure, and construction costs; limited availability of long-term rentals, and low wage/salary growth. In the time between 2019 and 2021, housing prices in Ouray County increased 120% yet wages only increased 30%.

According to Region 10’s “Mind the Gap - Workforce Housing” study, the households most affected by a lack of affordable housing are the ones in the “missing middle” which are households earning between 80% to 120% of the area median income (AMI). These households work in our schools, local governments, and businesses which are having trouble hiring due to a lack of affordable rental and ownership opportunities.

Region 10’s Ouray County Employee Study (Jan 2023) shows that at least 270 units are needed over the next decade to meet the demand of Ouray County. And 50% of those units need to be available to households at 100% of the area median income (AMI) and below.

The Home Trust of Ouray County (HTOC) is a 501(c)3 community land trust for affordable housing serving the “rural resort” county of Ouray, Colorado.

Our mission is to grow inclusive, economically diverse communities by providing permanently affordable homes and rentals for modest income households through the stewardship of community assets. We serve households earning up to 120% of the area median income (AMI).

As a community land trust, we are a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors made up of local residents, local government officials, and trustees. Land and buildings are bought and maintained by our organization, which we then rent or sell to income-qualified households for affordable housing and other community purposes. We maintain affordability in perpetuity through a legal document called a ground lease that restricts the use of the land for 99 years.

HTOC is the only local housing organization in Ouray County. As such we take a collaborative approach. Our community outreach efforts connect many partners including individual stakeholders, local governments, other nonprofits, and private foundations. HTOC started a local Housing Partners group in 2022 that meets monthly to discuss housing.

Our goal is to make sure that those who work in our communities are able to live in them. People who live in the community in which they work and who do not have to take a second job, do less commuting, have less stress, and have more time to invest in their community. They have more income to spend on things such as medical care, nutrition, recreation, and family activities.