Affordable Housing & Making Home Ownership Achievable in Longmont
Longmont has always been a place where working families could build a life, buy a home, and thrive. But today, that’s slipping out of reach for too many. Housing costs are rising, corporate investors are buying up local homes, and most new development consists of high-density rentals that don’t reflect the needs of our community. People are right to ask: Is this really the kind of growth we want?
I’m proudly pro-housing, but I believe housing must reflect our values. That means making sure renters can find truly affordable places to live and that working families have a real pathway to homeownership in the community they serve.
As Vice Chair of Longmont’s Housing and Human Services Advisory Board, I helped direct millions of dollars toward affordable housing projects that made a real difference for families. Now, I want to build on that work to tackle today’s challenges head-on.
To do that, I support:
Rebalancing the fee-in-lieu system so that developers are encouraged to build affordable units on-site rather than buying their way out of the requirement, and ensuring that it’s actually cheaper to build for sale units instead of endless rentals.
Raising Longmont’s inclusionary housing requirement from 12% to 15%, in line with neighboring cities, to ensure more affordable homes are actually built.
Allowing more “missing middle” housing types — like duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes, near transit corridors and job centers, giving working families more attainable options to buy into the community.
Streamlining the permitting process for good projects that meet community goals, helping responsible builders move faster while maintaining public transparency and accountability.
Protecting against corporate and out-of-state investors who are buying up homes and driving up costs. Longmont families should get the first shot at living and thriving here.
Housing policy isn’t just about how many units we build, it’s about who those homes are for and what kind of community we want to be. By combining smart land-use reform, strong affordability standards, and a focus on local ownership, we can keep Longmont a place where everyone, from renters to first-time buyers to lifelong residents has a fair shot at putting down roots.
