City hopes to create more affordable housing for low-income families

Mayor John Suthers said the city will focus on helping partners and guiding developers through resources in hopes it will create more affordable housing for low-income families this year.

Suthers said earlier this month that rising rent prices locally means there needs to be more access to affordable housing. There are 9,800 affordable housing units in Colorado Springs, but the demand is increasing rapidly.

“Colorado Springs is now a big city and these are the types of problems we are seeing more and more of and working more diligently to address,” said Aimee Cox, the city’s community development manager.

Shirley Harris is living in her car with her 7-year-old. She said it’s a struggling to find affordable housing in Colorado Springs.

“It’s really rough, it’s hard. You have to figure out where you are going to go to the bathroom, where you’re going to shower so your kid can get up and go to school, where your next food is coming from. It’s hard,” said Harris.

Cox said the city’s first focus is on emergency shelters. Right now Cox is working with different organizations to increase the number of beds available in shelters so people don’t need to sleep on the streets. While the city is not a property developer, Cox said the city will work with developers and other organizations to show them resources available and encourage them to create more affordable housing.

“Having a healthy economy requires having affordable housing,” said Cox.

Harris said more affordable housing can’t come soon enough. She worries that their makeshift sleeping arrangements in their car won’t be enough come winter.

“We just want a home, a safe home. Somewhere we can relax. Not sleep in a car with the door open and legs hanging out,” said Harris.