Take the Employer Survey

Take the Employee/Household Survey

On Monday, September 14, 2009 the Rio Blanco county-wide housing needs study will get underway.  ”The study will be crucial to measuring the counties economic stability and in planning for future housing needs.” said Pat Hooker, Rio Blanco County Administrator.  ”The study will provide the much needed information to better anticipate, plan and manage housing and service needs for our community and workforce.”

The housing needs assessment will assist Rio Blanco County, Meeker and Rangely in planning for future housing needs connected with anticipated growth and addressing current gaps in housing.  It will establish baseline information from which progress toward meeting agreed upon goals can be evaluated.

The first phase of the research involves an extensive survey outreach effort to employers and employees within the area.  Members of the Rangely and Meeker Chambers of Commerce will be receiving an email with the survey link in the next few days.  The purpose of the survey is to gather input from employers in the area to determine the extent to which the availability of workforce housing may be impacting your operations, and to evaluate options for how needs might best be addressed.  The survey will also ask employers to provide a link or a paper version of a survey to their employees.

The Housing Study is a project the Rio Blanco Community Task Force has been working on for a long time.  ”First, we had to apply for funding for the project.  We were awarded a grant from the Colorado Division of Housing.  Then we got the contract in place.” said Sharon Day, Meeker Town Administrator.

“RRC Associates and Rees Consulting have been hired to complete the study,” said Peter Brixius, Rangely Town Manager, “We are excited about the study and encourage your participation; the more participation, the stronger the findings.  This study is important to help our communities be more flexible in responding to the cyclical nature of industry.”

Already Rio Blanco is seeing a decrease in housing affordability and availability for workers.   One way to look at affordability is to compare the income of households to the current for sale properties available.  As shown below, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines median income by household size.  The median family income in Rio Blanco County is $56,500 (100% AMI 4-person family).  Income varies by household size, where the average household size in Rio Blanco is estimated to be around 2.5 persons.

Rio Blanco County 2009 Area Median Income

To afford the median priced home currently listed for sale in Rio Blanco County on less than 50 acres of land, a household would have to earn about $71,000 per year, or 140% of the AMI.  To afford the median priced single-family unit a household would have to earn 145% AMI while a manufactured mobile home remains fairly affordable at 100% AMI.

Max Purchase Price

While many counties accross the state have exprienced significant increases in the number of foreclosure filings over the last couple years, Rio Blanco had 11 total filings last year and 5 in the first quarter of this year.  However, none of the filings so far have gone to sale.  Another indicator to follow, however, is unemployment.  While unemployment in the County is still below State levels, it is the highest it has been in more than 9 years.

Rio Blanco County Historical Unemployment

Ideally, Rio Blanco County, Meeker and Rangely will have a mix and balance of housing that supports current and future residents as their housing needs and conditions change.