PITKIN INDEPENDENT
LOCALS FIRST
LET'S START A REVOLUTION IN HOUSING
I believe the "Free Market" and that the principals of "supply" and "demand" are undeniable. I also believe that markets are more healthy when more people can particpate in them. In a place where the housing supply is limited by both geography and community values (ie zoning) free market prices have grown out of reach for most Locals. Let's find a way to provide more opportunities for the Locals that are being shut out, or thrown out of the community by high free market prices to particpate in the housing market and grow their "nest eggs" too.
HOUSING - ASPEN MIDDLE CLASS - A VANISHING BREED
Our current Housing policies, though well intentioned, punish success. Say a young person early in their career gets into say a 1 bedroom employee unit when they are making $40,000/year. Then get married, have a kid and "succeed" and between husband and wife make $120,000/year and need a bigger place. Well, in all likelihood then
the only way they can "move up" is to "move out".
and we lose valuable productive members of the community to downvalley communites and a life on 82. We can and must do better. I call these folks the Aspen Middle Class. I'll bet if you compare a Income disparity chart with Pakistan and Pitkin County the curve would be the same - NO MIDDLE CLASS.
HOUSING FOR TEACHERS, LAW ENFORCMENT, FIRE AND NURSES: "CRITICAL SERVICES EMPLOYEES"
I believe Retirees are the "backbone" of our community. To my friends who are retirees in affordable housing I will protect your right to stay in your homes. The rumor to the contrary being circulated by my opponents is NOT true and is very disturbing to me (politics can suck). I do want to create opportunities that will TEMPT AH retirees to move. Opportunities that, IF YOU WISH, you can increase your net worth with cash or increased value by accepting an offer to trade a home for your home. I want to keep you here!
Retirees have given decades of service to this community as workers, and as retirees they are the one's who volunteer, start and run non profits and generally serve the community. They provide day care and do all the little (and big) things that a community needs to be a real community. WE WILL ALL BE RETIREES SOMEDAY. Let's get to work on a system that we would want in place when we get to that point in our lives.
I also believe we can build creative policies to help retirees who live in free market housing who might be "house rich" but "cash poor" to stay here by partially cashing out. Policies where we can help with mechanisms that will allow that retiree to accept some form of payment to restrict their unit from "free market" to "resident occupied" allowing them to stay in their home as long as they like or possible.
RETIREES - WE WILL ALL BE ONE SOMEDAY
Critical Services employees are... CRITICAL to a community. The best scenario is when those employees live in the communities they serve. The first approach to helping in this is to work as partners with local entities like Aspen School District to find ways to create housing opportunities for teachers. I think we need to carefully address how current APCHA policies do not give any sort of priority to those who are critical to our community. This is not aboout a "meritocracy", this is about building the strongest community possible.
AH RULE BREAKING
I hear a ton of complaints about those in the AH system that are breaking AH rules. Some times there is a legit complaint, but I think it is mostly because we don't have a product that those in the system want to or can live in. We need to produce new "Community Housing" with less rules and more freedom for Locals.
AHS Prom 2011. What kind of future are we building for our kids? Let's figure out how to 1) get them into the AH program and 2) if they happen to succeed give them a chance to stay in their Pitkin County.
WHAT'S A LOCAL?
Being a Local is not defined by how much money you might, or might not have. It's not, in my opinion, defined by how many years someone has lived here, how many jobs they have, how many days they ski, or how many great things they volunteer for. To me the best answer to "what is a local?" came from Mick Ireland years ago who said:
"Local is what Local does."
I think people who were born here, or who their parents brought here ("Lucky Sperm Clubbers" - like me) are likley "Locals", but the one's who I think who deserve the real props are those young (or old) adults who chose Pitkin County / Aspen and move here with nothing and then try and make a life here. Now that's a Local who loves this community.
PRINCIPALS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND - BUILDING MORE NEW AH UNITS OF THE SAME TYPE AND CATEGORY HURTS EXISITING AH OWNERS
Current policies appear to be centered around building more of what we already have. Yes, current demand is high, but if an old time Local is seeking to sell their 30 year old Employee unit, and another new unit of the same size is for sale at the same price, which unit will buyers want? The new one. Building more of the same does NOTHING to help existing AH owners who spent their working lives in the same unit and are counting on the value of that unit.
WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE ENTRY LEVEL MARKET WITH MORE AFFORDABLE RENTALS AND ENTRY LEVEL FOR SALE UNITS
I believe that we must create and protect the entry level to the AH market. This is way our young adults get into the system. What they do from there is up to them, as long as WE provide the opportunities for them to grow and prosper.
CAPITAL RESERVES IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
I believe in personaI responsibility to care and save to cover one's expenses in the home they own. Affordable Housing is subsidized for a reason, it's existence is a benefit to the community. The development of the building and CCR's each represent their own challenge. I believe that with expanding opportunites come increased responsibility.