Business View Civil and Municipal | April/May 2022

45 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 MONTROSE , COLORADO the city works with the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority [CHFA] and the Montrose County Housing Authority to offer more low to moderate income options. One of the city’s most desirable areas to live is historic downtown Montrose. “It’s a beautiful area with amazing public art,” boasts Kuczmarski. “We also have a local Historic Preservation Commission that works to designate historic buildings on our local Historic Register, which allows owners to pursue tax credits for preservation efforts. Our Development and Revitalization Team (DART) is dedicated to encouraging historic preservation while homes and duplexes.” Each year also sees an increase in property values. Retirees are buying many of the new builds for well over $400,000, creating a gap between younger professionals able to purchase only affordable housing. Bell explains, “We’ve all lost new hires because they can’t find anywhere to live. So, the city, and CMU have partnered to buy a large house for use by WCLEA cadets. The house is like a dorm for 10 to 15 people. The city also owns a single family home often used by new city employees; both properties will be used as temporary housing, just for three to six months until they find something permanent.” For affordable housing,