Sandy Hollingsworth, Gilpin County. The Gilpin County Senior Living (GCSL) Board of Directors extends their thoughts to all residents of the county who have been impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic. We know that many people have lost work and had health setbacks plus disruptions to their in-person connection to others and daily lives. We hope that you are finding the support that you need through family, friends, County services and volunteers. Our Gilpin County community is strong together and we are resilient!

GCSL Board has been busy behind the scenes moving ahead with planning discussions to create senior housing in Gilpin County. We thought an update may bring hope for the future and news besides the challenging times people and the County are experiencing. 

Gilpin County Senior Living applied for and was selected for a Colorado Health Foundation grant in December. These grants are awarded to housing initiatives which are community led, like ours. We were provided with a contractor from SCB Consultants who has been helping us assess different type of rural housing development strategies and models. In addition to the grant, we were given a generous contribution to our start-up fund.

We are in the final stages of a 2020 Housing Market Study and will summarize findings in a future article. We continue to discuss senior housing needs with county staff. A housing needs assessment in 2010 indicated a future need for senior housing which was part of the reason that GCSL was later formed. With this and other steps in progress, the Board has an opening for another Board member. If you are interested in helping to make the vision of senior housing for Gilpin County a reality, especially if you have marketing or technology experience, please join us! Find more information at www.gilpincountyseniorliving.org.

The Gilpin County Senior Living Board of Directors wishes you all good health. 

(Originally published in the May 14, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)