Dear Editor,

The first subsidized senior housing in Boulder County was built in Nederland in 1988: 6 small one-bedroom units known as Prime Haven.

Over the past five years, based on the shared knowledge and expertise of EFFA (Emergency Family Assistance Association), AAA, and an Envision 2030 Housing subcommittee member, in order to meet the housing needs of our growing. vulnerable, aging population, Nederland needs approximately 12 - 18 subsidized senior housing units. Thirty-three years later, Nederland still has just those 6 small senior housing units to serve our senior mountain residents.

I think it was in 2017 that Frank Alexander, then Executive Director of Boulder County Housing Authority (BCHA), held a Housing Summit to address the need for affordable housing countywide, with a goal to build 200 housing units in the cities by 2030. However, the need for subsidized senior housing for mountain residents was not included or addressed.

Nederland is unique from the urban areas in many ways, with subsidized senior housing being among them. And, due to the lack of land within the town limits to build or infill for appropriate senior housing, real collaboration and accountability from BCHA in addressing our critical housing needs, and BCHA insensitivity to the culture of senior mountain residents’ housing needs, annexation seems to be the only option to getting subsidized Senior housing built for our growing senior residents.

Sincerely,

Atashnaa Medicineshield Werner Nederland