For those who have been curious about the affordable Tungsten Village apartments occupancy data, I can now provide a follow-up.

We, meaning myself, and a couple of local human services agencies, over a year ago, had compiled a confidential list of 50+ Peak to Peak area residents who may be interested in affordable Tungsten Village apartments. It was a diverse group of area residents from seniors to single parents to local workforce employees. This information was passed on to Boulder County Housing Authority (BCHA).

Six months and three emails later BCHA has finally responded to our inquiries for occupancy data. It, on the part of BCHA, turned out not to be a truthful ‘partnership’. However, moving forward, we have learned quite a bit.

Only 11 applications from Peak to Peak residents, including some from Gilpin, qualified for consideration. The Tungsten Village apartments data breaks down as follows: two-thirds (17 of 26) of the affordable units occupied are at the 50%-60% of the Boulder County AMI (average median income), meaning those occupants’ wage income is ($21.05 - $25/hr). Across the nation the greatest housing need is for affordable housing at the 30%-40% of a county’s AMI. In Boulder County that means those occupants’ wage income is ($12.73 - $17. 69/hr). Of the 26 affordable units in Tungsten Village apartments only onethird (9 of the 26) units went to those with the greatest need. But hey, BCHA filled their need to ‘balance their housing stock portfolio’, and filled the need of all those qualified out-of-towners who had a dream of living in Nederland.

Sincerely,
Atashnaa Medicineshield Werner
Nederland