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WORKFORCE HOUSING

Why Workforce Housing Works

Workforce housing helps employers recruit and retain local workers, reduces long commutes, and helps the people our community depends on live in the valley they serve.

Open to the Valley’s Employers

  • EJ Crossing is a 163-unit workforce housing project, and every unit is restricted to employees of Roaring Fork Valley employers. Any qualifying employer can house its people here.
  • Aspen One is leading the planning and county approval process to get the neighborhood built. Aspen One anticipates holding the largest share of units but is committed to engaging with local employers to participate as well.
  • The site is subdivided into 17 parcels so that employers of very different sizes can take part.

  • Restricting units to people in the local workforce, rather than to certain income levels, lets the neighborhood address the diversity of valley employers’ needs. 

Aspen One joins organizations including Colorado Mountain College, the Roaring Fork School District, Aspen School District, Pitkin County, Eagle County, and RFTA in investing in housing because a stable workforce is essential to a thriving community.

“Without district support, free-market rentals and homeownership are out of reach for most staff, and a family of two mid-career educators can only afford to buy in Parachute, nearly an hour outside the district”
–  Anna Cole, Roaring Fork School District Superintendent (Post Independent)

Why Density Matters

Making Workforce Housing Financially Possible

Workforce housing requires a significant investment. Many of the highest costs—land, infrastructure, roads, utilities, engineering, and community amenities—remain nearly the same regardless of how many homes are built. Building the number of homes allowed by zoning spreads those costs across more homes, making each one more affordable.