As ministers of local churches, the Steamboat Christian Ministerial Alliance sees the deep need our community has for more affordable housing.

Significant portions of our church’s annual benevolence budgets are given to congregants and their neighbors who find themselves unable to make their monthly rent or mortgage payment. Of course, poor budgeting and/or an unforeseen incident is often the reason for such shortfalls, but the increasingly tight housing market is also largely to blame.

Helping working families find affordable housing of any sort in our community is often impossible due to the limited availability and affordability of the local rental market. We respect market forces and understand that Steamboat is a popular place to live, but we also hope that something can be done soon or we may lose a commodity that many ski towns lack — a diverse community filled with families who live, work, play and worship in the town they love.

The recent public/private collaboration that built The Reserves in west Steamboat illustrates that affordable housing can be developed in our community in a smart and affordable way.

The Christian Ministerial Association feels that the 5A for Homes initiative will build on that model and the potential benefits far outweigh the cost. 5A for Homes seems to us to be an incredibly affordable and balanced approach to help solve a huge problem that many of our friends and neighbors are facing.

We encourage your support of 5A for Homes this election season.

Sincerely,

The Steamboat Christian Ministerial Alliance

Steamboat Springs