Knocking down walls

Although putting roofs over workers’ heads is one of the task force’s main objectives, it is not its only one. Since its first meeting last March, the task force also has worked to fight the stigma that often goes with affordable-housing projects.

“There is this myth that they are somehow not going to be as good of neighbors,” said Bill Mashaw, a member of the task force and La Plata County Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit land trust that acquires and develops land for affordable housing. “That’s just stupid.”

Mashaw said one of the biggest hurdles to affordable housing is overcoming the public’s misconceptions about the developments, the so-called “not-in-my-back-yard” attitude.

“We never have someone coming into a county commissioners meeting and saying, ‘I want that affordable housing development,’” he said. “And that’s tragic.

“In fact, I think (affordable housing) only makes a neighborhood better.”

Kennedy, with Merced, says Mercy pays special attention to making sure its developments are top notch.

“Mercy believes that just because people don’t have money doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the best,” she said.

And Kennedy believes that when you give people something they can be proud of, they will take better care of it, as evidenced by Merced, which has had a waiting list since it opened in 1997. Among the amenities at Merced are manicured, landscaped walkways; two-car garages and small back yards. “Everyone took pride of ownership right away,” said Kennedy. “These are quality homes with quality people in them.”

Walker echoes this sentiment.

“I have friends over now; I’m not embarrassed about where I live,” she said.

Pride of ownership also is evident at other affordable housing developments throughout Durango. Libby Wysocki, who lives in a Habitat for Humanity house in south Durango with her husband and three sons, has transformed much of her front yard into a blooming perennial garden. Ken Bigelow painstakingly installed tongue-and-groove oak flooring in his SkyRidge house as well as trim that he found on sale at The Millworks. And Greg Dodd, who lives in a house in Southwest Horizons Ranch, a Southwest Community Resources rental development on the Florida Mesa, boasts a view few can lay claim to.

“Our living room has the best view of the La Platas,” he said.

Nevertheless, it is not always these types of people that come to mind when one hears the word “affordable housing,” task force members assert. As a result, the task force is planning a “Good Neighbors Week” in an effort to build camaraderie among community residents.

“We are all neighbors,” said Mashaw. “And what we want to do is educate about who our neighbors are. It’s a feel-good sort of situation, but it gets to the heart of this problem we have.”

Building a future

And while progress is being made in the area of affordable housing, the providers and residents alike know more work still must be done. Currently, there are about 600 families wait-listed on affordable housing lists throughout the county, said Milissa Berry, city planner and task force member. Kennedy said Mercy housing is working on filling that need. In addition to Merceds’ 50 units, Mercy will be breaking ground in March on 46 more units on Goeglein Gulch Road.

Likewise, Habitat for Humanity is planning on adding to its total of 14 houses.

“The 15th is under way in Forest Lakes,” said Kay Ulwelling, Habitat’s director of fund development. Habitat also recently secured a parcel on Florida Road that could give them between five and 12 new homes over the next three years.

Likewise, Southwest Community Resources – which serves San Juan, La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta and Dolores counties – is also in the land hunt.

“We’re looking into property in all five counties, and that’s basically the first step – finding all the land,” said Liz Mora, assistant director.

Of particular interest to the organization is the growing need for senior housing.

“We’re really focusing on senior housing because that’s where there seems to be the greatest need in all five counties,” she said.

Kennedy said she, too, is seeing a growing need in that arena that shows no sign of abating any time soon.

“Senior housing is definitely on the horizon,” he said. “It’s a problem we’re going to continue to see in this community. I have people coming into my office every day who are over 65 and looking for housing.”

Meanwhile, Mashaw has teamed up with fellow Community Development Corp. member Reid Ross to spearhead a move to establish a regional housing authority in La Plata County. Mashaw said he and Ross presented city and county officials with a recommendation to start the authority, and the two entities are now hammering our a deal.

“Reid Ross and I do the grunt work,” he said. But it’s work the retiree with a self-professed interest in human services embraces.

“It’s important to do it for the children,” he said. “The first impact socially of lack of affordable housing is on the children.”