The city of Alamosa, Colorado, has one of the lowest rates for homeownership in the state for Hispanic residents. After an extensive multi-year housing needs assessment, the city is now gearing to build the homes the community needs. 

“There is a strong need for homeownership in Alamosa, so we are pleased to play a key role in providing much-need homes,” said Arturo T. Alvarado, executive director of Community Resources & Housing Development Corporation (CRHDC), a nonprofit organization that creates pathways to home and asset-building opportunities for low-to-moderate income communities throughout Colorado. 

Over the past 30 years, CRHDC has worked in 30 counties and has overseen the construction of more than 2,000 homes as part of the USDA Rural Development Mutual Self-Help program. In Alamosa, CRHDC has developed single and multi-family housing — over 16% of the housing stock. The nonprofit is currently working with the City of Alamosa to produce a design concept that lays the groundwork for 412 new units of affordable and energy-efficient housing. 

Addressing Community Need

To gain a better understanding of the housing needs in Alamosa, a diverse group of stakeholders in the region launched a collaborative effort, ultimately arriving at a plan to conduct a housing needs assessment that led to an action plan. The process began with a series of targeted outreach strategies, emphasizing inclusivity and diversity, which resulted in the highest level of public participation in any engagement initiative the City of Alamosa has ever undertaken. Outreach efforts included surveys, public service announcements, social media campaigns, radio interviews, online surveys, and public meetings. 

The project began with acquiring and creating infill lots for future development, but as those became less accessible, the team shifted to the self-help housing model, using the sweat equity approach. Staff quickly recognized that valuable land was underutilized 

How Section 4 Funding Was Used

Enterprise’s Section 4 funding played a critical role in building momentum, helping to foster collaboration with the city over the course of several years. In 2020, the CRHDC team secured land, and by 2022, they successfully engaged with the city. The planning process officially kicked off in 2023, and the final development plan was approved soon after with construction for single family homes to begin in 2026. Now that infrastructure has been lined up, they will pursue housing tax credits. Enterprise Section 4 funding also helped with stormwater and sewage drainage to the sites. With no original capacity, grants helped to get the necessary infrastructure in place.

CRHDC continues to challenge itself by considering that anything that can be built with traditional materials can be re-thought.  The use of prefabrication and new methods of design can benefit the community and the residents. In the future, the organization plans to work with larger CDFIs that can provide low interest funding for construction and permanent debt for multi-family units.