The newly formed Fraser River Valley Housing Partnership (FVHP), designed to address the workforce housing shortage in the towns of Fraser, Granby, and Winter Park is seeking qualified applicants for three at-large positions on its Board of Directors. Applications are available online at frvhp.com and are due by 5 p.m. on June 14 to admin@frvhp.com. These three community members will join four existing board members, who were appointed by the founding jurisdictions of Fraser, Granby, Winter Park and Grand County. Candidates will be considered at a public meeting on June 20, 2022, at Winter Park Town Hall at 2 p.m. A public agenda will also be available at frvhp.com

Qualifications and requirements of applicants:
While the new FVHP incorporates an area from Winter Park and Fraser through Granby, including unincorporated areas of Grand County, applicants are not required to live specifically within the Housing Authority area. However, all applicants must reside within Grand County.

The FVHP board seeks applicants who are knowledgeable about workforce housing and have the ability to work collaboratively with its partners to put together complex deals for advancing workforce housing. Candidates must have a passion for solving this housing issue and be outspoken advocates for the Housing Partnership.

Anticipated Time Commitment of Applicants:
• During initial formation months, the board members will be asked to meet bi-weekly for a two-hour period with the Working Group that has facilitated the formation of the partnership until this point.

• As the entity achieves a primary funding stream and brings on a staff person, it is anticipated the time commitment could decrease.

• The initial appointment is for a three-year term, with a term-limit of 4 terms.

The board for the housing partnership will consist of seven members: four appointed by the participating governments (Fraser, Granby, Winter Park and Grand County) and three at-large members of the communities appointed by the four initial board members.

The primary role of the FVHP will be to facilitate the development of workforce housing units.

A “Mountain Migration Study” done in 2021 revealed that home prices in mountain communities were reaching record heights, with rents increasing 40% between 2020 and 2021. A Housing Needs Assessment in the towns of Winter Park (2015) and Fraser (2016), determined that approximately 413 additional housing units were needed to meet workforce housing requirements in 2020. Meanwhile, Grand County’s 2018 Housing Study demonstrated the need for 135 additional housing units in Granby by 2023.

Winter Park Ski Resort, the town of Winter Park, Fraser and Granby all have workforce housing projects planned or under way. The FVHP hopes to build on these and create more housing to support Grand County workers and their families.