Off- site builds could help crisis; the state needs to act

A recent national study by Point2 analyzing real estate trends ranked Aurora ninth on a list of places where Generation Z has the best chance of owning a home. This on the heels of the State of the State in Colorado where Gov. Jared Polis declared that “we must create more housing in our state that Coloradans at all income levels can rent or buy in the communities where they want to live.”

I agree.

In Aurora we strive to be that model and are committed to exploring out- of- the- box housing options. Aurora has an opportunity. And I am excited to be part of it.

On Monday, Feb. 12, the Aurora City Council unanimously passed a resolution I sponsored to streamline the development of modular housing and reduce as many related fees as possible to make that type of housing a reality in Aurora more quickly.

This resolution demonstrates our commitment to embracing innovative housing solutions to reduce housing costs for builders and consumers and increase opportunities for infill developments and master- planned communities. This resolution demonstrates our commitment to embracing innovative housing solutions to reduce housing costs for builders and consumers.

Modular homes are built on permanent foundations to the same standards and quality of homes built on- site yet more affordably because more than 60% of each home is constructed in a factory setting then transported and finished on property.

Early indicators suggest that modular housing can increase the overall supply of housing with construction timelines that are more than 50% faster than site- built construction and deliver double the number of homes in the same amount of time at approximately the same cost. These are numbers and opportunities we cannot ignore.

As a public servant who deeply cares about this community, we simply must look for opportunities to make housing more affordable to current and prospective Aurora residents.

And although we are excited to be included on a list that shows that we are moving in the right direction, it is important that we are making housing affordable for everyone who lives and works here. This housing crisis will not be solved by one city or community alone. It requires all of us across the state to work together on innovative solutions that simultaneously meet and account for the unique needs of each community.

Unlike traditional on- site homebuilding, the state is responsible for the inspections of modular homebuilding that occurs in one spot in a factory setting and ensures compliance with the International Building Code. We are asking the state to alleviate duplicate inspection efforts and reduce costs. Cities and the state share the goal of increasing inventory of more affordable housing for everyone who wants to live in the same communities where they work.

As highlighted in our resolution, housing affordability is an issue across the country. This state is no exception. In December the Colorado Association of Realtors reported that the median closing price in Colorado rose by 42.7% over the past five years and home sales were down 19.1%.

A lot of factors contribute to housing affordability including inventory, unemployment rates and home price- toincome ratios.

And we have a lot of work to do before we have successfully addressed the housing crisis in Aurora, or Colorado, for that matter. Affordable housing is not a spectator sport, and it will require that we collectively roll up our sleeves and innovate new solutions to how we build housing.

As a member of the City Council and chair of Planning and Economic Development, I am proud that Aurora is stepping up and making housing a policy priority by being the first city to sign up for Proposition 123 to increase our affordable housing supply while at the same time identifying creative and cost- efficient approaches to addressing the existing shortage.

Francoise Bergan, now in her third term, was first elected to the Aurora City Council in 2015 and represents Ward VI in southeast Aurora. She is the chairwoman of the Planning & Economic Development Committee, vice chairwoman of the Transportation, Airport & Public Works Committee and a member of the Water Committee.