Colorado Mountain Communities Desperate For Affordable Housing & Child Care Help Look To Lodging Tax Bill
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Right now, there are 650 people on a waiting list for child care in Summit County. County Commissioner Elisabeth Lawrence said it's one of her top priorities when thinking of how to help the mountain community.
"We are desperate for child care centers. We need about double what we have right now," Lawrence said.
That's a part of why she said she was so excited about the passing of House Bill 1117 which allows counties to use lodging taxes on other things beside only tourism and advertising.
"What it is about, flexibility, allowing our voters to decide what is important to their individual county," Lawrence explained. Her main focuses would be on affordable housing, and providing more child care opportunities for working families.
Maria Brunori, Education director at Timberline Learning Center told CBS4 Mountain Newsroom Reporter Spencer Wilson she's seen these struggles up close.
"We have parents calling almost every day, asking about where they are on our waitlist and it is really hard when we receive those calls," Brunori said. "We know that families need care. They have been on our waitlist for maybe four or five years and they still can't come in."
Brunori said keeping affordable housing as a focus too will help keep child care facilities staffed like hers in Breckenridge as well.
"People who love children can't afford to live here with the rising cost of rent and don't want to live with isx other people," Brunori explained. "We can't really find those people who can stay here."
If voters choose to implement the 2% tax on lodging in county areas, things like Airbnbs and lodging at Copper Mountain and Keystone Mountain would go towards those goals. Right now county commissioners project Summit County could see as much as $3 million worth of revenue, in the event voters choose to vote it in.
