The city of Cortez is seeking a full-time, temporary affordable housing coordinator to take on the position for two years after receiving a grant for the position from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The coordinator will work as a contractor with the city.

In this role, the housing coordinator will work as a city liaison for affordable and workforce developers who have interest in doing business and building in Cortez.

The coordinator will also work on the advancement of several of the community priorities that were identified in the 2023 Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Action Plan, specifically those that are aligned with the city’s Proposition 123 commitment. They will also analyze the current municipal procedures and permitting documents to recommend improvements and ways to be more efficient in these areas.

The coordinator will also be tasked with identifying potential funding resources, such as grants, to aid in the cost of housing development.

In 2023, the city went through the process of completing a housing needs assessment to “understand current housing conditions and provide data to inform solutions for the housing challenges faced by the community.”

In the assessment, the city found that housing prices have risen significantly since 2018 and the inventory of houses for sale and for rent in the city are very limited.

After identifying these obstacles, the city created a Housing Action Plan to compile a list of housing goals and actions that have been listed and organized based on input from members of the community.

Some of the goals listed in the action plan are improving and updating land use codes and providing assistance to those building and contracting in the community in building more diverse housing types in the city.

The city is now accepting proposals for the affordable and workforce housing coordinator.

“The city hopes to find a qualified individual with experience in housing advocacy, real estate or another housing-related field,” the city said in a press release.

Proposals for the position are due no later than Friday, July 19 at noon.

The full proposal request can be found online at https://www.cortezco.gov/bids.aspx.

Those interested in learning more about Proposition 123 can visit https://www.cortezco.gov/896/Proposition-123-in-Cortez-and-Montezuma.

More information about the Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Action Plan can be found online at https://www.cortezco.gov/860/Housing-Needs-Assessment.