South Routt County is taking a major step toward addressing a growing housing shortage with formation of a new regional advisory board.
The South Routt Housing Advisory Board, currently in the process of being finalized, will bring together two representatives each from Oak Creek, Yampa and Routt County to guide a newly hired housing manager with the goal of implementing solutions outlined in a 2024 housing needs assessment.
The board is not a housing authority — at least not yet. Instead, it’s being described as an “initial step” in building the organizational structure and regional collaboration needed to address South Routt housing challenges.
“We’re creating a guiding and overseeing group from representatives of the regional area of South Routt County to work with Drew (Blanchard) and implement action items identified in the housing needs assessment and the comprehensive plans for this area,” said Mary Alice Page-Allen, town clerk for Oak Creek and town planner for Yampa.
Drew Blanchard was recently hired as South Routt’s housing innovation manager. His position is funded by a Local Planning Capacity grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, matched by contributions from Routt County, Oak Creek and Yampa, with Oak Creek acting as fiscal agent for the grant.
Blanchard, who officially started at the beginning of July, brings an unconventional background to the role. Most recently, he previously worked as an English professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was part of a group of over 40 tenured faculty laid off in 2024.
Before entering academia, Blanchard worked in community and economic development at the Southeast Neighborhood Development program in Indianapolis, where he was involved in housing and neighborhood revitalization efforts.
“I immediately thought of nonprofit work — development work that involves community building, because that was what I was doing before I went back to school, and I really enjoyed that job a lot,” said Blanchard of his post-layoff trajectory.
Blanchard said part of what drew him to the position was the opportunity to work in a community where he has family. His sister is an elementary school teacher in South Routt.
“Being here for just two weeks, I’m really excited about it, and excited about bringing the community and people together,” he said.
The Oak Creek Board of Trustees approved its two representatives — Town Administrator Louis Fineberg and Trustee Erika Pastor — at its regular meeting on July 10. Yampa is scheduled to finalize its appointments, including Page-Allen and Planning Commission Chair Cindy Ashley, on July 16.
Routt County Commissioner Angelica Salinas will serve as one of the county’s two representatives, with the second still to be determined. John Bristol, executive director of the Routt County Economic Development Partnership, has also agreed to serve on the board.
At the Oak Creek meeting on Thursday, Salinas said the advisory board is not a permanent governing body, but a stepping stone toward creating a more formal housing authority.
“The idea for this advisory board is to start off as just that, an advisory board, to help guide this position, since (Blanchard’s) position is not just reporting to the town of Oak Creek but is really overseeing a much broader project than that,” said Salinas.
“Once a South Routt Housing Authority is established, which is one of the goals of (Blanchard’s) job, that housing authority will need a board of directors,” she added. “So the idea is that this advisory board will lay the groundwork for that board.”
Blanchard’s position is funded for two years through Proposition 123, a 2022 voter-approved initiative that dedicates 0.1% of state income tax revenue — about $300 million annually — to affordable housing, with a focus on rural and workforce needs. Blanchard said he intends to reapply for continued funding and hopes to help create a more permanent nonprofit housing entity in South Routt.
“I certainly envision this job, in my position here and my work in the community, to go far beyond the two-year initial grant position,” he said.
In his first days on the job, Blanchard has focused on meeting with stakeholders, reviewing housing studies and comprehensive plans, and preparing for onboarding with DOLA. He is also drafting a phased strategic plan that includes community engagement, identifying quick-win housing projects and laying the groundwork for a local housing nonprofit.
“This is a job, for me at least, that’s not just about building more housing and more units and ensuring that people stay in their houses,” Blanchard told the Oak Creek trustees at their meeting. “It’s about ensuring that teachers, first responders, hospitality workers, young families and seniors can afford either to become homeowners or renters in quality places and really have a sustainable path to being major parts of the community.”
Blanchard said he is particularly interested in exploring small-scale infill projects, energy-efficiency upgrades for existing homes and zoning changes that could make building easier in towns like Oak Creek and Yampa. He also wants to explore historic preservation and environmental sustainability in housing development.
As part of his early work, Blanchard has been reviewing the recent results of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority-commissioned housing demand study.
Regarding South Routt, specifically, Blanchard said that the study found a “significant undersupply” of affordable homes for households earning below 80% of the area median income, as well as a growing gap among renters and workforce households earning between 60% and 120% of the AMI.
“There’s just not much available at all in terms of rentals that fit that category and/or homes for purchase,” said Blanchard. “Those are the big challenges.”
The study also recommended focusing on small-scale infill and “missing middle” housing, such as duplexes and townhomes; supporting homeownership programs like deed restrictions and shared equity models; and developing locally administered housing funds or nonprofits that target South Routt’s specific needs.
Blanchard said he plans to reach out to YVHA in the coming weeks to explore potential partnerships and avoid duplicating efforts.
“My goal is to connect with them in the next couple of weeks, just as a way to get to know them and see how I can support what they’re doing, or we can support what they’re doing, and how they can help us think through some of the things and the strategies that we want to implement,” he said.
Page-Allen said coordination with entities like YVHA and other community stakeholders will be essential to the advisory board’s success — and, eventually, to the potential housing authority’s success as well.
Blanchard said he is committed to transparency, and he hopes to develop public dashboards and host town halls to keep residents informed, engaged and connected.
“I want to be accessible,” he said. “I’m just really excited to be here and get to work and see how we can advance housing in this difficult time.”