Ensuring the availability of housing for Vail's year-round residents

The Vail Local Housing Authority (VLHA) aligns with the Town of Vail Housing Department to support a vision that the Town of Vail is the world’s resort community leader by ensuring the availability of homes for year-round residents. Vail’s year-round residents, along with their homes, prove critical to maintaining and enriching the premier international mountain resort community and its critical workforce. In Vail, homes for residents are seen as infrastructure – a community support system – not unlike roads, bridges, water and sewer, and similar services delivered by municipal government.

THE VLHA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:

  • VLHA Budget Approval
  • Policy Recommendations
  • Advocacy
  • Coordinating with Town of Vail Staff on Housing Initiatives
  • Recommendations to Vail Town Council for Strategic Long-Term Planning

As an appointed authority under State of Colorado regulation, the VLHA serves as a technical adviser and recommending body to the Vail Town Council.  Town Council creates and implements housing policy and is the final decision maker. The VLHA places a special emphasis on affordable community housing initiatives and is working towards the 2017 stated goal to create or acquire 1,000 incremental resident-occupied deed-restrictions by the year 2027. Examples of the VLHA’s activities include:

  • Acting as special agent for the Town of Vail, the VLHA was instrumental in the development of Middle Creek Village Apartments, a 142-unit affordable rental development. 
  • On behalf of the Town of Vail, helped to structure a deed restriction for the 32-unit community completed in 2018 located in West Vail off Chamonix Road and within walking distance to West Vail shopping. The development contains 10 buildings with 5 floor plan types.
  • Providing recommendations to help move Town of Vail’s housing initiatives forward including the completion of Residences at Main Vail rental housing project in 2023, and the 2024 groundbreaking of Timber Ridge Village, 302 for-sale, deed-restricted modular homes.
  • In the spirit of building public-private partnerships, the VLHA supported a collaboration (a deal that is unprecedented in the Rocky Mountain region in modern times) among Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley, the Town of Vail, Eagle County Government and Triumph Development for 20 homeownership opportunities within the Timber Ridge Village redevelopment, allowing Habitat to issue zero-interest mortgages affordable to qualified buyers earning under 80 percent of the area median income.    
  • On behalf of the Town, the VLHA selected the developer and oversaw development of the Arosa Duplex, Vail’s only LEED Silver Certified affordable housing.
  • Review of applications and recommendations of approval of Vail InDEED purchases – more than 175 to-date.

Acting as special agent for the Town of Vail, the VLHA was instrumental in the development of Middle Creek Village Apartments, a 142-unit affordable rental development. 

Zach Meyers, General Manger, Manor Vail Lodge, watches the first modular unit being set at Timber Ridge Village. Manor Vail Lodge purchased a three-bedroom home for its employees. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TOWN OF VAIL HOUSING POLICIES

MEETINGS

The five-member volunteer board meets on the second  Tuesday of every month at 3 p.m. and special meetings scheduled as needed. Currently, these meetings are held in the Council Chambers and via ZOOM. In some cases, they are on ZOOM only and will be detailed on the final, posted meeting agenda. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Craig Denton

cdenton@vlha.net

Dan Godec

dgodec@vlha.net

Steve Lindstrom

slindstrom@vlha.net

Kristin Kenney Williams

kwilliams@vlha.net

Christine Santucci

csantucci@vlha.net

HOUSING DOCUMENTS

2024 Housing Policies
Eagle County Housing Task Force
Mountain Migration Report 2021
Revised Housing Guidelines 2022
2016 Housing Policies
Vail Ecomic Impact Infographic
2012 Eagle County Housing Needs Assessment
2019 Housing Investment
Vail Housing 2027
Environmental Impact of Housing

VLHA CONTRIBUTION REQUEST

The VLHA accepts contribution requests from charitable organizations whose work advances the Town of Vail’s adopted housing policy statements. These policy statements focus on increasing resident occupied, deed restricted housing and strengthening the housing continuum for the Vail Community. All requests must directly align with these adopted housing policy statements listed in the Town of Vail Resolution No. 13, Series of 2024.

Submit a VLHA Contribution Request
Contact US

CONTACT

Robyn Smith | Senior Housing Coordinator | 970-471-9503 | RLSmith@vail.gov