EL PASO COUNTY — Local housing leaders in El Paso County say developers are not building the types of housing that residents can afford.
In its 2024 report, the Pikes Peak Housing Network (PPHN) said developers need to build more starter homes to fill the "missing middle," which refers to the need for medium-density housing like townhomes and condominiums.
"It is really hard for our younger community members and our families to purchase homes," said PPHN Executive Director Jill Gaebler. "So they're renting homes longer. They're not creating that generational wealth, and they're not experiencing this stability in a neighborhood that folks who can own a home experience."
According to the PPHN, the majority of new homes built in El Paso County in Jan. 2025 were $600,000 or more, while only 37% of residents could afford that price. Right now, the average age of a first-time home buyer is 38 years old, according to the National Association of Realtors. In the 1990s, the typical first-time home buyer was in their late 20s.
During a panel discussion on Tuesday morning at the Peel House at First Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, builders, architects, and nonprofits discussed ways to create cheaper housing for more residents to enjoy.
Panelists discussed innovative housing approaches like modular housing, accessory-dwelling units, and cottage courts as solutions to bring costs down.
"At the end of the day, trying to build smaller houses on smaller parcels is what's going to really move the needle on affordability," said Gaebler. "We also need to be thinking about construction methods. So modular housing is coming forward, 3D printing housing is coming forward, and really condos and types of townhomes that can really be that entry-level home for our community members."
Housing leaders also talked about the regulations and fees in place that they said lead to higher building costs. John Olson, architect and owner of Urban Landscapes, said he often sees developers back out of projects after they see the obstacles.
"We've had a lot of clients that come to the table that want to do something very exciting out of the gates, and then they'll meet with city planning, or they'll start to understand some of the fees and timelines of how long things can take," said Olson. "So some of that goes into school fees, park fees, utility fees, tap fees, development fees, police and fire fees, so all of those different elements at the end of the day drive the cost to the consumer of the home to a greater extent."
According to the PPHN, the average home price in El Paso County in 2024 was $549,346 while the median condo price was $340,000.
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