One year after breaking ground, Roaring Fork School District has opened its new housing complex in Carbondale on Meadowood Drive. It is part of a larger plan to increase the share of affordable housing for RFSD staff in the valley.
On July 18th, Roaring Fork School District Employees began moving into the newly opened staff housing on Meadowood Drive in Carbondale. A year after breaking ground at the location, one-third of the units were ready to move in with the rest being ready for occupancy by the middle of September.
This almost doubles the school district’s housing supply for staff, bringing the running total from 66 units to 116 units.
Ben Bohmfalk, Chief Operating Officer of Roaring Fork Schools said “We’ve built enough two and three-bedroom [units], that we did not have a waitlist for 2 and 3 bedroom [units]. So we’re in really good shape for anyone who needs 2 and 3 bedrooms.”
These units are available to all RFSD staff, not just teachers.
Rent for staff housing is a little more than a quarter of the median salary. However, that percentage increases for units with more rooms and for employees who make more than the median salary. This ensures that housing is kept affordable for RFSD staff and their families while also encouraging staff higher up the pay scale to find housing on the open market.
While the opening of Meadowood Drive RFSD housing has already reduced the waiting list for housing among RFSD employees, it is just one step in the district’s mission to ensure housing is accessible and affordable to district staff in the future.
“We're gonna do a housing master plan this fall, with an outside consultant to get an update and do some more surveys on what should our next projects be… So this is this has been a huge project, Meadowood. It's been a huge step forward, but we know that we have a lot more work ahead of us as well.”
