Student Housing Action Plan Takes Form

Beth Sowder | Neighborhoods |

bsowder@fcgov.com

The Student Housing Action Plan strives to develop community driven strategies that encourage and provide an adequate supply of quality student housing while maintaining neighborhood quality and compatibility.

This project is a collaborative effort between the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State University (CSU). The stakeholders also include Front Range Community College, neighbors, property owners, developers, Colorado State University Research Foundation (CSURF), Fort Collins Board of Realtors, Northern Colorado Rental Housing Association, Associated Students of CSU (ASCSU), students, and more. The purpose of the study is to work with these stakeholders to identify strategies to address the increasing need for student housing, identify key preferences for development, and develop strategies to resolve compatibility issues. During the Plan Fort Collins process, the need to address the student housing supply was identified. Fort Collins has and is continuing to experience an increase in population, increasing CSU enrollment, and a limited supply of multi-family and student housing. This combined with very low vacancy rates and challenges addressing neighborhood concerns regarding potential development projects are driving the need for the development of strategies to help facilitate adequate housing supplies while identifying compatibility issues upon existing neighborhoods. City Plan identified this need with the following policies: • Policy LIV 7.2 – Develop an Adequate Supply of Housing • Policy LIV 7.7 – Accommodate the Student Population • Action Plan – Student Housing Plan CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation, a department dedicated to enhancing local democracy through improved public communication and community problem solving, is assisting with the community engagement process. Feedback received through the community engagement process will drive the specific recommendations, strategies, and action items for this project, which could include recommended code or process changes, design criteria, and mechanisms for reviewing and monitoring of the implemented strategies. Since March, the staff team has formed an identified the scope and issues to be addressed, conducted data collection, gathered background information, identified and collaborated with CSU, and identified additional partners and stakeholders. Several focus groups with developers, designers, students, neighbors, and property owners have met and discussed student housing preferences, issues, and ideas. Additional focus groups will meet in January. City Council received a written update in September, and a work session is scheduled on February 14, 2012. Additionally, an update was provided to the Affordable Housing Board, and updates are scheduled in January with the Planning & Zoning Board and the Landmark Preservation Commission. If you would like more information, please visit fcgov.com/studenthousing.