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We have the same affordable housing problem here in Boulder, but on a much smaller scale than SF. It's been this way for over a decade... Unfortunately, fixing

We have the same affordable housing problem here in Boulder, but on a much smaller scale than SF. It's been this way for over a decade... Unfortunately, fixing this housing dynamic is not so simple as increasing supply. Incremental increases in supply can never keep up with exponential demand. IMO the highest impact solution is to focus on transportation. But that's a topic for another discussion.

shostack 11y ago
How has it impacted Denver and the housing market there? Also, are there still "affordable" and safe parts of Boulder? My understanding is there is plenty of land that can be developed there. Would love to understand more about the housing market over there since you don't see it in the press nearly as much as the Bay Area.
- pcmaffey 11y ago
  The greater effect has been on the suburban sprawl towns in between Boulder and Denver. Places like Louisville, Lafeyette, and Longmont have seen dramatic increases in both prices and quality of living, just in the past 5 years. These towns don't have the restrictions on development that Boulder does. So that's where the growth is going. Boulder continues to develop, but its pace can't keep up with demand at all (which is a good thing). It's a university town, so there's lots of rentals. But as for purchasing homes, there's really nothing "affordable" in Boulder proper (except perhaps compared to SF). Nor are there any "unsafe" parts of Boulder...
  - shostack 11y ago
    Interesting, thanks for the insight. Would you consider any of these sprawl areas as desirable at all? I'm trying to form a comparison to the Peninsula here in the Bay Area. How is safety in those other areas or Denver proper?
    - pcmaffey 11y ago
      Yeah, certainly, each has its own vibe. Sort of depends on what you're looking for. Colorado in general IMO is the coolest state in the nation (and I've lived in a few). The different areas represent magnitudes of that. They are all relatively safe, compared to East coast (where I'm from). Though I can't speak much for Denver as I don't need to go there much... Compared to the bay area, I used to live in the mountains of Santa Cruz, and now live in the mountains outside Boulder. Other than that, I don't have much experience with the differing areas of the SF peninsula. I'd recommend maybe starting your research with Louisville. It's blown up quite a bit recently, but is not quite at Boulder prices. If you have some specific questions about places from there, I'm happy to help. :)

shostack 11y ago

How has it impacted Denver and the housing market there? Also, are there still "affordable" and safe parts of Boulder? My understanding is there is plenty of land that can be developed there. Would love to understand more about the housing market over there since you don't see it in the press nearly as much as the Bay Area.

pcmaffey 11y ago
The greater effect has been on the suburban sprawl towns in between Boulder and Denver. Places like Louisville, Lafeyette, and Longmont have seen dramatic increases in both prices and quality of living, just in the past 5 years. These towns don't have the restrictions on development that Boulder does. So that's where the growth is going. Boulder continues to develop, but its pace can't keep up with demand at all (which is a good thing). It's a university town, so there's lots of rentals. But as for purchasing homes, there's really nothing "affordable" in Boulder proper (except perhaps compared to SF). Nor are there any "unsafe" parts of Boulder...
- shostack 11y ago
  Interesting, thanks for the insight. Would you consider any of these sprawl areas as desirable at all? I'm trying to form a comparison to the Peninsula here in the Bay Area. How is safety in those other areas or Denver proper?
  - pcmaffey 11y ago
    Yeah, certainly, each has its own vibe. Sort of depends on what you're looking for. Colorado in general IMO is the coolest state in the nation (and I've lived in a few). The different areas represent magnitudes of that. They are all relatively safe, compared to East coast (where I'm from). Though I can't speak much for Denver as I don't need to go there much... Compared to the bay area, I used to live in the mountains of Santa Cruz, and now live in the mountains outside Boulder. Other than that, I don't have much experience with the differing areas of the SF peninsula. I'd recommend maybe starting your research with Louisville. It's blown up quite a bit recently, but is not quite at Boulder prices. If you have some specific questions about places from there, I'm happy to help. :)