This is a transcript of testimony offered by Pagosa resident Kristie Wayward to the Pagosa Springs Town Council, at the August 3, 2021, regular meeting.
Good evening. My name is Kristie Wayward. I am a 24 year resident of Pagosa Springs.
For a little background I ran a small construction company for a few years, and I owned a hair salon in the town of Pagosa Springs for almost 10 years. I was the system administrator/microwave engineer for Skywerx Industries/Visionary broadband for 17 years. I designed much of the network that provides broadband to this [Town Hall] building and much of the Pagosa Springs area.
I am a veteran of the USAF and I have also served on a property owners board in the past, so I think I have a pretty good perspective on the issues facing Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County.
Since last fall I have been homeless as I was unable to find any rental that I could afford, and even if I could, most will not accept pets. Almost none of the jobs in this town pay enough to afford housing in this area. Most jobs here are in the $12 to $15 an hour range, and even though I made $35 an hour, most rentals were still beyond my means. A bigger problem is even if you can afford the rent, there are almost no properties available.
I was fortunate that a friend allowed me to live in their small shed through the winter months. I have not had running water, bathroom, a place to cook or even a place to get a comfortable night’s sleep. As of May, I had to leave my job of 17 years and move into my car. I’ve traveled around the Western Slope trying to find a safe place to sleep, as the town of my residence does not allow overnight camping. Even in Durango, the Walmart allows overnight camping. I believe the town of Pagosa needs to provide a location for the residents of Pagosa who have no home a place to legally camp, that has running water, a porta potty, WIFI, and maybe even occasional power to charge our devices.
Just because we cannot afford a home in our own community we should not be forced to hide or feel like criminals. Everyone has a right to a place they can call home.
I believe a major factor driving the lack of affordable rentals in Pagosa is the explosion in the number of Short-Term Rental properties. While most communities across the region highly regulate the STR industry, Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County have allowed the number of STRs to be unregulated, and this has helped lead to a market distortion in the number of long-term rentals available on the market. Many renters are finding their leases are not available to renew, as the landlords would much rather be in the lucrative STR market than the long-term rental market. This has resulted in a dwindling supply of long-term rental properties — and scarcity causes a rise in price. This has resulted in the few available rentals to be out of reach of most workers in the Pagosa job market.
While communities such as Durango put hard limits on the number of STRs per neighborhood and outright ban them in many areas, the Pagosa area has allowed STRs to become nearly 15% of all houses, which has removed a significant number of properties from the long-term rental market. I believe a healthy ratio of STRs would be closer to 2% or 3% of the total available housing.
Businesses across the region are experiencing a worker shortage. Almost every business on the Western Slope has unfilled jobs and the problem seems to be growing. I would argue that we will see more and more businesses in the Pagosa area unable to fill jobs, or even remain open, as the worker shortage intensifies. I believe if we do not address the housing problem, we will never be able to remedy the worker shortage. Workers that do not have access to basic human needs such as running water and a place to sleep are not so much unwilling to work, but unable to do the work expected of them when they feel dirty and have not had restful sleep or a warm meal.
A majority of people view the homeless as someone who stands by Walmart or City market with a sign asking for money, but most homelessness is unseen. Every community I have been to on the Western Slope I have seen people living in cars, camping in the forest, or hiding in a friend’s yard. Most of the real homeless are uncounted, and thus ignored. However, the problem is growing every day and I am seeing more and more people without a place to call home.
I don’t like calling myself homeless, as I have a home. It is Pagosa Springs.
What I am is without a place to live.
Thank You.