Editor’s note: The Ouray County Plaindealer started publishing profiles of nonprofits between Thanksgiving and New Year’s in 2020 as a community service. The purpose of these profiles is to highlight the meaningful work being performed by these organizations and let the community know how they can help them even more, as the holidays approach and we reach the end of 2024. Nonprofit organizations that are based in Ouray County and serve Ouray County are eligible for these profiles.

Year established as a nonprofit: 2018

What does your organization do for Ouray County?

Affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Ouray County, where the median price for a single-family home has remained at $1.1 million for another year. With the rising cost of living, many of our neighbors — including essential workers, seniors and young families — are struggling to find homes they can afford. The Home Trust has made significant strides in addressing this issue, through new home construction, the preservation of existing housing and creating opportunities for renters and first-time homebuyers.

Our mission is to provide permanently affordable housing and housing-related resources to Ouray County by stewarding community assets. We believe that a strong, vibrant community is built on the foundation of stable housing. Our commitment is to preserve the diversity of Ouray County by offering affordable housing solutions that benefit the entire region. Additionally, as a Community Land Trust, Home Trust is deeply focused on the specific needs of our community — not just for affordable housing, but for solutions that help Ouray County thrive. Our largest project is being designed as a mixed-use development that will include affordable rental units alongside affordable commercial space, providing space for essential services such as childcare, child therapy and mental health support.

What do you list as your greatest accomplishments in 2024?

Although we’re still considered a start-up nonprofit organization, we have moved quickly toward our goals. Our accomplishments in 2024 include: Providing homes for 18 people across six active rental units, with another 30 rental units in various stages of development in Ouray and Ridgway. Our duplex project, scheduled for completion in mid-January, will create two new homeownership opportunities. We will be completing phase one of our six-plex preservation property renovations in Ouray. We led two successful fundraising events: the Ourayce and the Home Tour. We secured over $1 million in state, grant and donor funding to support our projects and programs.

What are some goals or projects you have planned for 2025?

As we look ahead to 2025, the Home Trust has big plans to continue advancing its mission of creating affordable housing and building a thriving, inclusive community. Primary goals include:

• Break ground on our 13-unit rental project. This is a major step forward in expanding affordable housing options in Ouray.

• Complete our funding for our mixeduse project in Ridgway, which will provide both residential and commercial spaces.

• Purchase and preserve additional affordable housing units to ensure it remains permanently affordable for our community members unable to afford market rental rates.

In addition to these projects, we are committed to growing our member and donor base, as our success is made possible not only through state and grant funding but also through the support of our community.

Tell us how the community can help you do more here in Ouray County.

The affordable housing crisis is a challenge that impacts our entire community. It will take collective effort and support to create meaningful change in this critical area — change that will shape our future for years to come. To continue our momentum, we need the community’s support more than ever. That’s why we’re excited to launch our Building Homes & Thriving Communities year-end giving campaign with a $50,000 matching challenge.

Thanks to a generous donor, every contribution made to Home Trust between now and Dec. 31 will be doubled — up to $50,000. This means your donation will have twice the impact in helping provide affordable housing and keeping our community intact. But we don’t just rely on our community for financial contributions. We also depend on the support of volunteers, business sponsors and Home Trust memberships. Becoming a Home Trust member is an easy way to stay engaged with our work. Memberships start at $25/year. You can donate directly and learn more at hometrustoc.org.

Thank you to Kelly Goodin for providing this information.