Housing Costs & Jeffco's Workforce

Advancing conversations with Jeffco's businesses and workforce about the impacts of rising housing costs on our local workforce, economy, and community vitality.

LINK TO WEBINAR RECORDING 

Link to the Bell Policy Center YouTube Playlist--Housing Webinar Series

Link to the Bell Policy Center's YouTube Channel

Webinar—Housing Costs & Jeffco’s Workforce: Challenges & Solutions

Thursday, July 17, 2025

 This conversation was presented by the Bell Policy Center in partnership with Golden United Housing Task Force and Jeffco Community Network, and made possible with funding from Colorado Gives Foundation.

Moderator:

Chris deGruy Kennedy

President and CEO, Bell Policy Center and former State Representative

Panelists:

Lesley Dahlkemper

County Commissioner, District 3, Jefferson County

Lauren McKinney

Affordable Housing Policy Coordinator, City of Golden

Kristi Graham-Gitkind

Senior Director of Human Resources, Intermountain Health

Dayna Ashley-Oehm

Chief Real Estate and Development Officer, Foothills Regional Housing

Marshall Moore

Director of Community Impact and Financial Well-being, On Tap Credit Union

Resources from Webinar chat:

Foothills Regional Housing Website 

Golden’s Housing Needs and Strategies Assessment 

On Tap Credit Union Website

Colorado Gives Foundation’s work on housing in Jeffco 

Jeffco Housing Blueprint 

Jeffco Community Network 

Sign up for periodic e-newsletter

Resources webpage

Jefferson County's 15 Year Housing Strategic Plan Website 

Together Jeffco Plans and Regulations Update Website 

National Zoning Atlas Report on Colorado 

Intermountain Health Impacts Affordable Housing in Colorado 

Bell Policy Center’s Reports 

For more information on inclusionary zoning, ADUs, and transit-oriented development (Research by Robin Kniech, Bell Policy Center Fellow 2023-24)

Bell Policy Center’s Housing Webpage 

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Did you Know? 

The 2025 annual Area Median Income (AMI) for an individual in Jeffco is $98,100 ($47/hour).

Golden’s 2022 Housing Needs and Strategy Assessment reveals only 5% of Golden’s workforce lives in Golden.  There are over 19,000 members of the workforce commuting into Golden, which almost doubles Golden’s population and contributes to Golden’s traffic, parking, and air-quality issues. 

The Arvada Chamber found that less than 18% of Arvada’s workforce both lives and works in the city, with 42% of Arvada’s commuting workforce driving 30 minutes or more one way.  Research shows that employees with a commute of 15 minutes or less are 20% more likely to stay at their jobs.