In partnership with the Colorado Futures Center at Colorado State University, Shift released a case study exploring how Adams County local government is being fiscally impacted by, and is attempting to deal with, its increasing number of housing-challenged residents. The report received significant media attention, including a front-page article on affordable housing in the Denver Post, and the data assembled to better understand Colorado’s affordable housing inventory was used by the Colorado General Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee to help ensure the legislature did not cut funding for housing. After viewing the Adams County study, a group of elected officials commissioned Shift to replicate this research for additional counties, including El Paso, Jefferson, La Plata, Mesa and Weld. A condensed overview of the Adams County case study is available here.
Working with Shift felt as if we’d been gifted a spotlight to illuminate the previously hidden ROI of our mission. Shift’s work continues to drive value here at Unison – providing context and clarity of the economic benefits non-burden households present to cities and counties who are willing to partner in the pursuit of equity and opportunity for those that the market fails to serve otherwise.
KEY FINDING
additional dollars were spent on housing that could otherwise go to taxable goods in Adams County.
Shift partners with social change organizations that are interested in using data to better serve their communities.
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