The Buildout is back for a second season to explore more stories of people and innovative ideas driving affordable housing and community development in Colorado!  

We know that the cost of housing has increased dramatically in Colorado, but why? To kick off our new season, we’re diving deep into all the various factors that affect the cost of housing, with help from CHFA’s new Executive Director and CEO, Thomas Bryan, and Colorado State Demographer Kate Watkins. The state’s housing crisis has a ripple effect that touches almost every person and every community in Colorado, requiring a spectrum of solutions and a wealth of creativity. Enter Aaron Miripol, CEO of Urban Land Conservancy (ULC), who shares how ULC is working to transform the housing landscape in Denver—quite literally from the ground up. 

Resources from this episode: 

• CHFA Housing Affordability Gap White Paper and The Gap Map 
• CHFA Housing Continuum White Paper 
• Colorado State Demography Office Statistics 
• DRCOG Regional Housing Needs Assessment 
• Urban Land Conservancy 
• Mosaic Community Campus 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved. 

When it comes to housing, Coloradans have been feeling a crunch for a while. The reasons are many, and the challenges are not the same everywhere. But whether it's Kit Carson, Colorado Springs, or Frisco, housing doesn't exist in a void. Safe, affordable, and accessible housing is just one piece of a greater community. 

The other pieces that complete the puzzle are education, jobs, access to food, and healthcare. But when housing becomes too expensive, those other essentials also become harder to access. From far away, the housing crisis looks like one big problem. But when you get closer, you see that it's actually a series of problems that are all linked. 

The good news is for every problem there's a solver, and Colorado happens to be full of solvers. The Buildout, a podcast from Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, features the stories of the people driving affordable housing and community development in Colorado. Season two begins Thursday, September 4, 2025.

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com.

To address the shortage of affordable housing, Colorado must do more than build new units. That’s why this episode is focused on increased efforts to preserve the affordable housing that’s already standing. There are two kinds of affordable housing that the state is at risk of losing: housing that is built with government subsidies, and privately owned apartments that happen to have below market rents – often referred to as naturally occurring affordable housing.  

When it comes to the privately owned buildings, Lori Rosendahl of Foothills Regional Housing Authority explains what it takes to keep those rents low and those tenants housed. Hint: she says it’s a lot of “dialing for dollars.” As for the subsidized housing, Jennie Rodgers, Rocky Mountain VP for Enterprise Community Partners, discusses the tools nonprofits and governments can take advantage of to preserve affordability for decades to come. 

Resources from this episode: 

• Learn more about the Colorado Affordable Housing Preservation Network
• Learn more about Foothills Regional Housing’s work in Jefferson County 
• Read more about how Enterprise Community Partners is helping local housing authorities and nonprofits be proactive about preservation work 
• Check out the Colorado Affordable Housing Database Map 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved. 

More and more people in Colorado’s resort and rural towns fall into what’s called “the missing middle.” People who have good jobs, earning decent wages, but who are nonetheless struggling to afford housing where they live. They often earn too much to qualify for federal affordable rental housing programs, which limit eligibility to those whose incomes fall under a certain threshold. On the flip side, they are cost burdened by increasingly expensive and scarce housing.  

Colorado is leading the charge to develop programs to serve this population, including CHFA’s Middle-income Access Program (MIAP) and the Middle-income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC). In this episode, we hear from people working to take advantage of these resources to build and preserve middle-income housing across Colorado: Kimball Crangle, Colorado Market President for Gorman and Company, a national developer of affordable housing; Summit County Commissioner Tamara Pogue; and Steve Cordova, executive director of Las Animas Bent County Housing Authority and Total Concept, a housing and community development corporation serving rural Coloradans.

Resources from this episode: 

• Read more about Colorado’s Middle-income Housing Tax Credit 
• Learn about CHFA’s Middle-income Access program 
• Visit Gorman and Company’s Colorado Market Webpage 
• Learn more about Total Concept 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.

In greater Denver, American Indians and Alaska Natives experience disparities in all forms of housing, according to a 2022 assessment. On average, they are four times more likely to experience homelessness and face high rates of rental housing discrimination. That, on top of centuries of forced migration and harmful federal policies, has led to immense housing inequities. 

This is why groups like Native American Housing Circle are so essential. The Native-led grassroots coalition of provider organizations connects Denver’s incredibly diverse Native population with vital resources. It’s even part of an effort to build an affordable housing development for Native people in Denver, one of the first of its kind in metro Denver. 

In this episode of The Buildout, we meet Lucille Echohawk, co-founder of the Native American Housing Circle, and learn about the collaborative efforts they’ve employed to combat housing instability among Native people in the metro. 

Resources from this episode: 

• Learn more about Native American Housing Circle  
• Read the 2022 assessment on Denver Native American housing needs 
• Watch RMPBS’ documentary "Urban Rez" 
• Learn more about Brothers Redevelopment, Inc. and Colorado Housing Connects 
• Listen to American Public Media’s documentary “Uprooted,” about urban relocation 
• Watch “Virtual Moving History – Bernie Whitebear: A Modern Warrior” 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.

The Fair Housing Act, passed in 1968, outlawed housing discrimination. However, more than 50 years later, the homeownership rate between white and Black Americans remains nearly unchanged. 

On top of that, communities that faced discriminatory policies in the past still feel the impacts today. According to research from the University of California, Berkeley, people living in historically redlined neighborhoods are highly vulnerable to air, water, and noise pollutants as well as other health problems. Discrimination is also not solely a thing of the past. 

On this episode of The Buildout, we hear from housing professionals in Colorado who have been working to close the gap between white and Black homeownership: CHFA development specialist Greg Brown, Arthur Brown of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation and Kevin Marchman, co-founder and chairman of the National Organization of African Americans in Housing.  

Resources from this episode: 

• Learn more about CHFA resources for first generation homebuyers 
• Learn more about Own Your Tomorrow homebuyer programs  
• Learn more about Own Your Tomorrow events in Denver 
• Learn more about Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation 
• Learn more about the National Organization of African Americans in Housing 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.

On our second episode focused on responses to homelessness, we hit the highway, away from Colorado’s densely populated cities and downtowns to rural communities in the southwestern part of the state. The affordable housing crisis is just as dire in cities like Durango or Cortez, but in many cases, they face greater challenges when it comes to increasing the supply of affordable housing.

When it comes to reaching people, rural housing insecurity tends to be more hidden away; it’s not uncommon for people experiencing homelessness to couch surf, or to live in their cars. This can make it harder to assess the need, which can then make it more difficult to get the necessary resources. 

But these challenges have only inspired creative, collaborative strategies. In this episode, we hear from a soup kitchen that is way more than just a soup kitchen, and an organization building relationships throughout the region to better serve those in the greatest need.

Links to resources you heard about in this episode: 



• Get Involved with Manna Soup Kitchen 
• Learn more about Project Moxie 
• Learn about the Neighbors in Need Alliance 
• Read NINA and Project Moxie’s 2022 Unhoused Count and Survey 
• Colorado’s Affordable Housing Toolkit 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.

Housing insecurity is on the rise in the U.S. According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), more than 770,000 Americans were experiencing homelessness in January 2024—the largest number ever recorded since HUD began gathering data in 2007. The main factor driving housing instability in this country is the shortage of affordable housing. 

Like everywhere else in the nation, Coloradans are feeling the effects of this housing shortage, but what that looks like depends on where in the state you stand. Because of how complex this crisis is, we’re devoting the next two episodes of The Buildout to solutions to tackling homelessness, focusing this first installment on Colorado’s urban areas. Along the Front Range, the affordable housing crisis tends to be a lot more visible, where large urban encampments have become the norm in recent years, sparking controversy and capturing headlines. We hear from guests who have been working to shift how cities approach homelessness, through the use of supportive housing, safe outdoor sites, and compassionate policies.

Links to resources discussed in this episode:

• If you or a loved one are experiencing homelessness, contact 211 Colorado for information about resources
• Learn how to get involved with Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH)
• Learn how to get involved with Community Investment Alliance 
• Denver Department of Housing Stability 
• Learn more about CCH's Advocacy Network
• Analysis on the Denver Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative 
• Invisible People’s 2023 documentary “Finland Solved Homelessness: Here’s How” 
• CCH’s 2023 State of Homelessness Report
• Pallet rapid-response shelter builder
• Restoration Christian Ministries’ affordable housing development partnership, King’s Crossing Village 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.

The state’s Affordable Housing Task Force says that Colorado has a housing shortage of about 325,000 units. That deficit has contributed to rapidly rising housing costs over the last decade plus. And the demand only continues to grow. How can the state keep up with that demand, while also keeping up with the cost of building and the time it takes? Innovation.

From 3D-printed units to panelized housing to shipping container construction and tiny homes, Colorado has established funding sources to encourage innovative building across the state.

“It's not just, let's do more of the same. It's let's do more, but different,” says Gene Eidelman, co-founder of Azure Printed Homes.

In this episode of The Buildout, we explore some of those innovations, including developers and builders who are using methods like modular construction to build housing faster and for less, without sacrificing quality and design.

Resources shared in this episode: 

• Vederra Modular 
• Azure Printed Homes 
• Adam Berger Development 
• Proposition 123 Colorado Affordable Housing Financing Fund 
• Colorado’s Innovative Housing Incentive Program 
• CHFA Info on Innovative Housing and Modular Manufacturer Financing 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2025 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.

For the last 50 years, CHFA, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, has worked alongside partners and communities in pursuit of the vision that everyone in Colorado will have the opportunity for housing stability and economic prosperity. In this first episode of The Buildout, we chat with Cris White, outgoing executive director, about his more than 30-year career at the organization and all of the changes and growth he’s seen. Cris takes us back to CHFA’s first partnership after the 1976 Big Thompson Flood, to CHFA’s expansion to offer business financing and the many programs CHFA has developed over the years. We’ll dig into CHFA’s investments in increasing homeownership, building affordable housing and creating partnerships to support a stronger Colorado.  

Resources from this episode: 

• CHFA’s 50th Anniversary 
• Homebuyer’s Roadmap 
• Business Lending Programs 
• Find Affordable Housing 

By accessing this podcast, I acknowledge that: views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not legal, financial or other advice. CHFA does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency, or suitability of the information provided and reference to any specific product or entity does not necessarily constitute CHFA’s endorsement or recommendation of it. The podcast may not be reproduced or redistributed without CHFA’s prior written consent and may be subject to the respective terms and policies of CHFA and the podcast hosting provider(s). CHFA is an Equal Opportunity Lender. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. For more information about CHFA, nondiscrimination, and other legal notices please visit chfainfo.com. 

Copyright ©2024 Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. All rights reserved.