Friday, Jul 5 2013 11:32AM

Colorado residents are struggling to find affordable housing opportunities.

Residents in several Colorado communities are facing economic hardship as a result of limited affordable housing options, Summit Daily News reports.

A Summit County Workforce Housing Needs Assessment study, which found that 40 percent of households living in Summit County, Colorado, spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Another 60 percent of survey respondents cited limited housing availability as a critical issue in the area. 

"There are still significant workforce housing problems," Melanie Rees, the consultant who conducted the study, told the news source. "A lot of folks thought the recession took care of the housing problems, but looking at the post-recession situation ... it didn't. Many households had drops in income that they still haven't recovered from. So while housing became less expensive, it did not necessarily become more affordable."

Northern Colorado residents are facing similar affordable housing availability issues, particularly as rental rates continue to climb and inventory declines.

The Northern Colorado Business Report recently interviewed Fort Collins Chief City Planner Ken Waido about steps the local government planned to take to extend more affordable housing assistance to residents. Waido highlighted the extension of building incentives and competitive grant and loan programs as potential solutions to the area's housing issues. 

For more information, check out these resources: The Summit Daily News, The Northern Colorado Business Report