Taos Housing Partnership Unveils Three-Year Housing Roadmap

Taos Housing Partnership (THP) has recently published the 3-Year Recommended Housing Roadmap - a document detailing strategies necessary to address the lack of affordable housing options for Taos area residents. The roadmap provides a historical overview of community dialogue beginning in November 2021, details from a completed needs assessment, and a comprehensive framework of strategies and activities moving forward. 

The report, published on Taos Housing Partnership’s website, was authored by housing consulting firms, Project Moxie and Werwath Associates, and follows months of research, outreach, and stakeholder interviews that identified community needs, resources available, and best practices for developing affordable housing in the Taos region.

“The report is a comprehensive framework that outlines how we can address the housing crisis, with specific recommendations related to homebuyer education, mortgage assistance programs and community advocacy and outreach activities” said Lisa M. O’Brien, Executive Director of the Taos Housing Partnership. “Community engagement and local investment is crucial to create sustainable solutions and funding sources. THP is excited to lead the implementation of this work, and continue to facilitate partnerships across all sectors. There is a role for everyone in the community to assist in this effort”, O’Brien added.

The Roadmap was formally adopted by the THP Board of Directors in partnership with community leaders and elected officials from the Town of Taos and Taos County, who have been part of the visionary team since 2022.

“I am happy to see this document come to fruition”, stated Town of Taos Mayor Maestas. “The recommendations made in this report will need continued collaboration and partnership to take them off the page and into reality, and all parties continue to work together toward this common goal. THP has provided an excellent framework and action plan toward meeting our housing goals for Taos.”

Even though the final document had not been formally adopted until early September, programmatic work had begun much earlier. “Taos Housing Partnership initiated a Letter of Interest (LOI) for Predevelopment Funding and our Development Committee began reviewing applications a month ago,” said O’Brien. “We wanted this process to be a door-opening moment that would invite in new or innovative housing ideas. We were not expecting to see shovel-ready projects; we wanted to see what ideas were out there and create a platform for those ideas to be considered”. Taos Housing Partnership has the opportunity to award both grant or technical assistance to housing ideas that may need assistance to get closer to being a shovel-ready project.

County Manager, Brent Jaramillo, who has been part of the leadership team from the beginning, noted, “Taos County is committed to this partnership with THP. The need for more housing options in our community is imperative. We continue to see the demands on our working families, which impacts employer retention as well as recruitment for vacant or new positions.”

The public is invited to review the 3-Year Recommended Housing Roadmap and share their thoughts by visiting the links below.