SILVERTON – Anne Chase didn’t get much sleep Thursday night.
As director of the Silverton Housing Authority, she was worried about the 18 trucks hauling pre-built modular housing units over Coal Bank and Molas passes on Friday.
Hauling homes over the narrow, winding mountain road was stressful enough for Chase. That stress compounded when torrential rain arrived the night before, increasing the risk of slick roads and mudslides that could delay the semi-truck convoy.
The units are the culmination of a multiyear project to make housing in Silverton more affordable, aligning with the town’s Compass Master Plan – a framework designed to improve infrastructure and diversify the economy. One of the master plan’s key priorities, Chase said, was to alleviate the town’s affordable housing shortage.
Friday marked the day when the housing authority’s efforts would come to fruition.
Chase kept her eyes glued to U.S. Highway 550 south of town. The Colorado Department of Transportation had closed the road to all traffic to allow the safe delivery of the units – an act that, Chase said, made the department true champions of Silverton’s affordable housing effort.
Suddenly, the pilot car guiding the convoy emerged from the mist atop Molas Pass, followed by trucks hauling nine units wrapped in protective white sheathing.
One after another, the trucks entered Silverton, turned left onto a muddy Fifth Street and parked in front of the lot prepped for the future Anvil Townhomes.
Chase’s joy was palpable – after so much planning, community engagement and partnering with sponsors, the houses she had worked so hard to bring to Silverton had finally arrived.
The night before the houses arrived, some 20 people gathered at the Anvil Townhome site for a groundbreaking ceremony. Despite forecasts calling for rain, the evening was sunny and pleasantly cool.
Members of the community met with representatives from Silverton’s city government, San Juan County, Region 9 Economic Development, the state of Colorado, First Southwest Bank and Buena Vista-based modular home manufacturer Fading West Building Systems.
At the event, Chase said the houses will provide people living and working in Silverton – but making less than or equal to the town’s median income – affordable housing. The 18 separate units that came from Buena Vista will become two four-plex units and one single-family home with on-site parking between Fifth Street and Martha Rose Street.
“When people lose their housing in Silverton, they move away, and the commute isn’t sustainable,” Chase said. “So ultimately, we’re losing not only a community member but oftentimes part of our workforce. By bringing homeownership opportunities to folks, we are increasing the amount of housing security so people can put down roots – they can invest in our community.”
The point of the project, Chase said, is to ensure working class, year-round Silverton residents are able to stay.
Shak Powers, Region 9’s project manager for housing, broadband and transit, said several Colorado mountain towns are facing an affordable housing shortage. In order to have a thriving local economy, a community must help house residents who drive the community.
The 2021 Mountain Migration Report found that Colorado’s mountain town communities face drastic differences in income levels between full-time residents who work locally and newcomers or part-time residents who work remotely.
“Close to 70% of newcomers and 80% of part-time residents have household incomes over $150,000 per year,” the report said. “In contrast, 60% of full-time residents earn under $150,000 in income per year.”
Pair that with the rising cost of mountain town real estate, as a 2025 Common Sense Institute Colorado study on housing affordability found, and it is becoming harder for locals to live in these places.
“Housing definitely correlates to a workforce, because you can’t have a workforce that doesn’t have a place to live,” Powers said.
While it is possible for someone living outside of Silverton to commute for their job, it is a long way from the nearest town, Powers said. That becomes even harder in the winter because the two main entrances to the town along Highway 550 cross mountain passes that close during heavy snowfall events, he said.
“It's a long commute from anywhere into Silverton,” he said. “And it’s much harder to commute during the winter, especially when the highways are shut down.”
Additionally, more housing makes a place like Silverton more resilient to major socio-economic events, like the 2008 housing crash and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Powers said.
Chase said the nine homes will be open to residents who make less than or equal to Silverton’s median income of $102,000 per year for a four-person household. Additionally, buyers are required to live in the units for at least eight months out of the year.
The units will create more housing supply, meaning more people can move to the community, leading to more social and economic opportunities.
Chase said that the affordable housing project required a lot of community and partner support.
The housing authority was awarded a $1 million grant from the Colorado Division of Housing and the Colorado Health Foundation. The land was donated by San Juan County, which also provided funding for pre-development work.
Tap, planning and building fees were waived by the town of Silverton trustees; low-interest construction loans were obtained through Region 9 and First Southwest Bank; and a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment grant was awarded for the project’s environmental assessment.
Next steps involve assembling the units, constructing the roofs, and hooking up sewer, water and electricity.
Their arrival marked an important milestone, she said.
“Everyone who lives here has grit and determination,” Chase said. “If you don’t want to be here, it’s a really tough place to be. By creating these homes, we’re further investing in that sentiment and bolstering the community that folks are so excited to live in.”
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
