Poised for progress

Vision and partnerships.
Those two concepts are sometimes hard to quantify or recognize in the short-term, but over a span of years if not decades they can make all the difference.
Aurora is a shining example now of how important it is to have community leaders with vision as well as partners willing and able to play a role in making that vision a reality. It’s a special, unique combination not found in many rural communities.
I’ve written several times in this space the last two years about progress on the housing front, but last week’s community housing update was especially noteworthy. Aurora has received not one, but two $1 million Rural Workforce Housing grants in the past two years and raised a combined $3.5 million earmarked for housing development, all of which has been well documented. 
What is perhaps less well known are other efforts behind the scenes to not only maximize those resources, but to literally build on that momentum in hopes of opening the door to other housing opportunities. Having heard countless complaints/concerns from individuals and families of all ages looking to move to or downsize in Aurora who can’t find available rentals or houses to buy, progress on that front is beyond exciting. 
Recapping last week’s summary housing review, there are plans to close the deal this month on a tax credit project involving an 18-unit, rent-controlled complex for residents 55 and over. Add to that plans for a four-plex and yet another application for a grant to help build a 20-plex, all in the new Streeter Subdivision, and you get a sense for an upward housing trajectory that is quickly building steam. The recent annexation and expansion in the Northridge Subdivision adds higher-end lots to the mix, which is helpful as well.
Another piece of last week’s front-page report that helps put all this into perspective is that this projected housing growth just did not happen by accident or circumstance. In fact, community leaders with an eye toward the future voiced shared concern almost 20 years ago that Aurora could become landlocked, limiting its potential for growth. So, in 2005 Streeter LLC was formed, combining assets and leadership which made it possible to purchase the Newman and Matson farms on the north and west edges of town, respectively. Those two properties now represent the future in terms of buildable housing lots.
Once the land became available, it took considerable work behind the scenes again to convert them to buildable lots. At the risk of leaving someone out, those partners included the Aurora Housing Development Corporation, Aurora Development Corporation, Streeter LLC, City of Aurora, generous donors and builders willing to take a risk and add their names to those with a vested interest in housing growth.
There are other factors involved outside anyone’s control which threaten to keep this train from reaching the speed we’d all like to see, including high interest rates and limited availability of builders. But despite those challenges, there is realistic optimism that dirt will be turned, housing of various shapes and sizes will be built, and that doors will be opened, both literally and figuratively.
That could be a game-changer, potentially bringing new residents, representing employees for our businesses, students for our schools, and more tax base to support all of the above.
Kurt Johnson