Boulder high schoolers are powering the city's affordable housing push

"The initiative, a three-way partnership among the city government, the school district, and the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, is a potential replicable model for expanding the supply of affordable housing while engaging and recruiting more young people into careers in construction and homebuilding. BoulderMOD, a 31,375-square-foot modular housing factory completed last year, hosts a unique high school training program that prepares students for construction careers while they simultaneously rebuild their community."

"The city of Boulder built the facility for $13 million, drawing on federal, state, and private foundation grants and loans. Flatirons Habitat for Humanity leases the facility from the school district at no cost and operates it alongside staff and student apprentices. By many metrics, the factory is a success for the city, but its origin story begins with a Boulder-area tragedy."

"In 2013, flooding destroyed the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park, a nearly 70-unit community that served as one of the few affordable housing options in the region. Boulder annexed the Ponderosa property six years later and worked alongside Habitat for Humanity to develop the concept for BoulderMOD, which is located on land owned by the Boulder Valley School District. The facility will initially rebuild the Ponderosa community and will later deliver homes to other parts of the region."

Boulder built a 31,375-square-foot modular housing factory on school district land for $13 million using federal, state, and private foundation grants and loans. Flatirons Habitat for Humanity leases the facility from the school district at no cost and operates it with staff and student apprentices through a high school training program that prepares students for construction careers. The factory will rebuild the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park destroyed by 2013 flooding and then deliver homes regionally. Habitat's output could rise from three to four homes per year to as many as 50 annually as construction timelines shorten from nine–12 months to 12–14 weeks.

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