City cancels Housing Authority agreement

Gunnison County's Sawtooth development in Gunnison. (Times archive)

The Gunnison City Council on Tuesday became the first area municipality to formally cancel its intergovernmental agreement for services with the Gunnison Valley Regional Housing Authority (GVRHA) effective Jan. 1, 2026. The action clears the way for the city to begin negotiations with Gunnison County to enter a new agreement aimed at replacing those services.

The city has been paying $224,000 per year to GVRHA for housing-related services, including $84,000 annually to support GV-Heat, an energy efficiency program managed by the authority.

The GVRHA board voted last June to disband the organization following the resignation of Executive Director Melissa LaMonica. She is now finance director for Gunnison County. Her departure was the fifth leadership change in two years, and the board decided another candidate search was one challenge too many for the beleaguered organization.

GVRHA had been underfunded and understaffed for some time, alongside the challenges of meeting the different expectations of its constituent government entities in the valley. Those included Gunnison County, the Town of Crested Butte, Mt. Crested Butte and the City of Gunnison.

Following the GVRHA decision to disband, Gunnison County commissioners signaled willingness to absorb most of the organization’s service into the Gunnison County Housing Authority. Established in 1979, the county housing authority already oversees a number of housing projects, such as the recently completed Sawtooth development in Gunnison and the Whetstone project near Crested Butte.

“I think that it has been clear throughout this process that everyone's committed to pursuing housing initiatives moving forward,” Gunnison City Manager Amanda Wilson told councilors on Tuesday. “I think there are many opportunities to modify the way in which that's structured to be more effective for the community.” 

Terminating the agreement now, Wilson said, “really helps kick off the next step to be able to transition some of the services that are provided by the Housing Authority.”

Council approved the cancellation in a unanimous vote.

Further discussion centered on the future of GV-Heat, which has been managed by GVRHA. The group provides subsidized energy efficiency evaluations and upgrades to qualifying home owners and renters throughout the valley.

In a memo to council, city staff recommended that the city not absorb any GV-Heat functions or obligations. Instead, Wilson asked councilors to support expanding existing energy efficiency rebate programs for people living within city limits. GV-Heat serves people across the county through a variety of grants, making it beyond the scope of city capacity and jurisdiction, she said.

In addition, GV-Heat has focused efforts on low-income residents, by nature of its association with GVRHA. The transition offers an opportunity to expand sustainability services to a wider range of participants, Wilson said.

City Councilor Jim Gelwicks expressed concern that any redirection of GV-Heat should take into account the people who have already committed to receive assessments and upgrades through the organization.

“You can get them in very complex situations unintentionally,” Gelwicks said in the meeting. “I think that we, as a community, owe it to those people that are in the process to take care of them as a high priority.”

(Alan Wartes can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or publisher@gunnisontimes.com.)