Aspen leaders can show some guts
Your article is a nice summary of the challenges for Aspen/Snowmass area (“Aspen, mountain towns face ‘tough transition,” July 10).
The entire valley from Aspen to Glenwood is affected. The real issue is a lack of leadership. Real leadership deals with taboo issues. The price of housing is only a symptom.
The upper-middle, middle- and lower-middle class have been pushed down the valley.
A wider Highway 82 won’t help. Low-income housing is expensive and scarce. Getting residents to agree is not attainable.
So local solutions will take guts!
To solve the low-income housing, I would propose the following: Aspen has influence, so get the federal government to pass a low-income housing tax act.
In that act, give a 100% tax credit to the private sector for donated land for approved low-income housing. Give builders 100% tax credits for houses built into these approved lands donated.
The private sector will solve this issue. Then local government can manage, approve and place these projects.
It will still take guts from the public and private sector!
Arch Hager
Carbondale
