Facilitation and Technical Assistance

Williford LLC provides facilitation for focus groups, board retreats, and working sessions. Willa provides training and technical assistance on various housing and land use topics, and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences.

2023 Highlights

Mountain Resort Town Planner Summit, Rossland, British Columbia, Canada – Williford LLC co-facilitated a half day “Housing Intensive” workshop for land use practitioners working in resort communities in the United State and Canada.
Fraser River Valley Housing Partnership, Fraser, CO – Williford LLC facilitated a half day strategic planning workshop to help inform priorities for the second year of FRVHP’s operations.
San Luis Valley Scattered Site Development Feasability – Williford LLC partnered with MY Rural Planner to provide technical assistance to the SLV – RDC on predevelopment needs and potential development partnership opportunities for housing across 10 unique sites in the valley.

2022 Highlights

Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley Housing Report – The Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley commissioned Williford LLC and Urbanity Advisors to create a report to examine the housing issues our community is facing and to create a baseline from which local municipalities, nonprofits and other community based organizations could work. The goal is to have everyone to be on the same page and understand the challenges the community is facing, the folks who are addressing them, and the solutions being offered.
La Plata County Commissioners – Strategic Retreat on Housing
Yampa Valley Housing Authority – Strategic Retreat on Capacity Building
Granby – Deed Restriction and Housing Guidelines
North Central New Mexico Housing Toolbox – Williford LLC worked with the North Central New Mexico Economic District to create an introduction to affordable housing presentation and toolbox in order to familiarize leaders in North Central New Mexico with housing terminology, obstacles, and opportunities. The toolbox includes a number of strategies including: incentives, public/private partnerships, development regulations, and funding. The toolbox was presented in 2022.
Buena Vista Code Audit for Housing Affordability – Williford LLC supported Cappelli Consulting LLC in a review of land use code and process to make recommendations about how they could better align with desired community housing goals.
Mancos Commons Small Scale Housing Technical Assistance – CHFA – Williford LLC provided technical assistance to the rural town of Mancos in southwest Colorado to support financial analysis, contractor selection, and fundraising for a mixed use building that will include three affordable apartments, art and retail space. The work included a financial model and was completed in 2022.
Rancho Creede Small Scale Housing Technical Assistance – CHFA – Williford LLC supported the San Luis Valley Housing Coalition and the City of Creede as their worked to buy four existing rental units and a land parcel to develop additional units at rental prices attainable for Mineral County community members. The team provided a concept plan for 17 new units, a proforma and guidance on entitlements, funding sources, community outreach and contractor selection process. This technical assistance was completed in 2022.
Silverton Small Scale Housing Technical Assistance – CHFA – Williford LLC and Reinen Consulting worked to create a plan for the remaining lots within an employee neighborhood, with the goal of providing an additional 10 townhomes for sale and 14 apartments for rent. They completed a concept design and financial model in 2022.

2021 Highlights

Crested Butte Good Deed Program – Williford LLC facilitated a regional collaboration to create a deed restriction purchase program in the Gunnison Valley. The work was paid for by the Town of Crested Butte.
Hinsdale County Small Scale Housing Technical Assistance – CHFA – Williford LLC provided technical assistance to Hinsdale on creating a site design and financial analysis for a Hinsdale County-Forest Service partnership. The site plan includes Hinsdale workforce housing and a replacement facility for seasonal Forest Service employees. The report included a financial model and was completed in 2021.

2020 Highlights

Policy Advisory Team Education and Advocacy – Ongoing facilitator for a series of trainings and discussion groups, Lake County Build a Generation, Leadville, Colorado. Topics included effective advocacy, decision making models, creating goals and guiding principles, touring housing in neighboring Chaffee County, and engaging with current policy topics such as short-term rentals, density calculations and parking regulations. Due to COVID-19, our team replaced an in-person tour with this virtual tour of Summit County housing.
Montrose Housing Committee – Facilitator for a community-based coalition of non-profits providing housing and services to homeless and very low-income households. Topics including crisis intervention, permanent supportive housing, increasing rental housing opportunities, tenant protections, and mobile home park preservation and rehabilitation
Mt. Crested Butte Town Council – Supported Community Development Staff through five Council work sessions covering housing topics including affordable housing basics, funding, project planning, and updates to the Mount Crested Butte Community Housing Guidelines.
Gunnison Valley Elected Officials Dinner, February 2020 – Willa provided a “State of Housing in the Gunnison Valley” update for elected officials from four jurisdictions.

2019 Highlights

The State of Workforce Housing, US Mountain Housing Summit – Keynote speaker, Vail, Colorado
Building in the Mountains without LIHTC – Workshop facilitator, Colorado NAHRO. Vail, Colorado
Affordable Housing Guidelines Update and Town Council Work Sessions – Facilitator, Mount Crested Butte, Colorado
Strategic Board Retreat, Mountain Plains NAHRO – Facilitator, Denver, Colorado
Policy Advisory Team Education Series – Facilitator for a series of trainings and discussion groups, Lake County Build a Generation, Leadville, Colorado

2018 Highlights

Mountain Resort Town Planners Summit – Williford LLC created curriculum and delivered content for a two day housing intensive workshop for planning professionals.
Creating a Housing Toolkit for Wyoming – Facilitator for Wyoming Business Council and other stakeholders, Cheyenne, Wyoming
Housing Intensive – Presenter, Mountain Resort Town Planners Summit, Canmore, Alberta
What Communities could be doing to Address Workforce Housing but are not – Panel participant, Mountain Resort Town Planners Summit, Canmore, Alberta
One Valley Prosperity Project – State of the Valley Update – Panel participant, Gunnison, Colorado
Telling the Story of Affordable Housing – Keynote Speaker, Tri-agency Dinner, Ridgway, Colorado
Creating Local Funding Sources for Housing and LIHTC in Mountain Communities – Moderator, Colorado NAHRO Conference, Vail, Colorado
Housing Finance 101 – Presenter, Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Housing Strategic Plan Workshop – Facilitator, Pagosa Springs, Colorado

2017 Highlights

Land Ownership Models and Affordability at Ponderosa Mobile Home Park – Facilitator for a day-long working session in coordination with Rebuild by Design, Trestle Strategy Group, and City of Boulder.
An Affordable Housing Guidebook for the Mountain West – Presenter at Colorado Housing Now conference in Vail, Colorado in coordination with Community Builders.
Community Builders Housing Institute – presenter and facilitator for a three-day workshop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado
An Introduction to Project-Based Housing Vouchers – Presenter in Grand Junction, Colorado in coordination with Colorado Division of Housing
Low Income Housing Tax Credits 101 – presenter and facilitator for Montrose County Housing Authority Board of Directors
How Can the Private Sector Help Solve your Housing Problem? – presenter at Downtown Colorado Inc workshop in Buena Vista, Colorado.