Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley is set to break ground later this year on a facility in Rifle that will be used to build modular homes.
Some of the benefits of modular homes include year-round construction, because the majority of work happens indoors, as well as lower construction costs, and built-in energy efficiency requirements that further reduce costs for home buyers.
The nonprofit estimates that these homes, which will be deed-restricted for affordability, will cost 40% less to build than the current market-rate residential construction costs in Eagle County.
Habitat for Humanity is also partnering with Colorado Mountain College and Colorado River BOCES to do local workforce training on-site at the facility.
In a presentation to Eagle County commissioners on Tuesday, Habitat Roaring Fork CEO Gail Schwartz told Eagle County commissioners that this will allow people to live closer to where they work.
“This is how we can build a workforce, but also be building affordably and consistently,” she said. “It’s a bold concept, but it’s a critical concept for us to be able to move forward.”
The facility will be located just west of Rifle on Highway 6, and the nonprofit is leasing the land from the city of Rifle for just $10 a year for the next 50 years. The parcel has existing infrastructure and utilities on its 10 acres. It’s also located near several major roads and highways, ensuring easy transportation of the modules once they’re built.
Schwartz said this project represents a 50-year commitment to affordable housing in the region.
“It’s a model, you could put the same facility in Craig and build for Steamboat,” she said. “We’re proving to rural Colorado, rural America, this is the kind of solution you can have.”
The Rifle facility is set to start producing modular homes in summer of 2025, with a variety of floor plans and blueprints, including ADUs.
