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Employee Housing Guidelines

For many years, Eagle County School District (ECSD) employees have identified housing as one of the biggest challenges to living and working in Eagle County. ECSD created an Employee Housing Master Plan which outlines a 10-year road map for the district’s employee housing efforts. The Plan includes goals, guiding principles, priority programs and projects, potential for funding and partnerships, and year by year measures of progress. It also provides a broad framework to guide housing work and is anticipated to be revised and refined over time.

The Employee Housing Procedures are set with a focus on recruitment and retention of high-quality employees. The district recognizes housing as an extension of service to live here, to be viable, and keep employee families local and promote the desire to stay long term. Procedures are set with a focus on housing being attainable, accessible, and affordable in comparison to the limited inventory and pricing that exists in our current environment.

General Conditions

Eagle County School District owns a variety of properties for the sole purpose of attracting and retaining high-quality staff through the availability of rental properties. These properties will be available for rent to district employees according to the guidelines provided herein, provided the employee(s) meet the eligibility requirements and abide by the restrictions established by these guidelines and procedures.
 

The terms of these guidelines are not exhaustive. The district may lease the properties for such rental amounts and upon such terms and conditions as may be deemed necessary or advisable by the Board of Education. This is intended only to establish a recommended procedure for leasing the properties and shall not create a property interest or other legally enforceable right in any individual to lease or occupy the properties. The district expects employees to comply with all regulations in the spirit in which they were intended.

Eagle County School District (the district) will use available employee housing to best serve the district and strive to balance the need for recruitment and retention.

Eligibility

Any person who is employed full-time by the district shall be eligible to enter the housing lottery for available properties. “Full-time” district employment is defined as 30 hours or more per week. “Part- time” district employment is defined as 20-30 hours per week. In the event of insufficient interest from full-time employees (if units remain available), part-time staff may be considered. If an individual owns a home within 75 road miles of Eagle County School District boundaries (per Google Maps), they are not eligible for housing. If an individual owns a home outside of 75 miles of Eagle County School District and the home hasn’t sold within one year, the individual is not eligible for lease renewal.
Steering Committee
 
  • Lizet Salgado, HR Support Specialist
  • Bradley Arnold, EVMS Language Arts Teacher
  • Charlotte Nestor, Facilities Office Manager/Housing Coordinator
  • Jessica Martinez, Director of Multilingual Education
  • Adele Wilson, Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Sandra Farrell, Chief Operating Officer
  • Britnee Heflin, Transportation Routing Specialist
  • Gregory Doan, EVHS Principal
  • Dana Harrison, AES Principal
  • Veronica Belgodere Borri, EELC Director of Early Childhood
  • Joseph Reen, Director of Facilities
  • Elizabeth Castro-Esquibel, BMHS Office Manager

Occupancy

Only Eligible Eagle County School District Employees and their dependents are allowed to occupy ECSD Housing. Subleasing or Short term/vacation rentals of units or bedrooms shall not be allowed (includes Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway or like services).
 
Occupancy guidelines: No more than two people (aged 3 and up) will be permitted per bedroom at the time of lease signing.
 
Unit choice: Eligible employees will have an option to apply for occupancy as:
  • Eligible Employee
  • Eligible Employee plus dependents
  • Eligible Employee plus other Eligible Employees as roommates
Verification of Qualified Household Size: The total number of persons in a household, including eligible adults and qualifying dependents, are counted in determining the unit size for which applicants may qualify. The priority is a minimum of one qualified employee or dependent per bedroom. For example:
  • Two eligible employees would qualify for a 1- or 2-bedroom apartment.
  • Three eligible employees would qualify for a 2- or 3-bedroom apartment.
  • An eligible employee married to a non-qualified adult would qualify for a 1-bedroom apartment.
  • Two eligible employees with two qualified children would qualify for a 2- or 3-bedroom apartment.
  • An eligible employee with 2 children over age five would qualify for a 2- or 3-bedroom apartment. However, if one or both children were under the age of 3, they would qualify for a 1-, 2- or 3- bedroom apartment.

Qualification Process

Aiming to be as equitable as possible, while balancing the needs of the district and its employees, housing will be allocated via a lottery system. The allocation of units and terms below are established as a guideline which will be reviewed by the housing committee on an annual basis to help determine the need and units available for the lottery.
  • New hires - 12 of 46 units with an initial 1-year lease
    • When your lease ends, you can apply to “all other employees” category in the annual lottery process.
  • International hires - 10 of 46 units
    • After 3 years, you can apply to “all other employees” category in the annual lottery process.
  • All other employees - 24 of 46 units with the option to renew annually for up to a maximum of 5 years.
  • Employees of the District will be notified of available units and the process to apply as soon as possible through district-wide communication as well as the internal employee classifieds.
  • The district’s housing committee will process all applications based on District needs and will perform a lottery to fill those vacancies.
    • The initial lottery will be initiated 4 months prior to units becoming available.
    • Initial selection can be based on new hires, current employees, international employees, hard to fill positions, roommate status, etc., based on immediate needs for attracting and retaining employees.
    • Once initial selection has been made, eligible employees will have 10 days to secure the unit by signing the lease. If not completed within 10 calendar days, the selection will be offered to the next eligible employee per the lottery.

Changes & Updates to Guidelines
The district will review these guidelines annually and may make appropriate changes. Renters will be subject to changes in guidelines at the time of lease renewal.

Interpretation of Guidelines
Certain aspects of eligibility qualification criteria established in the guidelines may be subject to interpretation. In these cases, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall make the final determination as to interpretation.

Other Lease Considerations

  1. Lessee shall be responsible for the upkeep and general maintenance of the property and shall pay the established rental rates and be subject to other obligations as provided in a lease to be executed between the parties.
  2. Depending upon location, the district may be responsible for repairs beyond general maintenance, provided that such repairs are not required because of an intentional or negligent act or omission by one of the occupants or their licensees, invitees, or guests.
  3. Leases will be subject to other lease terms that may not be stated in this document.
Definitions
  • Applicant(s) - person or group of persons applying for a rental unit.
  • Full time employee - district employment is defined as 30 hours or more per week.
  • Part time employee - district employment defined as 20-30 hours per week.
  • Qualified employee - an individual who works for the school district and meets the eligibility
  • requirements.
  • Qualified dependent - a qualified dependent is a dependent who lives with the qualified adult a
  • minimum of 100 days per year as demonstrated by court documents or a notarized custody affidavit.
  • Children who are in custody of a parent, are considered qualified dependents regardless of the percent
  • of custody. If at the time of the application the qualified adult is expecting the birth of a child, the
  • unborn child can be counted as a dependent upon receipt of a letter from a doctor stating the due date.
  • Examples: Special needs adult child
  • Non-qualified adult - an individual who does not meet the eligibility requirements.