There are issues that touch nearly every part of our community, and housing is one of them.
For employers, the availability and affordability of housing affects our ability to recruit and retain talented people. For employees, it shapes whether the community where they work can also be the community they call home. And for Fort Collins as a whole, our ability to accommodate thoughtful growth will help determine what kind of community we become.
That is why the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce continues to engage in conversations about housing, development and the systems that shape both.
Earlier this month, we sent the following letter to Fort Collins City Council regarding the work of its Ad Hoc Committee on Affordable and Sustainable Growth and a staff recommendation resulting from that process. I wanted to share it with you because it reflects both our position on this particular issue and something broader about how we believe progress gets made: bring the right people to the table, listen to those doing the work and turn those conversations into action.
September 15, 2026
Fort Collins City Council
Mayor Francis, Mayor Pro Tem Pignataro, and
Council Members Conway, Fudge, Potyondy, Hoeven and Nelsen
300 Laporte Ave.
Fort Collins, CO 80521
Mayor Francis and Members of Council:
The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce applauds your commitment and earnest dialogue in pursuit of a more streamlined, coherent process for building in Fort Collins. Formation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sustainable & Affordable Growth heralded a refreshing break from endless feedback loops that have failed to connect practitioners with City leadership and the professionals in the field. This direct input format has already started to bring tangible results and a renewed sense of enthusiasm within the development community.
Tonight, you are considering the adoption of Ordinance #118, 2026, which exemplifies the value of this collaborative approach. With zeal in expediting the development review process for all residential development, Ad Hoc Committee members clearly established a break from the laborious, costly and often contentious process of accommodating housing demand.
The Chamber is fully supportive of the resulting staff recommendation as presented. We believe this approach allows the market to deliver a broader array of housing with far less friction while maintaining a keen sense of maximizing our future potential.
Thank you for taking these first crucial steps toward a more inclusive community in which our businesses, our members and their workforce can afford to call home.
Sincerely,
Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce
Ann Hutchison, CAE
President & CEO
Good public policy does not emerge from conversation alone. It requires people willing to listen, people willing to bring their experience to the table and, ultimately, people willing to act.
There is much more work ahead as Fort Collins considers how and where we grow. The Chamber will continue to show up for those conversations and advocate for approaches that recognize the connection between housing, our workforce and the long-term economic vitality of our community.
President & CEO
Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce