Per Policy DO – Telluride School District Affordable Housing Policy, It is the intent of the District to use district-owned residential units in a manner that best serves the dual goals of recruiting and retaining staff by providing affordable housing options to District staff. Recognizing that at times these dual goals may be in conflict, the Superintendent will determine which goal is the more important at any given time. 

The Superintendent shall make the final determination as to the allocation of housing, consistent with this policy. 

The Superintendent shall maintain procedures and guidelines related to the allocation of district owned housing. These procedures and guidelines shall reflect that the personnel needs of the District will be the primary criterion for decisions related to housing and the Superintendent shall not be required to consider the individual circumstances of any applicant in any case. 

A Housing Committee will be established to advise the Superintendent on procedures, guidelines, resolving issues of conflict, and specific decisions related to placement of employees into housing as needed. The Housing Committee shall include at least two teacher representatives, one School Board member appointed by the Board, the Superintendent, the HR Coordinator, and the Director of Operations. 

The overriding premise of the rental and deed-restricted purchase programs is to benefit the District, the public, and the students by creating an incentive for the recruitment and retention of high-quality staff, and not for the benefit of any individual employee or prospective employee, and no individual person shall acquire any rights or entitlements under this policy or under the rental program. In implementing these programs, the District shall not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. 

TSD Housing and Real Property Summary Report 2025-01-03

Employee Housing Committee

Priority for Assigning Units to Employees

1. Newly recruited employees with temporary visas (i.e.; Dual Language recruits) will be given priority on any vacant units.
2. Newly recruited employees from outside the region (i.e.; >90 minutes away) will be given second priority for any vacant units.
3. Newly recruited employees from inside the region (i.e.; <90 minutes away) without current housing will be given third priority for any vacant units.
4. Established employees will be given fourth priority for any vacant units.
5. Multiple employees may be assigned to a multi-bedroom unit. In the event multiple employees are not assigned to a multi-bedroom unit, an employee may share their unit with non-employee roommate(s) until such time as the district assigns additional employee(s) to that unit. All non-family roommates are subject to housing authority and Superintendent approval.
6. The superintendent will maintain an occupancy list of units and unit type (bedrooms) showing employees assigned to units, as well as a waitlist of employees desiring units.

Lease Length, Renewal, and Termination

1. All written leases will be for one-year terms, but employees will be eligible for lease renewals as described below.
2. Lease renewals:
   • Employees will initially receive a one-year lease.
   • The lease shall be renewed each year if the employee remains in good standing.  Good standing includes:
     • No pattern of late rent payments
     • No pattern of late utility payments
     • No pattern of HOA complaints regarding the employee or other occupants of the unit
     • No pattern of violation of the conditions of the lease
3. Termination
   • A rental lease will be terminated 30 days after an employee terminates with the district.
   • A rental lease may be terminated with 30 days’ notice if an employee is in violation of the conditions of the lease.

Roommates

While the district’s goal is not to assign roommates into housing, the procedures below have been developed in the event this does occur.

For multi-bedroom units, the district may assign roommates to share those units with each roommate being assigned to an individual bedroom. The district may assign a new roommate to any unoccupied bedroom in the unit during standing lease terms without prior notice. While the district will make reasonable efforts to match roommates for compatibility, roommates are responsible for getting along and resolving any disagreements. If the district needs to intervene, it will act as a binding arbiter on any disagreement, with that decision being the final decision on the matter. Such decisions do not constitute grounds for a tenant to break their lease.

The following sections address specific aspects of shared housing:

• Common spaces: Roommates will be considerate of the shared living spaces, such as the living room, kitchen, laundry room, shared closets, garage, and parking areas. These common areas of the apartment will be cleaned after use and respected. Each roommate is expected to clean up after themselves in all common spaces. In addition, roommates will respect others' belongings located in common spaces. Each roommate has the obligation to do their share of chores including washing dishes, vacuuming floors, and taking out trash.
• Living room and dining space: Furnishings in these common spaces such as TVs, couches, and tables will be by mutual agreement. Established furnishings from roommates with seniority in the unit have priority unless mutually agreed upon otherwise.
• Kitchen: Kitchen space will be shared by all roommates with the expectation that each roommate will clean up after each use. Roommates will work out the common use of cooking equipment, dishes, and utensils. Refrigerator space will be shared between roommates. Roommates will not use others' groceries without permission.
• Pantry space: The pantry has three distinct sections, one for each roommate.
• Laundry space: The laundry space has three separate cabinets, one for each roommate. Roommates will remove their laundry from the washer and dryer in a timely manner.
• Garage: The garage has three sets of shelves, one for each roommate. Items such as bikes, skis, and other gear may be stored in this shared space. However, these items should be stored so that all roommates can easily access their items, allowing free access to all areas and not blocking any of the doors per fire code.
• Mechanical room: No items are to be stored in the mechanical room per fire code.
• Extra appliances: Extra appliances such as freezers may be located in the garage as space allows.
• Carport Parking: The carport will be reserved for parking by the roommate with the most seniority in the unit. If two roommates have equal seniority, the facilities coordinator will flip a coin. Tenants may agree among themselves on a shared schedule, but the roommate with the highest seniority will still be on record with the district as having the carport reserved.
• Visitors and guests: Roommates will give reasonable notice to other roommates when they plan to have visitors or guests over.
• Pets: Roommates who have pets will keep them under control, out of other roommates’ spaces, and in common spaces only by mutual agreement. Visiting pets, pet sitting, or pets and animals of visitors and guests are not allowed.

The district may revise roommate procedures at any time.

Superintendent Unit

1. The Gold Run Unit shall be reserved for the Superintendent.
2. If the Superintendent chooses not to occupy the unit, it shall revert to the criteria above, with the caveat that the lease length shall always be limited to one year, making the unit available for a potential incoming Superintendent.
3. Whenever the Superintendent occupies District housing for rent, the Board of Education will conduct all negotiations and extend a contract at their sole discretion. By this process, the Superintendent is never considered to have a conflict of interest in serving on the Housing Committee.

Rental Rates

1. Rental cost for a 1BR Lawson Unit will be set at 25% of the previous year’s base rate (BA00 Step 1) on the Teacher Salary Matrix. Other units will be increased proportionally based on the Rental Index above.
2. Security Deposit may be paid in monthly installments up to 6 months.
3. Security deposit will be fixed at the rate listed when the employee first moves into the unit, and not increased annually with rental increases.

If housing units are identified for purchase by employees, the Superintendent will develop a process and criteria, in collaboration with the Housing Committee, for notification and selection of employees.  Notification will include at least 30 days notice to all staff, at least one informational meeting will be scheduled during that 30 days, and selection criteria will be clearly defined and communicated during that 30 days.

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