Skip to Content

Press Releases

Rep. Pettersen Visits Chaffee County, Hears from Coloradans in Buena Vista and Salida about Housing Costs and How She Can Continue to Deliver in Congress

U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) recently traveled across the 7th Congressional District to hear from constituents, community leaders, and elected officials about the challenges they face, and visit sites where she has recently delivered federal investments. 

Earlier this year Pettersen secured $13.9 million in funding for 15 community projects, two of which are located in Chaffee County, a new affordable housing project and child care facility in Buena Vista as well as an affordable housing and solar power project in Salida.

“I’m so happy that we were able to secure funding for these critical projects, and seeing how much progress has been made towards their completion fills me with a lot of hope for the future,” said Pettersen. “We hear so much from rural areas about the workforce shortage, and the lack of affordable housing and child care. We are taking action and addressing these issues, and I know that these two projects will make a big impact on Chaffee County and help make the Colorado an even better place to live”

Rep. Pettersen’s first stop in Chaffee County was Midland Apartments in Buena Vista. Rep. Pettersen secured more than $1.2 million for the town of Buena Vista to develop Midland Apartments into 60 affordable housing units and 4,600 square feet of childcare space. She was joined by officials from Fading West, the site developer and builder, and local leaders including Chaffee County Commissioners Keith Baker and PT Wood, Buena Vista Mayor Libby Fay, and other town officials in touring the site, which broke ground earlier this year. 

Rep. Pettersen’s next stop was the site of Jane’s Place in Salida, a 17-unit multi-family affordable housing and community program project currently under construction. She recently secured $300,000 to install a solar array on top of the facility. Rep. Pettersen supported this project to help meet the needs of the local workforce and families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. 

“What most impresses me about Congresswoman Pettersen is her knowledge of the folks in her district and our needs along with her willingness to put in the hard work to help solve those issues. She shows up for Chaffee County and Colorado, it is amazing to have a Representative in Washington who is actually working on the problems faced by regular people in their district,” said P.T. Wood, Chaffee County Commissioner.