Pikes Peak Habitat Champions Affordable Homeownership at Coffee at the Capitol

On March 4, 2026, advocates from Habitat for Humanity affiliates across Colorado gathered at the State Capitol in Denver for the annual Coffee at the Capitol event organized by Habitat for Humanity of Colorado. More than 50 Habitat advocates representing 16 communities met with legislators to share a simple message: together we can open the door to homeownership.

 

For Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity, the day was an opportunity to bring the voices and experiences of families in El Paso County directly to the people shaping housing policy in our state.

 

Affordable homeownership remains one of the most pressing challenges facing our region and state.

 

Recent data highlights the scale of the issue.

 

The Pikes Peak Housing Network’s 2025 State of Housing Report estimates a housing deficit of 13,815 homes in the Pikes Peak region. The City of Colorado Springs’ 2025 Housing Needs Assessment, on the other hand, estimates the shortage at 27,712 homes.

 

Regardless of the exact size of the housing shortage, it is clear that no single organization can solve a challenge of this magnitude alone. While Pikes Peak Habitat works with people in El Paso County to build safe, affordable homes, systemic housing shortages such as this one also require policy, legislative, and fiscal solutions working alongside nonprofit and private-sector efforts to achieve meaningful results.

 

Events like this year’s Coffee at the Capitol ensure lawmakers hear directly from the organizations and communities working on the front lines of housing every day and, most importantly, take action.

 

Pikes Peak Habitat was represented by Samantha White, ReStore Volunteer Coordinator, and Karla Probert, Executive Assistant to the CEO and Advocacy Ambassador. Throughout the day, we met with Representative Ava Flanell, Senator Tony Exum, and Senator Marc Snyder to discuss housing challenges and opportunities in El Paso County.

 

These conversations focused on the work Pikes Peak Habitat is doing locally, including our upcoming Rising Moon development, which will create 41 affordable homes, with at least 13 reserved for employees of Widefield School District 3 through our Housing for Educators partnership. Projects like Rising Moon help create stable pathways to homeownership for the teachers, school staff, and working families who play such an important role in our community.

 

We were also grateful for the opportunity to observe the legislative process firsthand, sitting in on the House floor and attending a Senate committee hearing on housing legislation.

 

During our meetings, we emphasized the importance of protecting Proposition 123, a voter-approved initiative designed to increase affordable housing supply across Colorado through the creation of the Colorado State Affordable Housing Fund.

 

Prop 123 has already made a meaningful impact. Habitat for Humanity affiliates across Colorado have received more than $25 million in Prop 123 funding, enabling the organizations to nearly double annual home production—from 65 homes in 2019 to 122 homes in 2025. To date, 158 homes have been completed using these funds. Here in El Paso County, Pikes Peak Habitat has received Prop 123 funding for nine homes, with two more in progress. 

 

Protecting these funds ensures that the will of Colorado voters continues to translate into real homes and real opportunities for families across the state.

 

For 40 years, Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity has partnered with families, volunteers, donors, and community leaders to build and repair affordable homes in El Paso County — transforming lives of around 350 families!

 

Advocacy is a critical part of that work. While we build homes one family at a time, policies that support housing supply and affordability help ensure that more families have the opportunity to achieve the stability and security that homeownership provides.

 

We are grateful to our local legislators for taking the time to meet with us and for their continued engagement on housing issues affecting our community.

Because when we work together—communities, nonprofits, and policymakers—we truly can open the door to homeownership.