La Plata Economic Development Alliance

What it reported doing in 2025

Housing InitiativesPine River Commons: Breaking ground in 2023, Pine River Commons is a workforce housing development delivering much-needed below-market homes in Bayfield. In 2025, Bayfield home prices averaged $501,728, putting homeownership further out of reach for many local residents. In 2025, as the first phase of 11 homes neared completion, Pine River Commons sought additional support through the Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund to ensure home prices remained attainable amid continued market pressures. The Catalyst Advisory Committee approved an additional $100,000 investment to support the project. The Alliance also partnered with Bayfield Haga, the developers of Pine River Commons, to pursue an integrated housing and childcare solution.Working in collaboration with U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, the Alliance submitted a $2.7 million Congressional District Spending (CDS) request to support the development of a dedicated childcare facility as part of Pine RiverCommons Phase II.Durango: With the average home price of $1,010,235 in Durango city limits, developing attainable units for our regions workforce continues to be a top priority. In 2025, the Alliance supported workforce housing development in Durango through the Housing Catalyst Fund. The Housing Catalyst Fund is a unique funding source that targets the predevelopment costs that are critical to project feasibility but are often underfunded. During the year, the Alliance conducted two rounds of Housing Catalyst Fund grant awards in Durango, investing $175,000 to support projects already positioned to move forward. These targeted investments helped reduce early financial barriers and advance housing developments that prioritize long-term affordability for local workers. Together, these projects represent 79 total housing units, allbelow-market, underscoring the Housing Catalyst Funds role in strengthening Durangos workforce housing pipeline and supporting sustainable community growth. To date, the Housing Catalyst Fund has deployed $701,798 to support the development and preservation of 564 belowmarket units across La Plata County.Town of Ignacio: The Town of Ignacio faces unique housing challenges shaped by an aging housing stock and limited availability of newer, attainable homes. Expanding affordable housing options is essential to supporting residents, strengthening the local workforce, andsustaining Ignacios long-term economic health. Since 2023, the Alliance has supported the Towns Rock Creek Housing Project through a combination of capacity-building and direct investment. In 2025, the Alliance supported the Town ofIgnacio through completion of its Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Capacity Grant, resulting in an additional $50,000 to advance local affordable housing development. Additionally, with local financing tools, the Alliance provided project-level support with $50,000 in Housing Catalyst Fund grants and $235,000 in Catalyst Revolving Loan Fund financing. These investments helped reduce early-stage barriers and supported the development of attainable homes for the community.Phase I of the Rock Creek Housing Project was completed in 2025 and marked with aribbon cutting. All 11 homes in the first phase have been sold, accounting for the total Ignacio in town home sales in 2025. This is a 5% increase in home sales compared to 2024, demonstrating a strong demand and the importance of continued housing investment in Ignacio.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75.3%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 89%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: $49.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 97.7%; rating input score 98; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16.4%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.55; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 12.3%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 16.9% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 17% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings