The City of Boulder City Council meeting on September 4, 2025, featured significant discussions focused on homelessness and housing solutions. The meeting began with an update from the Housing Advisory Board (HAB), which recently established a subcommittee dedicated to addressing homelessness. This subcommittee is set to review the CLUTCH consulting report, which aims to explore various housing solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness.

During the meeting, HAB highlighted the pressing issue of underutilized large homes in Boulder, where many are occupied by only one or two individuals. This trend has raised concerns about the financial and physical burdens of maintaining such properties. The board emphasized the potential benefits of promoting shared housing arrangements, which could alleviate these hardships while fostering community relations and enhancing economic resilience.

A guest panel was invited to discuss practical solutions for increasing shared housing in Boulder. The panel included experts from various organizations, such as Anne Marie Pluhar from Sharing Housing, Anne Marie Parsons from Boulder Housing Coalition, Bree Erger from LiveWork Denver, and Savinia Falkwis from Home Share Oregon. They engaged in a lively discussion about the importance of making shared housing more socially acceptable and the need for resources to help individuals find compatible housemates.

The panelists suggested several initiatives to promote shared housing, including increased education on the topic, the implementation of a housemate matching service, and improved data collection to inform housing policy. The meeting concluded with a call for community involvement in these efforts to address the housing crisis effectively.

Overall, the City Council meeting underscored the importance of collaborative approaches to housing solutions, particularly in light of the challenges posed by homelessness and underutilized housing resources in Boulder. The next steps will involve further exploration of the recommendations made by the HAB and the guest panel.