Gail Schwartz

04/13/2022

Do you know someone living in the Rifle area whose current housing situation is unaffordable or otherwise not meeting their needs? SHARE THIS POST WITH THEM!

If you're looking for an affordable way to live and work near Rifle, Colorado this could be the perfect opportunity for you! Habitat Roaring Fork is currently accepting applications for Wapiti Commons, our newest affordable housing community consisting of 20 net-zero affordable homes for sale. Over the next two years we will build 12 three-bedroom townhomes for local workforce families and 8 one-bedroom condos for active older adults, all priced below the current market rate. The deadline is April 21st, so head to our website to learn about the application process and download your application today!

https://habitatroaringfork.org/pages/wapiti-become-a-homeowner

11/04/2021

Colorado Gives Day is right around the corner, but you don't have to wait until December 7th to make your Colorado Gives Day gift! You can schedule your donations via the link below today!

I hope that you will include Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley in your giving plans this year. We love our Roaring fork and Colorado River Valley communities and appreciate all your generous help in achieving our mission of ensuring their prosperity for generations for come!

https://www.coloradogives.org/HabitatforHumanityRoaringForkValley/

09/17/2021

On Monday, September 20th Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley will be hosting our first ever Difference Maker Day! With festivities including our annual golf tournament, a special Basalt Vista volunteer day, a silent auction (going on now!) and a Builder's Club shopping day there's a little something for everyone.

You can head over to the Habitat website for more information on and to sign up for any of these activities. I hope you're able to join us, and as always thanks for making our Valley a wonderful place to call home.

Difference Maker Day - Monday, September 20th In just two weeks, Habitat Roaring Fork will host our first ever Day of Difference! Join us on Monday, September 20th as we join forces with local businesses and community members to raise money to build homes with local families in need of affordable ho...

04/23/2021

Thank you to the Aspen Times for your coverage of Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley's Earth Day event!

03/31/2021

Recently an op-ed in the Summit Daily by Summit County Commissioner Tamara Pogue described the workforce housing challenge faced by many mountain counties. Our communities understand that pristine views and access to vast outdoor recreation attracts our visitors and makes tourism the cornerstone of our economy: providing jobs and spurring our growth and development. However, we've seen that a byproduct of our strong tourism economy is a severe lack of affordable housing. This makes it nearly impossible for members of our workforce to continue living here, which in turn causes labor shortages and impacts our local businesses.

"Simply put, Summit County does not have enough affordable housing to keep our workers and their families housed and safe. This has caused labor shortages that have forced businesses to close or prevented them from investing further into our economy" said Pogue.

This description of the economic impacts of our affordable housing shortage is felt in most resort areas across Western Colorado. The Roaring Fork Valley is projected to have an affordable housing shortfall of over 5,700 units by 2027. Should this trend continue, our economies will not be able to withstand the labor shortage, and our communities will lose the people who contribute most to our way of life.

That is why I'm proud to work with Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley. We are fighting everyday to keep our communities strong by building neighborhoods like Basalt Vista that provide stable and affordable housing for our invaluable workforce. Together, we can overcome this challenge!

  Our workforce, many of them on the front line, is the engine that powers our pristine ski resorts, protects our forests and drives our local economy. From hospitality workers, shop owners and grocery store...

03/08/2021

I am honored to be featured in the Spring Issue of Mountain Parent Magazine alongside five fellow inspiring local mompreneurs! It's been a great honor to have experienced both the joys of motherhood and a deeply fulfilling career, and I encourage all young women to unabashedly go after all of your dreams, whatever they may be. The print edition of Mountain Parent is on stands now, so don't forget to pick up a copy for yourself today (our ReStore of the Roaring Fork Valley even gets a shoutout too)!

02/17/2021

Today marks one year since I joined Habitat for Humanity Roaring Fork Valley. Time certainly does fly!

Today our President, Gail Schwartz, is celebrating one year with Habitat Roaring Fork! To mark the occasion, we wanted to share a bit about Gail and her history of service:

Since arriving in the Roaring Fork Valley in 1973, Gail has built a life and a career around public service. Gail moved to Aspen to work with Sno-engineering Inc., where she quickly learned that affordable housing is critical to stabilizing workers and communities. She then took her experience to her next role as Director of Development for the Pitkin County Housing Authority where she served as Interim Director, developing policies to maintain long-term affordable housing programs and bringing on 800 housing units. A public servant at heart, Gail has served in elected and appointed positions including two terms in the Colorado State Senate and several local and statewide Boards. She currently holds an appointment by Governor Polis to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Gail joined the Habitat Roaring Fork Board of Directors in 2019, rising quickly to assume the role as chair. Shortly thereafter, she transitioned into her current position as our President, continuing our work to build regional partnerships, identify new projects, and engender community support for our mission.

Gail and her husband, Alan, have raised three daughters in the Roaring Fork Valley, and now have three grandchildren. Despite the pressures of work obligations, Gail has always prioritized her family and encouraged her daughters to have the confidence to achieve an education, a career, and a family. When asked about juggling home life with a blossoming career, Gail has said, "I think they both shaped my path. They just evolved together, which required time to be aware of our children's needs while being sufficiently intuitive to follow my personal path to success. Each step leads to another level of personal reward and accomplishment while contributing to our community."

Happy Anniversary, Gail. Here's to many more!

02/11/2021

Today I'd like to take a moment to thank Tom Kenning for his decade of service to Habitat Roaring Fork and wish him well in all his future endeavors. Tom has been a powerful and reliable force on our board, contributing expertise, guidance, and considerable personal time to our organization. We are on a strong path despite the challenges of this past year, in no small part due to Tom's passion and commitment to our mission. Our sincerest thanks to Tom, his family, and Alpine Bank for always having our back. We are truly grateful!

02/08/2021

Thank you to The Aspen Times for writing this beautiful article about Basalt Vista and the need for affordable workforce housing in the Valley!

Construction of the third and final phase of the Basalt Vista affordable housing project is about to begin. The project has been vital to keeping working families in the Roaring Fork Valley.

01/09/2021

Last Sunday, I watched the President Jimmy Carter documentary, “Rock & Roll President” and WOW. Not only is the 70's music fantastic, but I learned a little something about his deep roots with Habitat for Humanity. CNN is airing it again tonight at 10PM Eastern and Pacific times, or you can watch it on demand. Highly recommend!

NOW IN THEATERS AND ON VIRTUAL CINEMA!Visit http://www.JimmyCarterMovie.com for tickets.Part-rockumentary, part-presidential portrait, JIMMY CARTER: ROCK & R...