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By Alice Emma. Also published a s a letter to the editor in the Daily Camera on October 22, 2021.
"I am a young professional. Three others and I live somewhere in one of your neighborhoods, in a cozy house on a happy street. We are one of the many households living illegally: as it is illegal to live in a home with more than three unrelated residents. Maybe we are older adults who find community with roommates. Maybe we are the same people amassing student loans from your universities, investing in education in order to best be able to pour ourselves back into this community. Maybe we are the faces you see who support Boulderites in a variety of establishments. Maybe it doesn’t matter who we are, for our home to be legal. What we are is community-oriented women who want to live in a four-bedroom house. We are your nannies, educators, scientists, artists, servers, and friends.
Boulder is implying that it is 'full.' There are bedrooms sitting empty in this city, and there are those who fear being evacuated from theirs. City resources go to inspections to see how many people are residing in a space. The Bedrooms measure will not cause an influx of people cramming into homes, nor will rent suddenly inflate for family homes; if supply of (legal) rooms goes up, demand/price does not also spike (this is the foundation of economics). There will be strict standards and landlords who have to uphold them. People are already living how they want to be: allow them to legally, without fear.
I am also someone who would love to have a family here. Supporting one does not mean a dismissal of the success of the other.
What is the number 1 thing that makes up a community? People. Let’s keep Boulder accessible. Here’s to the future! Please make sure you submit your ballots this November. #BedroomsAreForPeople"