By Out Boulder County. Originally posted on the Out Boulder County blog.
"The board and staff of Out Boulder County (OBC) endorse the Bedrooms Are For People ballot initiative. We believe this change in city occupancy regulations will be an important step toward a more inclusive, equitable and livable Boulder and will make a positive difference for the LGBTQ+ individuals and families who live and work here.
OBC's research over the past several years has revealed that a greater proportion of LGBTQ+ persons in Boulder live below the poverty line than the total population average, and more specifically that LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) are the most economically at-risk of our communities in Boulder.
The pandemic has made safe and affordable housing an even greater challenge for Boulder's LGBTQ+ communities. OBC's 2021 COVID Impacts Study found that, overall, 17% of LGBTQ+ Boulder respondents lost their housing during the pandemic and another 29% feared they may lose their housing. Again, LGBTQ+ BIPOC Boulder respondents were our most vulnerable community, with 35% who lost their housing and an additional 52% expressing fear of losing their housing in 2021.
The Bedrooms Are For People measure—by allowing more than three unrelated people to live together and one person to occupy each bedroom in a home—will help ease the financial burdens caused by high housing costs in Boulder as well as offer more safe and stable housing options for Boulder's LGBTQ+ residents. Vote YES on Bedrooms Are For People!"
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