June 18, 2026 · Kittredge Central Hall, University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder Valley Middle-Income Housing Summit
A working session on housing the Boulder Valley’s middle-income workforce, with a focus on for-sale homes that let working families build equity.
Host Sponsor
Why attend
Turning the Middle-Income Housing Conversation Into Action
Housing that teachers, nurses, young professionals and working families can afford is one of the Boulder Valley’s most pressing issues. This summit brings the people who can change that into one room: real estate developers, government officials and community members, in a dynamic working session. Together we dig into the key challenges of building housing our workforce can afford, with a particular focus on for-sale product that gives families the chance to build future equity, and leave with actionable solutions and new partnerships that shape the future of attainable middle-income housing in our region.
Who attends
Developers, Elected Officials and Community Members at One Table
The summit gathers stakeholders from the private and public sectors: real estate developers, government officials and community members, working together on housing that is affordable to the Boulder Valley’s middle-income workforce. Your expertise and insights are what make the morning work, and elected officials attend free.
The program
A Report Card, a Playbook and a Workshop
The morning moves from data to decisions. Session I opens with a Housing Report Card on the Common Sense Institute’s Starter Home Initiative, then a report-back from Better Boulder’s January gathering of 60 local and regional housing experts. Session II is a candid panel on the missing-middle playbook: the proven strategies cities talk about but rarely adopt, and what it takes to turn them into measurable results. Session III puts attendees to work in a strategies-and-obstacles workshop, with table captains reporting out before adjournment.
This event is free to all elected officials.
2026 Agenda
-
8:30 a.m.
Welcome
Julie Gibson, CU Leeds Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate
-
8:35 – 9:15 a.m.
Session I (two presentations)
Housing Report Card: The Common Sense Institute’s Starter Home Initiative provides a policy framework designed to address housing affordability by promoting development of smaller, freestanding single-family homes across Colorado. Creating Middle-Income Housing: Ideas Into Action: David Ensign reports on Better Boulder’s January event, which featured 60 local and regional housing experts.
DJ Summers, Common Sense Institute; David Ensign, former City of Boulder Planning Board member
-
9:15 – 10:20 a.m.
Session II: The Missing-Middle Playbook — The Solutions Cities Talk About but Rarely Adopt
A growing number of proven strategies could help communities create more attainable housing for teachers, nurses, young professionals and working families. So why have many municipalities struggled to move from discussion to action? This candid conversation explores the policy tools available to local governments, the political and financial barriers to implementation, and what it will take to turn housing conversations into measurable results.
Moderator: Jonathan Singer, Boulder Chamber. Panelists: Erin Bagnall, principal, Sopher Sparn Architects; Aaron Brockett, City of Boulder; Andrew Moore, Town of Erie; Rob O’Dea, Boulder Development Group; Scott Rodwin, Rodwin Architecture & Skycastle Construction; Robert Smith, City and County of Broomfield
-
10:25 – 11:20 a.m.
Session III: Workshop — Strategies & Obstacles
Speaker and facilitator: Julie Gibson, CU Leeds Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate
-
11:20 – 11:30 a.m.
Reports from table captains
-
11:30 a.m.
Adjourn
For program and panel information, contact Jeff Nuttall, jnuttall@bizwest.com.
Panelists, presenters and facilitators
2026 Speakers
Julie Gibson
Sherman R. Miller Executive Director, Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate, University of Colorado Boulder
Jonathan Singer
Senior Director of Policy Programs, Boulder Chamber
DJ Summers
Director of Communications, Common Sense Institute
David Ensign
Former City of Boulder Planning Board member
Erin Bagnall
Partner, Sopher Sparn Architects
Aaron Brockett
Mayor, City of Boulder
Andrew J. Moore
Mayor, Town of Erie
Rob O’Dea
Co-founder, Boulder Development Group
Scott Rodwin
Principal, Rodwin Architecture & CEO, Skycastle Construction
Robert Smith
Director of Economic Development, City and County of Broomfield
Sponsor the summit
Put Your Name on the Region's Housing Conversation
Sponsors of the Boulder Valley Middle-Income Housing Summit stand alongside the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business in front of the developers, municipal leaders and community members working on attainable housing. The 2026 summit was backed by host, presenting and associate sponsors. Contact Jeff Nuttall to talk about the right fit for your organization.
Presenting Sponsor
Associate Sponsors
For sponsorship information, contact Jeff Nuttall, jnuttall@bizwest.com.