I am voting "yes" on Pitkin County's ballot question 1A for affordable housing, and if you support having more of our service providers living in the communities they serve, you should, too. 1A asks for a modestly-sized increase of property tax each year to channel into housing projects that the county can partner in, preserve, and protect or permanently conserve as deed-restricted housing.

Partnering: think Habitat for Humanity, West Mountain Regional Housing Coalition, other public agencies engaged in housing, and projects led by private enterprise. All good candidates. The county helps by providing more financial resources to these efforts.

Preservation: think of the existing and aging affordable housing stock that require crucial infrastructure upgrades and replacements over time. By the way, this is development neutral.

Conservation: think about existing homes in the community that can be "bought down" with funds from this initiative, lowering the purchase price and permanently deed restricting the residence for future generations. Again, development neutral.

Who benefits? The primary service workers whom we all depend on for everyday needs. Think: Sheriff's Office, emergency responders, transit, road and bridge, child welfare, our health and human service providers, and other critical services in the community. If they benefit, then so do we -- tremendously.

The housing game is no longer just "build, build, build." We need creativity. The county needs to be in the game. Vote "yes" on 1A!