This spring, a former RFTA bus operator reached out to The Sopris Sun sharing concerns following the loss of his RFTA employee housing. Steve McQuiston worked for the transit authority for years, and has since moved out of the Valley. He said, “There is no way I could have remained in the Valley without a housing stipend covering 50% of the rent plus utilities.”
Our reporter asked McQuiston for more details, and interviewed RFTA about housing challenges. According to McQuiston, “I was first notified in September 2024 of the policy change.” He stated another driver obtained a copy of a consultant’s report in March of 2024. “I do recall that the consulting firm did propose a five-year limit on RFTA-owned housing at the time. The only other communication before or after that was rumors.”
RFTA states that they formally notified employee residents about upcoming housing changes on March 19, 2024, following the findings of a comprehensive housing study. “In that communication, we acknowledged that while RFTA had a three-year length-of-stay policy, it had not been actively enforced, and that this duration was no longer adequate given current housing market challenges,” stated public information officer Jamie Tatsuno.
Tatsuno elaborated, “To address [housing market challenges], we announced a new five-year length-of-stay policy, effective May 1, 2024. Employees who were approaching or exceeding the five-year limit as of that date were informed they could remain in RFTA housing through April 30, 2025, giving more than one year’s notice to make other arrangements.”
The March communication also clarified that RFTA housing is intended to bridge the gap for new hires who are unable to secure housing in the region. Tatsuno said that the limited capacity required RFTA to adjust policies to balance inventory between longer-term employees and new hires. “Prior to this recent policy change, some residents had occupied RFTA employee housing for extended periods, ranging from 10 to 17 years.”
The employer followed the announcement with facilitated conversations in November 2024, updated policy announcements in January 2025 and ongoing communication through the move-out date of April 30, 2025. Tatsuno explained “A series of open house events were held throughout November to address employee questions and offer individualized guidance, followed up by a thorough Q&A communication and discussions with employees who were expected to be moving out come April 30, 2025.”
Tatsuno added, “RFTA provided one month of free rent to all employee residents to support the transition from payroll deductions to direct rent payments to the property management firm, beginning in February 2025. At that time, we had 12 employees who had resided more than five years in RFTA housing. Three of those 12 employees left RFTA altogether. Six requested additional time, and in two instances, RFTA granted short extensions due to individual circumstances.”
In McQuiston’s communication with The Sopris Sun, he also expressed concern about a mechanic shortage at RFTA. “It’s not just a driver shortage, it’s a shortage of mechanics. Approximately half the fleet is years past its design service life.” He said that he sees a housing stipend as the only solution to retain employees who are not in RFTA housing in the region.
Tatsuno shared details about the negotiation process between RFTA and the employee union. “Negotiations between RFTA and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1774 began in June 2024, paused due to scheduling challenges and resumed in September 2024, concluding in November 2024. She said, “While housing stipends were discussed, no agreement was made to include them in the final contract. RFTA communicated to the union that, should funding become available for housing stipends in the future, they would be made available equitably to all eligible RFTA employees, not just bargaining unit members.”
Tatsuno described the efforts RFTA has made to address employee concerns. “Over time, employees have expressed a need for longer stays in employee housing, financial support such as rental assistance and more predictability in lease terms. These concerns were elevated during the housing study process and helped shape the new housing changes announced in March 2024. The five-year maximum stay, with an extension through April 30, 2025, was a direct response to these needs.”
According to Tatsuno, “RFTA has a Rental Advance Program and has published a Housing Resource Guide to assist staff in finding alternative housing in the region. While RFTA currently does not offer direct housing stipends due to funding constraints, future programs are being considered as part of a Comprehensive Housing Policy which is still under development.”
Tatsuno also shared that administrative conversations about how to support employees and address concerns are ongoing. “RFTA has reached its bus operator staffing goals for the first time in eight years, thanks in large part to our new housing initiatives and total compensation improvements, including a significant pay increase for drivers in September 2023,” she said. “This pay adjustment was applied retroactively to July 1, 2023, as an amendment to the existing [Amalgamated Transit Union] contract at that time. A new contract was later renegotiated in 2024 and took effect in January 2025, further incorporating wage increases for drivers.”
Tatsuno stated that RFTA is conducting its biennial market survey in 2025 for all other positions to ensure the organization’s compensation plan remains competitive.