Correction: Amy Hoeven’s name was misspelled throughout the original version of this story. We have corrected the misspelling.
By AVA FRICKE
The Ramspondents
The City Council seat for District 5 is up for election this year on Nov. 4. With this District containing much of Colorado State University and the surrounding area, it is an integral part of the Fort Collins community.
Amy Hoeven is a 4th generation Coloradan who has lived in District 5 for most of her life, and she is running as one of two candidates for the district.
“My time in District 5 has really, really taught me a lot about the community and especially the issues I want to focus on,” Hoeven said.
Her top three priorities to focus on are protecting and supporting vulnerable community members, working on affordable housing and workforce development.
“District 5, for example, 65% of the residents are renters, which indicates that they are not housing secure yet, which puts them at risk for being vulnerable to other issues. When community members don't feel secure with their housing, they don't feel safe within their community,” Hoeven said.
“That means building along key transportation corridors, reducing unnecessary construction and remodeling fees, streamlining the permitting processes, and ensuring our policies support density and accessibility. It also means using my relationships with local organizations like Housing Catalyst, Neighbor2Neighbor, and Care Housing to seek grassroots solutions to our housing crisis.”
“Knowing that 65% of the population in District 5 might be experiencing housing insecurity indicates that it's the younger demographic where it's just not working.”
Hoeven has also founded the Immigration and Eviction Legal Funds and launched the Community Empowerment Fund and Near Peer Mentoring program. She said she also aims to continue to strengthen programs already effectively working in the city.
This issue that Hoeven has identified also relates closely with another priority of hers, workforce development.
“I do find that making sure students can find jobs when they graduate is important, but also that they can find jobs while they are in school that work with their schedules to make sure they can afford their homes and hopefully stay here and contribute to our workforce, because it's such a wonderful community, and we have such highly skilled and highly educated students that it only benefits our community to support them,” Hoeven said.
In regard to the Fort Collins strategic plan, Hoeven said her priorities interact very closely. “The current council has done a really good job in focusing on affordability and protecting vulnerable community members, so I think I fall in line with many of the priorities, and I want to continue to be a good steward of the community and really work with students and the community to bridge that gap.”
When asked about current budgetary problems the City is facing, and her thoughts on how to prevent problems like this in the future, Hoeven stressed collaboration between the local and state levels.
“It’s a matter of staying in touch with our state legislature, really working hard to look at our tax policy in the state and really start working towards some changes with our current tax laws,” she said.
“I have great relationships with the county commissioners and state legislators, and I will continue to utilize my connections.”
Hoeven has endorsements from state legislators Sen. Cathy Kipp (D—District 14) and Rep. Andrew Boesenecker (D—District 53). She also has endorsements from two county commissioners.
When asked how she plans to bridge the gaps between CSU and the Fort Collins community, she said “ I’ve lived here for so long I know where the chasm occurs.”
Hoeven has earned recognition from both CSU and the Fort Collins community, serving on the leadership consulate for the College of Liberal Arts, and being honored with the CSU distinguished alumni award and the Young Professional of the Year award from the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce.
“I have such great relationships with people on campus. I work with many First Gen students right now and have been a huge volunteer on campus. I understand exactly how vital students are to the overall health and wellbeing of our community.”
These connections, she said, are paramount in her effectiveness in serving the community. “I will continue to do what I’ve been doing, which is connecting students to business community leaders, non-profit leaders, because we all have to work together to keep our community whole.”
More information on Hoeven’s campaign and upcoming events can be found on her website.
Ava Fricke is a political journalist focusing on written media.