Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dale Steenbergen says affordable housing is still a big problem in Cheyenne.

Steenbergen says a good example is the fact that many members of the Air Force who are stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne are forced to live in Fort Collins, Colorado. He says the fact that people charged with manning a nuclear missile base, and who may have to respond quickly in an emergency, are forced to live 45 miles away says a lot about the housing situation.

He says it's also an example of how the housing shortage hurts the Laramie County economy, because people who would be spending money in Cheyenne and paying sales taxes here are instead spending most of their money in another community.

Steenbergen has in the past said the city's housing problems are a major economic issue because it's hard to lure young professionals to a community that lacks adequate, affordable housing.

The inability to lure young families to the area in turn creates workforce issues for employers and potential employers, according to Steenbergen.

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