Ryan Schuchard

Would you support accepting federal FAA grants that could require Boulder to keep the municipal airport open in perpetuity?

No. Reported by Boulder Reporting Lab from the June 6 2026 Raucous Caucus. Not a written questionnaire; a journalist's grouping of spoken answers.

A reporter grouped the candidates by position. This is not the candidate's own written answer.

Source: Boulder City Council candidates preview election-year battles over housing, airport and wages

What do you think are the most promising initiatives for reducing homelessness?

Our homelessness crisis is driven by poverty and a lack of housing. These circumstances are worsening, nationally and in Boulder, with homelessness at much higher levels in communities with limited housing affordability like ours. Furthermore, we need to be realistic about the fact that the way out of homelessness is frequently complicated by mental illness and substance abuse. The most promising initiatives for reducing homelessness are the following: Immediate stability and support. Safe places for people to go, both during the day and at night, with a more robust system of caseworkers and resources to help people effectively manage individual challenges. We also need to invest in comprehensive engagement to meet the needs of “superusers,” the top 50 or so people who cycle from crisis to crisis. Finally, we must create more local treatment services for mental health and addiction for everyone, regardless of housing status. Transitional housing. More comprehensive options for tiny homes and other transitional housing, with varying levels of supervision and support, aiming to put people on paths to permanent homes. Prop 123 funding should be useful. [Editor’s note: Proposition 123 is a voter-approved 2022 ballot measure that dedicates a portion of income tax revenue to affordable housing programs.] Homelessness prevention. Renter protections and assistance, with more abundant affordable housing options overall to prevent people from slipping into homelessness.

Source: 2023 Boulder City Council election: Where the candidates stand on homelessness solutions

What approach would you take to address camping in our parks, on our bike paths and along our waterways?

We need to bring multiple forces under control. These solutions seem promising: Ensure the police chief has what’s needed to keep sidewalks and multi-use paths clear to minimize user conflicts. The police need to continue to be able to prioritize enforcement resources to keep pedestrian and cycling paths open and accessible for all. Implement non-police responses to assist people in mental health distress. Use civilian personnel to respond to people in crisis, which Boulder will soon do through its CARE program, which is more cost effective and a lower-confrontation way to address disruptive behaviors in public spaces. Provide resources to keep people healthy and parks clean. Boulder needs more accessible public toilets/port-a-pots, trash and needle disposal locations, access to drinking water, and other amenities to foster hygienic care and to prevent human waste from polluting public spaces. Establish a wider and more accessible network of places for people to go who have been asked to decamp. The day shelter coming online will help. We also need more options for immediate overnight camping and parking. Give people experiencing homelessness while going through a range of challenging life circumstances an accessible pipeline to crucial services. [Editor’s note: Schuchard referred to his response to a question about homelessness to expand upon his answer.]

Source: 2023 Boulder City Council election: Where the candidates stand on homeless encampments

What is your plan for increasing Boulder’s affordable housing supply?

Align Boulder’s housing policy with our values by pursuing measures to expand Boulder’s overall stock of housing; increase the range of options in the “middle housing” category (e.g., townhomes, condos, small apartments, cottage courts, co-ops, small houses on small lots, multiple small houses on large lots); and increase the number of options of affordability price points. These categories of measures are especially important: Reform zoning to make it easier to build more middle housing options. Allow more forms of development by-right, reduce minimum lot sizes, replace requirements with disallowances, and prescribe corridor plans. Cut parking subsidies. Eliminate parking mandates and reduce public spending on parking in general. Get the most out of strategic annexations. As we consider the future of the Airport, the Area 3 planning reserve, and CU South, be visionary with the possibilities for land use and make sure annexations pay their way for affordability. Reduce administrative friction. Simplify planning and permitting by lowering requirements involved in the entitlements process, streamline the planning board’s scope of veto power, and pursue opportunities to remove bottlenecks identified by staff.

Source: 2023 Boulder City Council election: Where the candidates stand on affordable housing