They were driving or being driven an hour to work in Fort Morgan and an hour home. Sometimes the drive took longer, because of traffic or foul weather. But in April, some of the first workers to move into Cargill鈥檚 employee housing opened the doors of their townhomes and breathed a little easier knowing the next day鈥檚 commute would take just minutes.
For years, Fort Morgan (pop. 11,000) has been dealing with ever-shrinking housing options, due to low stock, rising costs and changing demographics. A 2021 commissioned by the United Way of Morgan County showed housing was the most urgent need for area workers, including a chunk of the 2,000 or so people who work for , one of the in the United States.
Now some employees can stop making the long haul to work, and many more will this autumn. Because in 2024 Cargill broke ground on an answer to its transportation problem, and over a 10-month span, it got the job well on the way to being done. Ten townhouses opened for tenants in April, with another 17 to open this month and 81 apartments coming by late September, according to a Cargill spokesperson.
It鈥檚 been 鈥渉eart-touching鈥� to see the impact those units are having, because almost 60% of Cargill鈥檚 employees commute from Greeley and other communities, Johanna Hernandez, Cargill鈥檚 Fort Morgan facility manager, told The Colorado Sun in April. 鈥淲hen (the housing plan) was shared with our team members, there was a lot of really positive feedback and energy around, and I can even comment that we are seeing a huge increase in our retention.鈥�
Hernandez said Fort Morgan schools are expecting more families. Most won鈥檛 send their kids there until August, because students were in the middle of the school year elsewhere when the first units opened and they wanted to finish before relocating.
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