Colorado cities are moving fast to access state funding for infrastructure supporting affordable housing under HB24-1313.
Well ahead of an end-of-year deadline, four Colorado cities have met the initial requirements for Transit Oriented Communities Infrastructure (TOCI) grants, receiving more than $13 million total in the preliminary round of funding. To be eligible at this point in time, cities must be close to final certification as a “Transit Oriented Community” under a state law called HB24-1313: Housing in Transit Oriented Communities. Cities’ quick action to become certified demonstrates this law’s positive impacts on statewide housing and land use, amidst a shortage of 106,000 homes and a fast-growing population.
In this pilot round of funding, DOLA awarded $13,327,830 to the following cities:
- Denver – Broadway Station Pedestrian Bridge Project – $4,000,000
- Fort Collins – Switchgrass Crossing Infrastructure – $792,434
- Longmont – Downtown Transit Hub at 1st & Main – $4,000,000
- Wheat Ridge – Ridge Road Infrastructure Project – $4,535,396
Wheat Ridge was the first city to submit a final compliance report under HB24-1313 and – pending final approval – will use its grant money for public improvements for Ridge Road, a 200-unit mixed-income housing project adjacent to the Arvada Ridge G line light rail station. The site includes a planned expansion of Red Rocks Community College’s nursing program, enabling students to live affordably near school.
“We were motivated to apply for certification early because we had heard about the TOCI grant program and we had an affordable housing project with our regional housing authority, Foothills Regional Housing,” said Wheat Ridge Senior Housing Planner Shannon Terrrell. “This grant program and project align because it’s bringing affordable housing and workforce housing near the community college and light rail infrastructure.”
“We are focused on how these laws are creating opportunities for us to implement our own policies and priorities set through our affordable housing action plan, and our goals around multimodal transportation and housing densification where it’s feasible,” said Wheat Ridge Mayor Pro Tem Rachel Hultin. “The TOC certification aligns with goals we’ve already set.”
Fort Collins anticipates receiving TOC certification by late April. The city updated its commercial corridors zoning last year to allow more mixed use and encourage more housing development. After the City Council reviewed the state law’s requirements and learned about the associated funding opportunities, it directed staff to draft updates to the city’s Land Use Code to streamline the review process for multifamily development in designated Transit Centers, and to designate four additional zones as Transit Centers. The Council is expected to approve those changes in late March or early April. Pending final certification, the city will use funding from HB24-1313 for an affordable housing project for seniors.
“We’re really excited to take advantage of the funding and use this as an opportunity to streamline some of our own processes,” said Fort Collins City Councilor Chris Conway. “It’s been a great opportunity for Fort Collins to look at some processes that needed to be changed.”
Longmont’s award will help fund a mixed-use downtown transit hub for bus rapid transit (BRT) service near rail infrastructure for the future of passenger rail.
“This grant award will help Longmont achieve the city’s long-term goal for transit-oriented development,” said Jenn Ooton, Assistant City Manager. “This transformational project helps catalyze the city’s active work to advance multiple opportunities for affordable housing projects in this general area. This grant will enable Longmont to continue making progress towards its transit, housing, and sustainability goals.”
The TOCI grant program helps close the funding gap preventing cities from building more infill housing, but it is insufficient to meet every city’s needs. HB26-1065: Transit and Housing Investment Zones is a bill introduced on Jan. 21 of this year that takes another step further to close that gap. Housing Forward Colorado encourages proponents to testify in favor of the bill when the House Finance Committee considers it on Feb. 23.
Colorado’s stark housing housing shortage gives it the fifth highest home prices and third highest rent in the country. Demographers expect Colorado to add another 1.5 million people by 2050, growing to a population of more than 7.5 million – with most of that growth concentrated along the Front Range. This shortage drives affordability challenges, as limited housing supply leads to intense competition and rising prices. Moreover, the lack of new housing opportunities near transit, jobs, schools, and other destinations increases pressure to sprawl into open spaces and natural lands – resulting in longer commutes, more pollution, and higher land and water consumption.
Housing Forward Colorado is working with local communities to implement solutions to these problems, ensuring that Colorado builds homes people can afford in the places they want to live.