The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through its Division of Local Government, has announced the recipients of the second round of funding for the Housing Planning Grant Program. The initiative is intended to assist local governments and regional entities in creating Housing Needs Assessments, Housing Action Plans, and elements for comprehensive plans that comply with state law SB24-174.
“The Housing Planning Grant Program helps local governments make thoughtful, data-informed decisions as they work to create more housing for Coloradans of every budget,” said DOLA Executive Director, Maria De Cambra. “Through this program, along with comprehensive technical assistance options, DOLA empowers communities to identify and analyze their unique housing needs, take action based on those needs, and implement flexible strategies for growth over time.”
This funding cycle awarded a total of $1,073,787 across 20 projects that will benefit 39 local governments. The grants support five new Housing Needs Assessments (HNA), ten updates to existing HNAs, eight new Housing Action Plans, six revisions to current plans, and three new strategic growth and water supply elements within comprehensive plans. Of these projects, five are multi-jurisdictional and nine include multiple components.
One notable project from this cycle involves the Southwest Colorado Council of Governments (SWCCOG). SWCCOG will use its grant to develop a standardized and automated housing needs assessment template designed specifically for rural jurisdictions seeking compliance with SB24-174. Funding from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) will be combined with the grant award to automate this template further by adding mapping capabilities, spatial analytics tools, and dynamic data linkages so that jurisdictions can update their assessments more efficiently.
“This opportunity reduces costs and will make the process repeatable in the future. We’re thankful for this support, which will benefit every jurisdiction in Region 9 Economic Development District,” said Shak Powers, Regional Projects Manager for Region 9 Economic Development District.
The third application window for the Housing Planning Grant Program is scheduled from November 7 through December 3, 2025. Interested parties can find program guidelines and application materials on DOLA’s website or contact Program Manager Ashley Basham directly.
Among the projects receiving awards are: Kersey ($15,000), Grand Junction ($63,750), Severance ($15,000), Jefferson County ($18,675), Paonia ($7,500), Commerce City ($56,250), Longmont ($37,500), Southwest Colorado Master Template ($83,900), Delta ($7,672), Windsor ($92,625), La Plata County revision ($11,250), Aurora ($93,750), Surface Creek Valley Partners ($45,000), Dacono Comprehensive Plan Update ($105,915), Colorado Springs ($75,000), South Central Regional Assessment Compliance Project ($56,250), Steamboat Springs including comprehensive plan elements ($86,250), Estes Valley Action Plan ($75,000), Douglas County Partnership Multi-jurisdictional Plan ($112,500) and Wray’s assessment/planning project ($15,000).
