Thirteen Colorado counties receive affordable housing funding

NEWS RELEASE
GOVERNOR JARED POLIS
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Today, Governor Polis and the Department of Local Affairs announced the third round of Transformational Affordable Housing Grant (TAHG) recipients, providing transformative support to 13 Colorado counties. This grant is overseen by the Division of Housing (DOH) of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). 

The Transformational Affordable Housing Grant (TAHG) grants have been reviewed and recommended for funding by the State Housing Board, which is made up of individuals appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Colorado Senate. Originating from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) with the intended use to assist in mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 1,353 affordable housing units will be provided or preserved statewide.

“This grant builds upon our ongoing work to build more housing now, and we are excited that this support will add and preserve 1,353 affordable housing units across the state. We know that there is more work to do to make sure that Coloradans have access to the housing they need to thrive, and I’m hopeful that we can further remove barriers to new housing and make Colorado a more affordable place to live,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

Transformational Affordable Housing Grant Program Awardees 

Thirteen counties across the state received funding in this third round.

Project Descriptions

1. Tierra Azul ($4.2M - Adding 406 units)

The City of Alamosa was awarded $4,200,000 for the installation of infrastructure in Alamosa. When complete this six-phase master-planned community will create 406 new affordable units with a diversity of housing types targeting the gamut of income levels. This range meets the full spectrum of housing options for families, renters, homeowners and seniors in the community.

The development will consist of for-sale and rental units in the form of single-family, townhomes, 8-plex mid-density, and 30-plex medium-high density multifamily units with pre-fabricated design/modular considerations currently incorporated into the product design.

2. Mountain View Duplexes ($750K - Adding 20 units)

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, Inc. was awarded $750,000 for construction of a 20-unit affordable home for sale community in Aurora. Habitat will build high quality, energy-efficient homes, provide affordable mortgages to eligible low-income buyers (80% AMI or less) for fee simple ownership, and sublease the land for a moderate fee.

The project will construct ten duplex buildings including four single-story 3-bedroom fully accessible units, ten two-story 3-bedroom units, and six two-story 4-bedroom units with a garage. Each home has 2 dedicated off street parking spaces and private yard spaces.

3. Discovery TAHG ($700K - Adding 12 units)

Flatirons Habitat for Humanity was awarded $700,000 for infrastructure. This will ultimately allow for construction of twelve units, in four triplex buildings in Broomfield, CO. 

Nine units will be traditional Habitat homeownership units and three units will be purchased by the Broomfield Housing Authority and operated as rental units.

4. Flo Senior ($6M - Adding 212 units)

The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (DHA) was awarded $6,000,000 to develop Flo Senior, a 212-unit community for seniors (age 55+) and people with disabilities (age 18+) in the Sun Valley neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.

Flo Senior is a 212-unit housing development with 202 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom units. Of the 212 units, 83 (39%) units are restricted at 30% AMI, 23 (11%) units at 50% AMI, and 106 (50%) units at (60%) AMI. A total of 106 units ranging between 30% AMI and 50% AMI will be served by Housing Choice Vouchers provided by the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver.

5. Theodora Family Hotel ($7M - Adding 60 units)

Volunteers of America Colorado (VOAC) was awarded $7,000,000 to develop the Theodora Family Hotel, a 60 studio room shelter located in  Denver, Colorado. The project will serve families with minor children and veterans experiencing homelessness.

6. Unity on Park Street, fka Wellspring Housing, ($4M - Adding 40 units)

The Douglas County Housing Partnership (DCHP) was awarded $4,000,000 to assist with the acquisition and rehab of a La Quinta Inn to provide affordable housing for low-income households with support from Wellspring Communities. DCHP is partnering with Wellspring Communities, a non-profit organization serving individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). These units will be available for households at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The rehab will convert the 63-room building into 40 affordable apartment homes with two employee units.

7. CMC/ECHDA Attainable Housing ($2M - Adding 36 units)

Colorado Mountain College (CMC) was awarded $2,000,000 for their CMC/ECHDA Attainable Housing project.

Contributing immediately to the affordable housing inventory in Eagle County, with all units restricted to residents at or below 100% AMI, this project will provide crucial infrastructure for employers struggling to recruit and retain workers.

8. Haymeadow ($2M - Adding 43 units)

The Eagle County Housing and Development Authority (ECHDA) is requesting $10,000,000 to assist in funding the purchase and resale subsidy of 43 newly-constructed, 2-bedroom/2-bath condominium units in the Haymeadow area of Eagle, Colorado. 21 of these units will also include 1-car garages. 

9. Helen Hunt Campus ($4.41M+ - Adding 24 units)

Catholic Charities of Central Colorado was awarded $4,412,266 for the rehabilitation of their Helen HuntCampus, a Transitional Housing project to increase the transitional housing inventory in the Pikes Peak region.

The Helen Hunt Campus project will convert from a historic two-story building previously used for commercial space of 2 non-profits and vacant space, into 24 multi-sized family apartments. All units will be 30% AMI, with a mix of 9 studios (studio apartments can be combined to form two-bedroom apartments), 4 one-bedrooms, 10 two-bedrooms, and 1 three-bedroom.

10. Cinnamon Heights ($2M - Adding 30 units)

The Town of Bayfield was awarded a TAHG grant in the amount of $2,656,158.00 for infrastructure on 30 platted townhome lots in the Cinnamon Heights subdivision. The town currently has 1,114 housing units.

11.  Matthews House ($3.75M+ - Adding 20 shelter beds)

The Thompson School District (TSD) was awarded  $3,757,160.00 for Matthew’s House, which will provide a regional drop-in center and twenty overnight non-congregate shelter beds for youth (15-17 years of age) and young adults (18-21 years of age) experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.

This new facility will address the immediate needs of unaccompanied youth by annually sheltering an estimated 100 youth and by serving 200-250 homeless and at-risk youth and young adults through the drop-in center.

12.  8th Street ($2.75M - Adding 20 units)

The Craig Housing Authority (CHA) is requesting $2.750,000 in Transformational Affordable Housing Grant funds to assist with the development of 20 new modular townhomes in Craig. The project, called the 8th Street Redevelopment Project ("8th Street"), will create four five-plexes. Each five-plex will include two (2) three-bedroom units and three (3) two-bedroom units.

13.    Mid Valley ($4M - Adding 234 units)

The Yampa Valley Housing Authority and Lone Tree Trust, LLC was awarded $4,000,000 in TAHG funds to assist with the development of the Mid Valley property in Steamboat Springs. The entire scope of the project proposes to build 234 workforce housing units by developing 84 for-sale condominiums and 150 rental apartments.

Both the rental and homeownership units will be deed restricted to households earning 80%-140% of Area Median Income.

14. Village Court Apartments ($2.225M - Adding 21 units)

The Mountain Village Housing Authority (MVHA) was granted $2,225,000 for infrastructure and construction costs to expand Village Court Apartments (VCA) for one of two buildings they are adding to the apartment complex. 

The project will provide two buildings with the East building made up of 21 one- and two- bedroom units and the West building composed of 14 three- and four-bedroom units in a pod style with shared kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. The target AMI for these units is between 100%-140%.

15. Hope Springs ($3M - Adding 175 units)

Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity (GWHFH) was awarded $3,000,000 for infrastructure development for Hope Springs, which will ultimately serve 175 homes to be sold to families at 30%-80% AMI.

There will be 77 Duplexes (154 units) and 21 single family homes, with 3 to 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms each, ranging from 1,100-1600 square feet. There will be an onsite childcare center as well as a mini-pitch soccer field.

About the Transformational Affordable Housing Grant Program

The aim of this Transformational Affordable Housing (Homeownership and Workforce) Housing Grant Program is to provide funds and resources to assist eligible applicants in developing, creating or preserving affordable housing opportunities in their communities.

The Program is informed and DOLA was appropriated funds by the passing of HB22-1304 ($138M) and HB22-1377 ($105M), which followed the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force, the Economic Recovery and Relief Task Force, and Governor Polis’ affordable housing and homelessness priorities, as well as the State of Colorado’s Playbook on Making Homelessness History in Colorado.

In addition, DOH launched a statewide public engagement process alongside Housing Colorado and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) during the summer of 2022. These engagement sessions as well as numerous other meetings with stakeholders around the state provided ideas and feedback regarding the rollout and parameters of the new funding.

The fourth and final round of Transformational Affordable Housing Grant (TAHG) awards are expected to be announced in late July.

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