NEWS RELEASE
BOULDER COUNTY HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES
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Willoughby Corner, the Boulder County Housing Authority’s (BCHA’s) proposed new permanently affordable neighborhood in east Lafayette, received crucial funding from the state of Colorado that will help move the development of the property forward. This follows the City of Lafayette’s green light in April for rezoning the property for residential use. BCHA will continue to work with the City of Lafayette Planning Commission and City Council, returning in June for approval on detailed development plans for design, layout, and other specifics of the neighborhood, with an eye toward beginning construction in January 2023.
The funding for Willoughby Corner, from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), comes through an award of nine percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits, a public-private financing tool through which investors buy tax credits and receive a return on their investment, and the money they use to purchase provides equity for affordable housing. The award will total $13 million over the next ten years and will specifically support the creation of affordable homes for older adults. The nine percent tax credits award process is highly competitive each year, and the selection of Willoughby Corner reflects its importance in helping meet the tremendous need for affordable housing in Lafayette and the broader community.
Both Lafayette Planning Commission and City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of the 24-acre Willoughby Corner site at the intersection of 120th and Emma streets from Industrial (M1) use to High Density Residential (R4), which will support construction of 400 rental and for-sale apartments, townhomes, and duplexes priced below market rate for families and individuals who qualify.
“We are grateful to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, the City of Lafayette, and the Lafayette community for the support as we move forward with our plans,” said Norrie Boyd, Executive Director of the Boulder County Housing Authority (BCHA). “The funding and the green light for zoning allows us to move forward to significantly increase housing affordability for Lafayette in a state-of-the-art neighborhood focused around sustainability and quality of life.”
In addition to the 400 affordable homes, Willoughby Corner will feature solar photovoltaics and electric charging stations, a network of community gardens, pedestrian and bike trails, and access to transit.
The median home listing price in Lafayette is now approaching $700,000, while rentals are averaging over $1,900 per month, unattainable for many community members, especially those in lower- and middle-income brackets. Willoughby Corner will serve households earning 60 percent or less of the Area Median Income (AMI) with below-market-rate rental homes, and for-sale options for households earning up to 120 percent AMI. For a three-person household, these incomes equate to maximums of $67,000 and $135,000 per year, respectively. BCHA’s affordable homes save residents hundreds of dollars per month in rent and utilities, ensuring funding is available for other important needs and making it easier to save money, including for future home purchases. Willoughby Corner will cater to families, individuals, single parents, older adults, people living with disabilities, and more, and will provide significant support for Lafayette’s workforce and the businesses that employ them.
BCHA has also partnered with the University of Colorado’s Masters of the Environment program to develop strategies for sustainability and community resiliency for Willoughby Corner. Through the collaboration, graduate students worked over several months with BCHA and its development partners and a wide range of other stakeholders to identify opportunities for boosting inclusivity and resilience in the face of climate change. Recommendations from the group include emphasis on accessible and inclusive design features, integration of solar infrastructure, thoughtful and creative bus stop design, and incorporation and prioritization of drought-tolerant and native landscaping. BCHA continues to focus on incorporating elements of these suggestions into the planning and design of the new neighborhood of affordable homes.
“Willoughby Corner is a case study in the best of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable community development,” said William Shutkin, faculty member with the CU Boulder Masters of the Environment program. “It provided our graduate students with first-hand experience in how to plan and execute on a large, ambitious project designed not only for people from diverse age groups and incomes but also in a changing environment, hotter and drier. BCHA’s ability to imagine a better, greener, and more equitable future for Boulder County and realize it in Willoughby Corner is a powerful lesson in positive change, not just for students but for all of us who care about where and how we live.”
In 2017, the City of Lafayette, Boulder County, and the Boulder County Housing Authority partnered to purchase the vacant industrial-zoned Willoughby Corner site for $3.5 million to provide much-needed affordable housing. The entities entered into an intergovernmental agreement at the time, dedicating the land to create deed-restricted affordable housing. The Willoughby Corner project has featured consistent and intensive community engagement since planning began in 2018, led largely by the East Lafayette Advisory Committee, a twenty-member community-based group that has met regularly to provide input and feedback about plans for Willoughby Corner.
BCHA is the official housing authority for all areas of Boulder County beyond the city limits of Longmont and Boulder, including Lafayette. The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services (BCDHHS), the umbrella organization for BCHA, connects community members with a wide range of supports, including rental and utility assistance, eviction prevention services, landlord assistance, and much more. Since its inception in 2020, BCDHHS’ Housing Helpline (www.BOCORentAssistance.org) has overseen the distribution of over $10 million in crucial pandemic-related rental assistance to over 1,800 households across the county. Willoughby Corner is part of BCHA’s ongoing effort to permanently increase the supply of affordable homes across the county to help build resilience for future challenges.
Anyone interested in learning more about Willoughby Corner can visit www.WilloughbyCorner.org and sign up for the interest list.
About the Boulder County Housing Authority: Since 1975, BCHA’s mission has been to foster the availability of quality affordable housing and related housing services for the residents of Boulder County. BCHA’s Development Division contributes to this mission by preserving existing affordable housing and creating new neighborhoods of affordable homes across Boulder County with a focus on sustainability and community. See www.BoulderCountyHousing.org for additional information.
About HB&A Architects: HB&A is a women-owned small business specializing in architecture and planning for local, federal, and military clients in Boulder County, across Colorado, and around the world. HB&A’s core disciplines of architecture, planning, and geospatial technology combine to offer services throughout all project phases and scales.
About Boulder County Housing and Human Services: The Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services (BCDHHS) is a 500-person integrated services organization that focuses on connecting individuals and multiple generations of families with a full spectrum of supports. Over an average 12 months during typical times, BCDHHS connects more than 90,000 people with a wide range of wrap-around services, including food, housing, health coverage, childcare, safety, education and skill building, parenting supports, and much more. Visit www.BoulderCountyHHS.org and follow Boulder County Housing and Human Services via social media (www.Facebook.com/BCDHHS and www.Twitter.com/bouldercohhs) to learn more about BCDHHS’ prevention-based wrap-around community supports and services.
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