Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force Recommendation Report
January 2022
Governor Polis & Members of the Seventy-third General Assembly, Submitted herewith is the final report on the recommendations from the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force, pursuant to the direction of the Executive Committee of the Legislative Council, authorized by Section 229 of Article 75 of Title 24, Colorado Revised Statutes (House Bill 21-1329).
This report is the culmination of several months of hard work from both legislative and executive branch members of the Task Force, as well as citizen members of the Task Force Subpanel, representing many diverse perspectives spanning the housing spectrum. The recommendations included in this report — which received nearly unanimous support from the Task Force — are intended to utilize a once-in-a-generation funding opportunity to institute transformative policies to Colorado’s housing sector that will provide immediate, sweeping, and long-lasting change.
Executive Summary
Colorado has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform its affordable housing system and make sure it works for Coloradans in every corner of the state. The $400 million in unallocated funding from the “American Rescue Plan Act of 2021” (ARPA) offers us a chance to make one-time transformational investments that improve access to affordable housing across the state for those experiencing homelessness and for our essential workers with low to middle incomes. In order to face these challenges, the Governor and General Assembly formed the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force and Subpanel to develop recommendations in 2021. Comprised of legislators, executive branch representatives, and diverse affordable housing practitioners and experts, the Task Force and Subpanel undertook a deliberative, iterative, and transparent process. Ultimately, the Task Force came to near unanimous consensus on all funding recommendations and allocations, as well as agreement on several policy concepts. The outline below summarizes these transformational investments. Such investments will mean more new affordable homes will be built and that existing homes at risk of becoming unsafe or unaffordable are maintained. It will lead to greater innovation for how homes are built, reducing costs and expanding access. The recommendations will help reduce disparities and address homelessness. They will help people purchase homes that were out of their financial reach, which will help build intergenerational wealth. With this significant investment, Colorado can and must rise to the challenge.