The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through its Division of Local Government, has announced the recipients of the second cycle of the Housing Planning Grant Program. The program is designed to help local governments and regional entities create or update housing-related plans and assessments in accordance 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.”
In this round, a total of $1,073,787 was awarded across 20 projects that involve 39 local governments. Funding will support five new Housing Needs Assessments (HNAs), 10 updates to existing HNAs, eight new Housing Action Plans, six revisions to current plans, and three additions addressing strategic growth and water supply elements in comprehensive plans. Of the selected projects, five are multi-jurisdictional efforts and nine include several components.
One notable project comes from the Southwest Colorado Council of Governments (SWCCOG), which will develop a standardized automated template for housing needs assessments aimed at helping rural areas comply with state requirements. This effort combines funding from both the grant program and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) to automate data analysis processes such as mapping and spatial analytics.
“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.
Applications for the third round of grants open November 7 through December 3, 2025. More information is available on the program website; interested applicants are encouraged to contact Program Manager Ashley Basham.
A summary of awards includes: Kersey ($15,000), Grand Junction ($63,750), Severance ($15,000), Jefferson County ($18,675), Paonia ($7,500), Commerce City ($56,250), Longmont ($37,500), SWCCOG template project ($83,900), Delta ($7,672), Windsor ($92,625), La Plata County ($11,250), Aurora ($93,750), Surface Creek Valley Partners ($45,000), Dacono ($105,915), Colorado Springs ($75,000), South Central Regional assessment compliance project ($56,250), Steamboat Springs ($86,250), Estes Valley ($75,000), Douglas County Partnership multi-jurisdictional plan ($112,500) and Wray ($15,000).
Total funding distributed was $1.07 million.
