La Plata County government and local nonprofits are now eligible to compete for state affordable housing funding after county commissioners approved changes with the county’s planning process to fast-track qualifying affordable housing developments.
The approval also makes the county eligible for a $45,000 state grant that can be used to support a variety of local housing initiatives under Proposition 123, which was approved by voters in 2022 and created a statewide affordable housing fund to support programs and organizations working to expand affordable housing.
La Plata County opted into the proposition to secure additional funding, and as such, was obligated to fulfill two requirements: the provision of 108 affordable housing units by 2026 and the adoption of blanket land use code reforms to fast-track affordable housing projects through the county planning process.
The county has already exceeded its production requirement, with 125 qualifying affordable housing units approved by the state.
Those include 18 units through HomesFund, 65 units at Westside Mobile Home Park and 42 units at Hermosa Mobile Home Park. The state verifies qualifying units but does not require local governments to finance or develop them, only that they exist within county boundaries.
The county fulfilled its second requirement last month when commissioners approved land use code amendments recommended by Community Development Director Lynn Hyde to fast-track developments.
Under the new rules, qualifying affordable housing projects will move through each stage of the county’s review process within 90 days, reducing the overall permitting timeline to less than nine months.
Hyde estimated the changes could shorten the development review process by about a year.
To qualify for the expedited review, projects must fall under eligible permit types, include at least 50% deed-restricted affordable units, meet the state’s updated affordability standards of up to 120% of area median income – including for rental housing – submit a complete application, and satisfy all existing approval criteria.
The county committed to waiving fees for qualifying projects, which could potentially save developers $6,000 to $8,000. In exchange, projects must require that units be deed-restricted to preserve affordability over the long term, Hyde said.
The county planning department has been under public scrutiny for several years as rapid staff turnover, in some instances, has created drawn out planning timelines driving up costs for project approvals.
As Hyde has streamlined the process, the development department is still getting back on its feet and in need of several more staff members. Commissioners’ biggest question about adding another layer of complexity and the added stress of a “fast-track” was whether the planning department would be able to handle it.
Although Hyde has streamlined many aspects of the review process, the department is still rebuilding and in need of additional staff. Commissioners questioned whether the department would be able to meet the accelerated review deadlines while continuing to process other applications.
There are unknowns about how that 90-day review period will be met, Hyde said, but her team is more than equipped to handle it. Qualifying projects would likely jump to the front of the line, but she does not anticipate the change to open a floodgate of projects eligible for the affordable housing fast track.
In the past three years, Hyde has yet to see a project apply for approval that would meet the requirements necessary for a fast-track permit.
“That’s really part of the goal of these code amendments, is to incentivize projects, because time is money, so if we can commit to a shorter review time, perhaps that allows them to build it into their model and make it pencil (out),” she said.
Proposition 123 and the incentives it lays out to local governments to address affordable housing are a step in the right direction, and at the very least, an important acknowledgment of a critical problem, said Audrey Royem, a consultant for Eagle Eye Consulting and former economic development coordinator with Region 9 Economic Development Development Alliance.
“At the same time, it’s not about the number of units … it’s not housing alone,” she said.
She cautioned against thinking about solutions to the housing crisis in an isolated manner without considering the larger systems, such as childcare and healthcare, that factor into cost of living.
Hyde took a similar position. When asked if the county’s adherence to the requirements would make a noticeable difference, she said, “Ask me again in two years.”
“So do I think this is going to solve the problem? No. But this is hopefully one piece of the puzzle that will work to further the housing options, supply and affordability in the community,” she said.
Reader Comments