HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/26/2021 - HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE - STRATEGY PRIORITIZDATE:
STAFF:
January 26, 2021
Lindsay Ex, Interim Housing Manager
Meaghan Overton, City Planner
Jackie Kozak-Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Caryn Champine, Director of PDT
WORK SESSION ITEM
City Council
SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
Housing Strategic Plan Update - Strategy Prioritization.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to:
1. Briefly summarize progress the Housing Strategic Plan since the December 2020 Work Session.
2. Receive feedback on the initial set of prioritized strategies and the draft Housing Strategic Plan.
3. Begin a discussion on implementation with a focus on guiding principles that will support ongoing prioritization
and decision making.
4. Provide an update on the Ad Hoc Housing Committee’s work, including additional quicker wins.
5. Share next steps.
A read-before memo will be provided on January 26, 2021 that includes a draft summary of community feedback
on the initial set of priorities.
GENERAL DIRECTION SOUGHT AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED
1. What feedback do Councilmembers have on the following:
• Initial set of prioritized strategies?
• Draft of guiding principles and overall approach to implementation?
2. Do Councilmembers have any feedback on the quick(er) wins identified to date?
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
The current update to the Housing Strategic Plan has an expanded scope to include the entire housing spectrum.
This plan recognizes that the gap between peoples’ incomes and the cost of housing continues to widen, and that
current resources are insufficient to meet our adopted goals for affordable housing production. The draft Housing
Strategic Plan (Attachment 1) was released to the community for their feedback on January 14.
Housing Strategic Plan - Progress to Date
The graphic below outlines the progression of the Housing Strategic Plan process:
Note: In the timeline graphic, the * symbol in each of the steps indicates community engagement opp ortunities.
January 26, 2021 Page 2
At the December 8, 2020 work session (Attachment 2), staff reviewed the progress associated with Steps 1-5.
Councilmembers provided feedback on engagement feedback to date (Step 3), the initial set of strategies
identified by the community, staff and the project’s consultant (Step 4), and the evaluation criteria (Step 5).
At the January 26, 2021 work session, staff will share the outcome of the Strategy Evaluation (Step 5), discuss
strategy prioritization (Step 6), and share the draft Plan, including indicators and metrics to evaluate plan success
as well as guiding principles for adaptive implementation (which will guide Step 8: Implementation). Below, these
elements are further described.
Step 5: Evaluate Strategies
An early theme from community engagement before the planning process officially kicked off was that priorities
should be established to guide this work, especially since there are so many areas where the housing system can
be influenced. At the December work session, Councilmembers reviewed the evaluation criteria and initial list of
56 strategies that were developed through community input (Attachment 3), the Ad Hoc Committee, the project’s
consultant (Root Policy Research), and staff input. After the work session, Root facilitated two staff workshops
using the evaluation criteria to develop a refined set of strategies for further prioritization in January.
Step 6: Prioritize Strategies
As a result of Step 5, 26 strategies are serving as the basis for a final prioritization for what strategies should be
included in the final plan. This set of 26 prioritized strategies all meet baseline vision, feasibility, and effectiveness
criteria and reflect on staff and community input on key objectives for the Plan. They are designed to address the
Greatest Challenges outlined in the Existing Conditions Assessment, produce meaningful outcomes, and expand
housing choice in Fort Collins across the entire spectrum of housing preference and need.
With this refined set of strategies, staff and Root are running a series of workshops and conversations in January
to confirm priorities and arrive at a final set of strategies to be incl uded in the Plan at the February 16 Adoption
hearing. Workshops and/or conversations will be held with the Ad Hoc Committee, Home2Health partners, staff,
boards and commissions, and stakeholder groups. A read-before memo will be provided to Council in the January
26 packet that summarizes this feedback.
Each of these strategies are described in more detail in the Strategies and Priorities chapter in the draft plan.
Step 7: Consider Plan Adoption (February/March 2021)
Sections of the draft plan were published for public comment as they were completed in early January, and the
full draft plan was released on January 14 to facilitate community feedback and strategy prioritization. Staff will
make revisions based on Council and community feedback and will br ing forward the final plan for adoption
consideration by Council at the February 16, 2021 meeting.
Step 8: Implementation
In many ways, the final step in the planning process is just the beginning of the work to ensure that everyone has
stable, healthy housing they can afford. Implementation is when community, Council and staff will transition from
“what” to “how” we achieve this vision. This work acknowledges no community in the United States has solved
this issue, and therefore, we will continually nee d to be in learning and testing mode to assess which strategies
can work, pilot them where appropriate, and then bring the solutions to scale. In other words, adapting to
changing conditions - both within the broader market and the community - will be critical as we proceed in the
years and decades it will take to reach the vision.
Thus, moving toward implementation involves three elements, which are described in more detail in the
Implementation section of the draft plan (Attachment 1):
• Specific implementation actions in 2021;
• Ongoing planning lifecycle for this work past 2021; and
• Guiding principles for future prioritization and decision making.
January 26, 2021 Page 3
Additional Information on Guiding Principles: For the purposes of this work session, staff is seeking Council’s
feedback on the guiding principles for future prioritization and decision making. They will support future strategy
selection and overall prioritization to determine annual work planning. While the strategies may be updated or
changed on an annual basis, the guiding principles will continue throughout the lifecycle of this plan
(approximately five years).
The Draft Guiding Principles are described in more detail in the Implementation Section of the Draft Plan and are
summarized below:
• Center the work in people
• Be agile and adaptive
• Balance rapid decision making with inclusive
communication and engagement
• Build on existing plans and policies – and their
engagement
• Expect and label tensions, opportunities, and
tradeoffs
• Focus direct investment on the lowest income
levels
• Commit to transparency in decision making
• Make decisions for impact, empowerment, and
systems change (not only ease of implementation)
Ad Hoc Housing Council Committee
In parallel with the Housing Strategic Plan update, the Ad Hoc Housing Council Committee continues to meet
monthly to explore housing-specific topics and provide recommendations to City staff and to Council. Members of
the Ad-Hoc Committee have requested pre-work before each meeting to allow time for in-depth discussion and
exploration. Meeting materials including pre-work, minutes, and recordings are available at
<https://www.fcgov.com/council/ad-hoc-housing-committee>.
Ad Hoc Committee Meetings and Areas of Focus to Date: Committee discussions have included nearly all the
initially prioritized 14 topics the Committee identified at the August meeting. The Committee has continued to
leverage a framework around quicker wins (Council term), transitional strategies (1 -2 years), and transformational
strategies (2+ years) to discuss implementation while considering each topic.
Month Focus Outcomes
August Overall Focus and
Prioritization
Clarified focus of the Committee on the plan’s development and
diving deeply on 14 topics, as time allows.
September Existing Conditions and
Greatest Challenges
Clarity around the “problem we’re trying to solve.”
Encouragement to test the greatest challenges with the
community.
October Explore Housing Types and
Zoning
Initial list of strategies to support greater diversity of housing
types and LUC changes.
November Review Housing Types and
Zoning Strategies Explore
Anti-displacement and
Housing Stability
Housing Types & Zoning: Refined list of strategies to pursue as
quick(er) wins, led to off-cycle appropriation for advancing the
LUC audit be brought to the full Council on February 16. Anti-
displacement: Identification of three potential quick(er) wins to
discuss further at the December meeting.
January 26, 2021 Page 4
December Review Anti-displacement;
Explore Funding &
Financing; Explore Rental
regulations and occupancy
Anti-displacement: Two quick(er) wins identified – continuing
the Legal Defense Fund and mapping assessment and
gentrification.
Financing: Identified the Metro DPA (down payment
assistance) item as a quick(er) win, and additional strategies to
be included in the plan.
Rental regulations and occupancy: Formation of an internal
task force to address a suite of opportunities that arose in the
conversation which are further described in the December
memo.
January Explore Innovative
Partnerships; Strategy
Prioritization and Guiding
Principles
Can be shared verbally at the January 26 work session, as the
meeting occurred after the packet deadline.
Quick(er) Wins Identified Thus Far: Five quick(er) wins have been identified by the Committee thus far, two of
which require Council action to move forward. Each of these are described below.
Quick(er) wins moving forward (no Council action required):
• Assess displacement risk (Strategy 1 in the Plan) - This is a mapping exercise that will illustrate displacement
and gentrification threats at the neighborhood level. Input from Home2Health partners has identified an
opportunity to partner with the County Built Environment Team to explore this mapping in conjunction with
county-level analysis. This work is expected to be developed in Q1 of 2021.
• Evaluate opportunities to increase and recalibrate affordable housing incentives in the La nd Use Code (LUC)
(Strategy 14) - Designed to increase incentives to develop affordable housing in the Land Use Code to
increase affordable housing supply. This evaluation will be conducted by Root Policy Research and will inform
the first phase of the Land Use Code appropriation work (see below).
• Foreclosure and eviction prevention programs (Strategy 25) - Provide assistance with mortgage debt
restructuring and mortgage and/or utilities payments to avoid foreclosure as well as short -term emergency
rent and utilities assistance for renters. CARES CVRF Act funding supported this in 2020 however additional
resources are required moving forward. Staff is exploring if CARES CVRF funding can continue in 2021, or if
other funding sources will need to be identified.
Quick(er) wins requiring Council action:
• Metro DPA Program (not included as a strategy, given this action will move forward prior to plan adoption) -
This program allows residents of Fort Collins to participate in a down payment assistance progra m
administered by the City of Denver. This program expands the range of down payment assistance available to
households earning up to $150K (most current programs administered by City partners only go up to 80%
AMI, which is $75,300 for a household of four) at no cost to the City.
Next step: This Resolution will be considered by Council on February 2 on the consent calendar.
• Bring forward an off-cycle appropriation to prioritize housing-related LUC changes (Strategy 9) - As discussed
at the December work session, this strategy will fund LUC updates to define additional housing types; create
opportunities to increase overall housing supply; recalibrate incentives for affordable housing production;
identify opportunities to add to existing incentives; refin e and simplify development processes; and reorganize
the LUC.
Next step: First Reading is scheduled for February 16 and will require approximately $250,000-350,000 from
General Fund Reserves to advance (with a match of $60,000 from the Home2Health grant). (Attachment 4.)
January 26, 2021 Page 5
Next Steps
• Staff revisions to the draft plan based on Council and community feedback
• February 16 - Plan adoption, first reading; LUC appropriation, first reading
• March 2 - Plan adoption, second reading; LUC appropriation, second reading
• Spring - Community summit
• Summer - Implementation Plan, Council work session (to be scheduled)
ATTACHMENTS
1. Housing Strategic Plan (draft) (PDF)
2. Work Session Summary (PDF)
3. Fall Engagement Report (PDF)
4. Land Use Code Off-Cycle Appropriation Summary (PDF)
5. Powerpoint Presentation (PPTX)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... 2
Title Page ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Letter To the Community (From City Leadership) ................................................................................. 4
Letter to the Community (From H2H Partners) ..................................................................................... 5
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 8
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Why Update the Housing Strategic Plan now? ......................................................................................... 9
What’s different about this plan? ............................................................................................................. 9
A Systems Approach ............................................................................................................................. 9
Centered in Equity .............................................................................................................................. 10
Connecting Housing and Health ......................................................................................................... 12
Reflects Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic .................................................................... 14
Previous Plans and Efforts .................................................................................................................. 14
From Dialogue to Policy – The Planning Process ................................................................................ 14
How to Use this Plan ............................................................................................................................... 15
Vision and Housing Goals ................................................................................................................... 17
Defining the Vision .................................................................................................................................. 17
Meeting The Vision Today and in the Future .......................................................................................... 18
Affordability Goal .................................................................................................................................... 19
How Are We Doing So Far? Are We Meeting Our Goal? .................................................................... 19
Refining The Goal ................................................................................................................................ 19
Greatest Challenges and Remaining Questions .................................................................................. 21
Greatest Challenges ................................................................................................................................ 21
Remaining Questions .............................................................................................................................. 24
Strategies and Priorities ..................................................................................................................... 26
Existing Affordable Housing Strategies and Programs ............................................................................ 26
Preliminary Strategies & Evaluation Framework .................................................................................... 28
How Strategies Were Prioritized ............................................................................................................. 30
Brief Description of Prioritized Strategies ............................................................................................... 32
Note to Readers: Acknowledgments, Letters, Executive Summary and Appendices will be released in February with the final plan. The fully
designed plan will be released in late February, after First Reading on February 16
ATTACHMENT 1
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 7
Detailed description of prioritized strategies ......................................................................................... 39
Implementation ................................................................................................................................. 50
Immediate Next Steps in 2021 ................................................................................................................ 50
Biannual Planning Lifecycle ..................................................................................................................... 51
Guiding Principles ................................................................................................................................... 52
Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 54
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 9
INTRODUCTION
The Housing Strategic Plan guides housing policy, sets a new vision for housing in Fort Collins, and outlines
a framework for investments in the community’s housing system. Fort Collins residents, community
partners, and the City created this plan together over the course of ten months.
WHY UPDATE THE HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN NOW?
The City has had a strategic plan for housing since 1999 and typically updates the plan every five years. In
2015, City Council adopted the previous version, the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, which set a goal
for 10% of housing to be affordable by 2040 and outlined five key strategies:
• Increase the number of affordable rental units;
• Preserve the long-term affordability and physical condition of the existing stock of housing;
• Increase housing and associated services for people with special needs;
• Support opportunities to obtain and sustain affordable homeownership; and
• Refine incentives to encourage affordable housing construction and expand funding sources and
partnerships.
Regular five-year updates allow our community to reassess our housing efforts continually, incorporate
new data and trends and adjust policies as needed. In 2019, City Council adopted “Attainable and
Achievable Housing Strategies” as a priority and established an Ad Hoc Housing Committee to guide the
development of this plan update.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PLAN?
• Uses a systems approach to address the entire housing spectrum;
• Centers the plan in equity for all Fort Collins residents;
• Connects housing and health; and
• Reflects some of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
A SYSTEMS A PPROACH
All previous housing plans adopted by the City have focused on affordable housing. The City defines
affordable housing as any home that is:
• Affordable for households earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI) without spending
more than 30% of their income for rent, or 38% of their income for a mortgage; and
• Deed-restricted, meaning the cost of rent or mortgage remains affordable for at least 20 years.
While this framework is useful, we know that it does not address the needs of many people who are
struggling to afford housing in Fort Collins. Housing is a complex, interdependent system that requires a
comprehensive approach.
Accordingly, this updated Housing Strategic Plan addresses the entire spectrum of housing. It includes
targets, metrics, and policies that include all kinds of homes and earning levels, not just those that meet
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 10
the City’s definition of affordable housing. The graphic below shows the spectrum of housing covered in
this version of the City’s housing plan:
CENTERED IN EQUITY
The Housing Strategic Plan is aligned with the 2020 City Strategic Plan’s objective to “advance equity for
all, leading with race,” so that a person’s identity or identities is not a predictor of outcomes. Leading with
equity impacts both the planning process and the plan’s intended outcomes:
• Equity in process: Ensuring everyone has meaningful opportunities to engage and provide input
into the Housing Strategic Plan process.
• Equity in outcomes: Everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford.
To begin leading with equity in the planning process, we are changing the way we listen to and learn from
the community. We are recognizing the need for everyone to speak and receive information in the
language they feel most comfortable with (language justice0F
1), tailoring content and format to each unique
audience, and working on building trust with groups that historically have not been included in City
planning efforts, but this work cannot end there. We will continue to learn, adjust, and step more fully
into processes that empower community members to work with local government to create the future.
Adopting housing policies that create equity in outcomes is equally important. We need to go deeper than
the traditional economic cost/benefit method of measuring results. Who will each policy benefit? Who
will be indirectly affected? Will unfair and biased outcomes be reduced?
This work focuses on a universal outcome for our entire community – the Plan’s vision that “Everyone has
healthy, stable housing they can afford,” and will include targeted strategies to ensure a person’s identity
or identities is not a predictor of whether or not they, or our community, achieve this vision.1F
2 Centering
1 Language justice is a commitment to creating spaces where no one language dominates over any other and to
building cross-language communication over the long haul.
2 The concept of targeted universalism, developed by the Othering and Belonging Institute, means setting one single
goal that applies to everyone. Then, “the strategies developed to achieve those goals are targeted, based upon how
different groups are situated within structures, culture, and across geographies to obtain the universal goal.”
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 11
our work in equity is a process of continual growth and comes with a great deal of change and myriad
tensions to balance as we work to build a better future for all people in our community.
UNDERSTANDING THE I MPACTS OF I NSTITUTIONAL AND S TRUCTURAL R ACISM:
Fort Collins’ housing system is inextricably linked to the national and statewide context, especially the
long-term effects of institutional and structural racism.2F
3 The Housing Strategic Plan recognizes and
highlights these impacts, outlines policies to address and reduce systemic inequities, and makes
intentional decisions that move Fort Collins closer to our vision.
Despite progress in addressing explicit discrimination, nationwide racial inequities continue to be deep,
pervasive, and persistent in education, criminal justice, jobs, housing, public infrastructure and health. In
housing specifically, significant evidence proves that structural racism has unfairly limited the ability of
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities to secure healthy, stable housing they can
afford – both historically and today.
Fort Collins continues to experience the long-term effects of the displacement and marginalization of our
region’s indigenous people to create a community that did not provide equal opportunity and fair
treatment for all of its members. The legacy of neighborhood segregation and social and economic
discrimination against BIPOC community members is evident in generational wealth gaps that affect
access to healthy and stable housing today.
Segregation ensured that BIPOC residents in Fort
Collins were likely to live near the city’s industrial sites
and more likely to be exposed to toxins such as coal
smoke and soot from the sugar beet factory; constant
pollution and hazards from trains; and the odor and
environmental impacts from the original Fort Collins
City landfill and the nearby oil depots.3F
4
This segregation and disproportionate exposure to
environmental harms was often a matter of
widespread but informal housing discrimination, as
well as enforced in some cases by restrictive covenants
that excluded BIPOC residents from living in certain
white neighborhoods in Fort Collins (see example in
above image). These covenants often included
3Institutional racism refers to policies, practices, and programs that, most often unintentionally and unconsciously,
work to the benefit of white people and the detriment of people of color. Structural racism is a history and current
reality of institutional racism across all institutions, combining to create a system that negatively impacts
communities of color. (Source: fcgov.com/equity)
4 Hang your Wagon to a Star: Hispanics in Fort Collins 1900 – 2000. Adam Thomas, SWCA Environmental
Consultants, see in particular pages 7-9 for examples.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 12
minimum sales prices for homes as well, ensuring that lower-income residents—regardless of race—were
also excluded.
4F
5
These examples highlight the legacy of institutional and structural racism in Fort Collins and help to explain
its continued ripple effects in our present housing system as well. For example, there is a higher denial
rate for mortgage lending for community members who identify as Hispanic / Latinx – these community
members are denied loans 20% of the time, while non-Hispanic / Latinx community members are denied
5% of the time even while having similar economic statuses.5F
6 Additionally, household incomes for BIPOC
households are lower than they are for white households. Median household income for African American
and Hispanic households is roughly $20,000 less than non-Hispanic white and Asian households. About
one in four nonwhite households earn less than $25,000 annually.6F
7
Whether through forced displacement, land use regulation, or the financial systems tied to housing and
wealth generation, it is clear that access to stable, healthy, affordable housing is not distributed equitably
among all communities in Fort Collins. For more information about these and other impacts of systemic
racism in the housing system, see pages 5-10 in the Existing Conditions Assessment.
CONNECTING HOUSING AND HEALTH
While housing affordability is one essential component of a healthy housing system, there are many other
elements to consider. Though Fort Collins has long acknowledged a connection between housing and
health, our housing policies have most often focused primarily on affordability:
“Economically, the more a household has to spend on housing the less money they have
for other needs. Housing costs will typically take precedence over other staples such as
food, transportation and medical care. These factors lead to less individual wellness and
less community prosperity. Less individual wellness leads to less stable housing conditions,
which leads to less stable families and neighborhoods. From an environmental
perspective, a lack of affordable housing pushes some community members that work in
Fort Collins out to other communities to live. This creates congestion on our roads and
increased pollution, which damages the environment that the Fort Collins community
cherishes. Thus to create a healthier community, Fort Collins must actively pursue policies
to ensure that people from all walks of life can find an affordable, quality place to live.”7F
8
The quote above describes some of the different health pathways that can lead to poor outcomes in
peoples’ lives. Housing conditions and costs, social and economic factors, and environmental conditions
5 Restrictive Covenant from Slade Acres, 1948 – south of Mulberry Street, at Sheldon Lake:
https://citydocs.fcgov.com/?cmd=convert&vid=51&docid=7701&dt=S-SUBDIVISION+PLAT
6 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, update in 2017 by City staff to original work completed by BBC
Consulting in 2012. The lending disparity cited here was identified in the 2017 update.
7 Existing Conditions Assessment, pg 38; from American Community Survey five-year data, 2018
8 Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, 2015-2019 (pg. 1)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 13
can have compounding impacts on an individual’s health and on community well-being.8F
9 ,
9F
10 Healthy,
stable, affordable housing is the foundation of both individual and community health, and this
fundamental truth is reflected throughout the vision and strategies in the Housing Strategic Plan.
H OME2HEALTH
The Home2Health project began after the 2019 adoption of City Plan. Home2Health is a collaborative,
two-year project led by the City and community partners including the Family Leadership Training Institute
at CSU Extension, the Center for Public Deliberation at CSU, The Family Center/La Familia, the Partnership
for Age-Friendly Communities, and the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment. The
purpose of this project is to increase our community’s ability to work together to carry out updates to
policies, codes, and regulations that can improve housing affordability and health equity.
After a year of community conversations, storytelling, and identifying key housing issues, Home2Health
began working to bring community voices and priorities into the development of the Housing Strategic
Plan. Hundreds of residents participated in this process, and this plan centers the voices of community
members throughout.
9 Housing and Health: An Overview of the Literature. Lauren Taylor, 2018.
10 Health Impact Assessment Summary. Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, Built Environment
Group, 2020.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 14
REFLECTS LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
This Housing Strategic Plan was developed in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and the resulting
health and economic crisis and public health restrictions have further exposed and increased pre-existing
inequities in housing, employment, and health. Now, more than ever, the housing needs in our community
are critical and urgent. The development of this Housing Strategic Plan was a priority prior to the pandemic
and has become even more important to adopt and apply as we face a public health emergency that is
disproportionately impacting BIPOC and low-income households.
PREVIOUS PLANS AND EFFORTS
This housing plan incorporates the primary conversations and strategies identified in previous efforts,
including City Plan, the annual Community Survey, Our Climate Future, the Analysis of Impediments to
Fair Housing, the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis, and conversations led by the Health District of
Larimer County, among others. Community members have consistently talked about the importance of
housing to a healthy environment, an equitable community, and to the physical and mental health of
individuals.
FROM DIALOGUE TO POLICY – THE PLANNING PROCESS
Conversations, storytelling and partnerships facilitated through Home2Health, community direction
from other planning efforts such as City Plan, and the strong foundation created by the previous
Affordable Housing Strategic Plan all helped make this Housing Strategic Plan possible.
The planning process steps include the following:
• Step 1 Vision: A vision paints a roadmap for the future. This plan’s vision that “Everyone has
healthy, stable housing they can afford” commits to ensuring all community members benefit
from our housing efforts and expands the focus of our work from solely on affordability to also
include health and stability.
• Step 2 Our Greatest Challenges: The housing system is complex and has many different
influences. This step identified the greatest challenges to achieving the vision in Fort Collins.
• Step 3: Community Engagement: Over a two-month period, H2H partners and staff asked
approximately 450 community members to reflect on whether the vision and greatest
challenges matched their experience and what they would like to see changed to achieve the
vision.
• Step 4: Identify strategies and create a tool to evaluate them: Strategies were identified based
on what the community highlighted as important, research on peer cities, and work with the
project’s consultant team, Root Policy Research. To date, over 50 strategies have been
identified.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 15
• Step 5: Evaluate the strategies identified: Strategies were evaluated using 17 criteria, which
ask how well the strategy advances the vision, whether it is centered in equity, whether it is
feasible, what kind of impact it will have, and what resources are required.
• Step 6: Prioritize the strategies: With all strategies individually evaluated, staff developed an
initial set of priorities for the community to consider. Community members and City Council
prioritized solutions for final inclusion in the plan.
• Step 7: Consider plan adoption: In February 2021, Council will review the community’s
feedback, the draft plan, and will consider adoption of the Housing Strategic Plan.
• Step 8: Implementation: In many ways, the final step in the planning process is just the
beginning of the work. Implementation is when community, Council and staff will transition
from “what” to “how” we achieve this vision. The community and the City will annually review
work and determine what’s working and what’s not.
In addition to the specific planning steps, as the plan process began, we heard and incorporated some
key messages from the community that will continue to shape the City’s approach to the housing system
through our guiding principles (see the Implementation Chapter for more details on guiding principles in
implementation).
• Planning is important and it needs to be accompanied by immediate action. It is not enough to
plan for years in the future. People are struggling now to find stable, healthy housing they can
afford.
• Our strategies need to be prioritized and we need to have metrics that make sure our strategies
are working. We should be able to clearly identify where we are achieving our goals and where
we are falling short.
• The whole community needs to be involved. he City staff and City Council can only influence
some parts of the housing system. To make meaningful progress, partnerships are critical.
HOW TO USE THIS PLAN
The Housing Strategic Plan is one of many strategic or “functional”
plans that help the City set specific targets and make progress
toward the vision for our community outlined in our
comprehensive City Plan.
If City Plan identifies the “what” for the future of Fort Collins, the
Housing Strategic Plan describes the “how” that creates a
roadmap for action in the housing system and future public
funding through the City’s Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) process.
Everyone has a part to play in this plan. To get to a future where
everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford, we will all
need to work together to make changes in our housing system.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 16
We hope you will see yourself, your neighbors, and your families in this plan. We also hope you will use
this plan to build momentum and accountability. Finally, we encourage you to get involved. If you have
an idea or a project to propose, get in touch!
The remaining sections of this plan describe our housing needs, strategies, and accountability measures
in the following topic areas:
• Vision: This section articulates the vision, defines each of the terms used, how community
members shared that it affects them today and paints a picture of what it could look like in the
future.
• Greatest Challenges & Remaining Questions: The housing system is complex and is influenced by
many different factors. This section includes the six greatest challenges that affect our ability to
achieve the vision.
• Strategies and Priorities: This section illustrates the primary strategies we will use to overcome
the greatest challenges and advance us toward the vision. Strategies reflect ideas from the
community, research on how peer cities are approaching similar housing needs, and work with
the project’s consulting firm, Root Policy Research.
• Guiding Principles & Metrics to Guide Implementation: This plan recognizes that as strategies are
applied and the housing system evolves, new and updated strategies will be needed to move
toward the vision. This section will set forth guiding principles for advancing strategies in the
future and includes a set of metrics for evaluating plan success.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 17
VISION AND HOUSING GOALS
Vision: Everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford
DEFINING THE VISION
Everyone recognizes that all community members need
housing and are affected by the housing they do or do not
have. By including the entire community in the vision, we can
assess who does not have healthy, stable, or affordable
housing today and design strategies to ensure that a person’s
identity or identities is not a predictor of whether or they, or
our community, achieve this vision. (As one example, see the
sidebar on varying rates of home ownership in Fort Collins.)
Healthy Housing addresses physical and mental well-being inside and outside of the
home. Inside the home, this means high quality indoor air, comfortable temperatures
in each season, and freedom from harmful mold, pests or pathogens. Community
members defined health outside the home as feeling safe in your neighborhood and
the ability to walk, bike, or take transit to get the services you need.
Stable Housing is when a house becomes a home. For community members, a secure
place to live is a fundamental requirement for quality of life and well-being. Housing
stability is central to the best-practice “Housing First” approach to homelessness
prevention, which recognizes that housing is the most important platform for pursuing
all other life goals.
Affordable Housing recognizes that many people in Fort Collins have financial challenges
related to housing costs and that increasing the range and quantity of housing options
can support greater choice and affordability. Today, 3 in 5 renters and 1 in 5 homeowners
are cost-burdened, which means that the household spends more than 30% of their
income on housing.
Homeownership rates in Fort Collins vary
by race (Source: Equity Indicators):
- 55 in 100 white households
- 42 in 100 Hispanic/Latinx households
- 52 in 100 Asian households
- 20 in 100 Black households
- 47 in 100 Native American households
(Images Credit:
Shelby Sommer)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 18
MEETING T HE VISION TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE
What have community members shared about their housing today and whether it is healthy, stable, or
affordable? How might Fort Collins evolve in the future as we work toward the vision?
Vision Today
What we heard from the community about their
current experiences with housing
Tomorrow
What the vision aims to
achieve in the future
Healthy
Housing
“My apartment is rising in rent every year, and the
living conditions don’t match the price. I have
maintenance issues (and) the condition of the
apartment is old and undertaken care of. . .”
“It makes it so that the places that are more affordable
are no longer safe due to living conditions and crime
rates among other things. These are important to
consider when you have kids. Do you stay broke and
live somewhere safe or give yourself more cushion but
risk safety? Some of the more affordable areas also do
not have as good of schools, which is a big concern for
me regarding my kids.”
Tools would be in place to
ensure that renters have safe
and healthy places to live.
Outside the home,
neighborhoods across the City
would provide safe, walkable
spaces for all ages and stages
of life.
Stable
Housing
“We are impacted by great uncertainty in being able to
afford to live in this City in the long-term, impacting all
facets of our lives. . . including mental health with
facing this kind of uncertainty. The right to shelter is a
basic need and there needs to be solutions that start
supporting those lower-income residents to have long-
term stable housing as soon as possible.”
“You have to live paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes
you don't even know where your next meal will come
from.”
Community members would
be able to choose where they
want to live and for how long,
making housing instability an
issue of the past.
Policies and solutions focus
on all outcome areas, from
housing to health.
Affordable
Housing
“When you lack affordable housing, it causes a lot of
stress for the individual. Do I have enough money for
rent, for food, for medicine, and for gas? You keep
making trade-offs. [If] I pay for rent, I don't buy food or
don't get medicine.”
“I think it is important that workers are able to afford
living in or near the city they work in, especially
teachers and frontline workers.”
Housing costs and the cost of
living are aligned with
individual incomes, meaning
decisions like these are rare
and nonrecurring.
There is enough housing
supply that aligns with the
incomes and needs of
community members.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 19
AFFORDABILITY GOAL
Goal (set in 2015): Fort Collins aims to have 10% of its housing stock be deed restricted and affordable
[to households earning <80% AMI] by 2040.
HOW ARE WE DOING SO FAR? ARE WE MEETING OUR GOAL?
In 2015, affordable housing made up 5% of the City’s housing stock. Over
the past five years since the 2015 plan was adopted, the City and its
partners have added 373 new affordable homes with 240 under
construction. The total number of housing units has also increased
proportionately to 70,692, which means that affordable units still make
up only 5% of the overall housing stock. Overall, the City has 3,534
affordable units in its affordable housing inventory, which falls short by
708 units of where we should be by now. To get back on track to achieve
our 10% goal by 2040, the City would need to increase the amount of affordable housing by 282 units
every year from 2020 onward. Every year the City is unable to reach its annual affordable housing target
requires current and future generations to make up the difference.
REFINING THE GOAL
The City does have some tools to encourage affordable housing, but the current amount of funding and
incentives for affordable housing are not enough to meet our goal. In addition, the goal, as it is currently
defined, reflects a broad approach to affordability and does not address targeted categorical needs by
price point or tenure (rental vs. owner-occupied housing units).
The nuances in housing needs, as well as the challenge of tailoring new tools and strategies to achieve the
city’s affordability goal, suggest the City should consider defining subgoals to establish more specific
targets and monitor progress toward the overarching goal of 10% affordability by 2040. This concept is
included with the prioritized strategies, starting on page 26.
The following figures compare supply and demand for both rental and ownership housing at different
income levels (as a percentage of AMI) and illustrate that rental needs are concentrated below 60% AMI
while ownership needs are concentrated below 120% AMI.
The City needs to build 282
affordable units per year
between 2020 and 2040 to
achieve its affordability
goal.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 20
Rental Affordability, Fort Collins, 2019
Note:
Income limits assume a 2-
person household and allow for
30% of monthly income for
housing costs.
Source:
2019 American Community
Survey (ACS), HUD 2019 Income
Limits, and Root Policy
Research.
Ownership Affordability, Fort Collins, 2019
Note:
Income limits assume a 2-
person household and allow for
30% of monthly income for
housing costs including 30-year
fixed mortgage with 4.0%
interest rate and 10%
downpayment.
Source:
2019 ACS, Larimer County
Assessor Sales Database 2020,
HUD 2019 Income Limits, and
Root Policy Research.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 21
GREATEST CHALLENGES AND REMAINING QUESTIONS
City staff began developing the Housing Strategic Plan by analyzing housing, demographic, and job data
for Fort Collins. This analysis became the Existing Conditions Assessment (which will be added as an
Appendix in the final document), which provides an overview of what we know about the current state of
housing in Fort Collins and the many factors that influence our housing system. Some of the topics include:
• Demographics
• Equity and inclusion history and context
• Jobs and economic indicators
• Price of rental and for sale housing
• Housing policies
Based only on this initial data and analysis, staff created a preliminary list of greatest challenges and
remaining questions for the plan update. During the public engagement process, staff shared the list with
participants and asked them to compare the challenges and questions with their lived experience. Did the
list reflect their lived experience of finding housing in Fort Collins? What was missing? How could these
challenges and remaining questions be adjusted to better reflect the reality of finding a place to live in
Fort Collins? What needs to change to address these challenges? This process led to the finalized list of
greatest challenges and remaining questions in the Housing Strategic Plan.
GREATEST CHALLENGES
P rice escalation impacts everyone, and disproportionately impacts BIPOC [B lack, Indigenous and
P eople of C olor] and low-income households.
Latinx, Black or African American, and Native American
households make up a disproportionate share of low-
income households in Fort Collins. While the wages of many
low-income occupations have climbed faster than wages
overall, they still have not kept up with the increase in
housing prices. Since 2010, rents in Fort Collins have
increased 40%, single-family detached homes have
increased in value by 125%, and townhome and condo
values have risen 158%, while wages have increased by just
25%. With an ever-widening gap between housing prices
and incomes, and without further review into possible causes and explanations for that gap, BIPOC
households could be further marginalized by our housing system and suffer from the continued effects of
a gap that may be caused, at least in part, by effects of institutionalized racism, which is further outlined
in the Equity and Inclusion Section of the Existing Conditions Assessment.
Data clearly indicate BIPOC communities are
disproportionally low-income, have lower
net worth, and are less likely to be
homeowners. While structural racism is
evident across the United States and more
locally, more work is needed to establish the
exact cause of these disparate outcomes
here in Fort Collins.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 22
There aren’t enough affordable places available for people to rent or purchase, or what is available
and affordable isn’t the kind of housing people need.
The inventory of affordable rentals and homes for sale has
dwindled over the past several years. In 2012, 50% of the
rental housing stock cost less than $1,000 per month to rent.
In 2018, only 20% of the rental housing stock cost less than
$1,000 per month. As a result, 60% of renters in Fort Collins
are "cost burdened.” Cost burdened households spend more
than 30% of their income on housing, which means they have
less money for saving, food, healthcare, and other essential
needs. Similarly, since 2010 the median price of housing for
purchase has risen from around $200,000 to $450,000 for a
single-family detached home and from around $120,000 to
$310,000 for a townhome or condominium. This has led to an
increased percentage of renters. Fort Collins is now almost
evenly split between renters and homeowners. Participants in
the Home2Health community engagement workshops indicated that they are having to make difficult
choices to meet their housing needs. Many community members are subletting portions of their homes,
living with roommates, or working multiple jobs to afford their homes. Elderly residents and residents
with disabilities also have a difficult time finding housing that is accessible for their physical needs. This is
a mismatch between the housing that people need and the housing that is available in Fort Collins.
Community members forced to live in housing that is too expensive or that does not meet their physical
needs are making difficult decisions that lead to instability in their lives.
The City does have some tools to encourage affordable housing, but the current amount of funding
and incentives for affordable housing are not enough to meet our goals
While the City has affordable housing incentives and provides $1.5 million to $3 million in direct subsidy
funding every year, these resources are not enough to meet the City’s affordable housing goals. The City
would need an additional 708 affordable units to meet its 2020 goal of 6% of all housing being affordable.
Assuming a $38,970 investment by the City yields one unit of affordable housing, the City would need to
invest $27,590,000 of direct subsidy funding to close the 2020 gap, which is the equivalent of 9 to 18 years
of funding at current levels. This calculation also assumes that federal subsidies for the development of
affordable rental housing (Low-Income Housing Tax Credits) remain steady, that there are enough tax-
exempt government bonds (Private Activity Bonds) available to support each project, and that private
developers have the ability to deliver projects. In addition, recommendations from the Land Use Code
Audit indicate that current land use incentives (e.g. increased density, parking reductions) for affordable
housing need to be revised and recalibrated. Every year that passes where the City does not meet its
affordable housing goals means current and future generations must make up the difference.
“I used to live in Fort Collins in the 80s and
90s. We could afford one income and raise
a family. Now, divorced, I had to leave Fort
Collins and move to Wellington where I
have to rent a room. Due to the increase in
housing prices many people were pushed
out to Wellington to find affordable
housing. If you look at Wellington now,
housing isn't affordable there either.
Homes are well over $300,000.”
—Community Engagement Workshop
Participant
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 23
Job growth continues to outpace housing growth
The Fort Collins job market grew by 2.8% per year from 2010
to 2019. The Fort Collins population only grew by 1.6%
annually during the same timeframe. While the housing stock
of Fort Collins grew by 1.73% from 2010 to 2019, this is still a
slower rate than job market growth. The community’s
unemployment rate fell from 7% to 3% between 2012 and
2015 and has held steady below 3% since 2015. All of these
factors indicate that most new job openings in the
community are being filled. If new housing supply in Fort
Collins cannot keep up with the pace of job growth, some Fort Collins workers likely are forced to live in
surrounding communities. Timnath, Wellington, and Windsor grew by 18%, 8.7%, and 7%, respectively,
from 2015 to 2018. Residents in these Northern Colorado communities, as well as others, tend to
commute into neighboring communities like Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley for work and many of
their daily needs. As of 2015, 18,799 car trips started in communities with cheaper home prices than Fort
Collins. Some of these commuters live in nearby communities by choice. It is likely, however, that many
of these commuters cannot afford to live in Fort Collins and must live in surrounding communities, in
hopes that they may be able to enter the Fort Collins housing market in the future. This is known as the
“drive till you qualify” phenomenon, which also requires commuters from neighboring communities to
pay more for daily transportation. In addition to the burden it creates on individuals, this trend runs
counter to the inclusive vision outlined by City Plan and the City’s climate action goals, such as the goal to
reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita. When individuals have to drive further to meet their
housing needs, VMT per capital is increasing instead of decreasing.
Housing is expensive to build, and the cost of building new housing will likely continue to increase
over time
In isolation, regulations for new housing development help
deliver the kind of development quality desired by the Fort
Collins community. Developers pay for the impact their
developments have on the community through various fees,
and regulations help ensure consistency across all kinds of
new housing development. The unintended consequence of
regulations on housing, coupled with impact fees, is that new
housing ends up being unattainable for most households.
Fees for infrastructure, water, and development review
continue to rise as resources become scarcer and
development challenges become more complex. In 2015, the
average cost to build a unit of housing was around $278,000, while today it costs close to $330,000.
Median income households can only afford a home priced at around $330,000. Developers build housing
for a profit and thus cannot build new homes that can be purchased for less than $330,000 without some
form of subsidy. In addition, the recent Land Use Code Audit identified many places where existing
“Housing is part of a more complex issue of
life in Fort Collins. We have attracted many
well paying jobs and have paid for them.
We have not done the same with lower
income/lower education jobs.”
—Community Engagement Workshop
Participant
“Fees to builders are too high to do
anything but "high end" or "luxury" as the
media likes to call it. There is a huge
market of low to middle income residents
that developers would love to help but
costs to build are too difficult to hit any
significant development.”
—Community Engagement Workshop
Participant
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 24
regulations could be revised or clarified to better encourage a wide range of housing options. However,
rewriting the Land Use Code is a complex, resource-intensive task that will require funding to complete.
Further complicating this picture is the finite quantity of natural resources in Fort Collins. Water to support
new development is increasingly scarce and expensive. Within our Growth Management Area, Fort Collins
has a limited supply of land. It will only become more expensive to develop in Fort Collins. A dollar spent
today on housing will go further than a dollar spent on housing in ten years.
REMAINING QUESTIONS
It is difficult to predict the lasting effects of COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow of uncertainty over
many facets of life. Unemployment has soared into double digits,
leaving many without a stable income. During the community
engagement process for this plan, many reported the strain the
pandemic has placed on their mental and physical health. While the
CARES Act provided enhanced unemployment benefits and
stimulus funds to individuals earning less than $75,000 and married
couples filing jointly earning less than $150,000, the medium and
long-term financial prospects are unknown for households
impacted by COVID-19. Previous recessions have seen increased
rates of foreclosures and evictions. Recovery is also uncertain since
this current recession is in direct response to a pandemic. Recovery
will depend on the success of the vaccine rollout, continued
physical distancing, how fast businesses recover, and many other
factors. It remains to be seen how the lingering effects of the
pandemic may continue to impair the mental and physical health of our community.
H ousing policies have not consistently addressed housing stability and healthy housing, especially for
people who rent
What does it mean for all residents to have healthy and stable
housing? With only 1 in 10 renters able to afford the median
home price is Fort Collins, how will the City support the nearly
50% of households who rent their homes? Today, the City has
several programs available to support households, e.g., income-
qualified programs, Healthy Homes, Landlord and Tenant
Information, and more, and has recently supported increased
rights for owners of manufactured homes who own the home but
rent or lease the land. Since fewer households in Fort Collins own
homes than in the past, housing policies also need to evolve to
better support renters in our community.
"With having to now deal with
COVID, being unsure as to what is
going to happen in the next couple
of months, hours getting cut and
prices rising as a student it has been
very stressful. Trying to balance all
of those things plus school, has
impacted my mental health and
makes me worried/anxious that I
may lose my job due to COVD or
miss a couple of days and be short
on rent because of COVID. "
—Community Engagement
Workshop Participant
"I want decision makers to understand
that our families are regular people
working hard and they did not plan to
take care of grandchildren. A crisis can
change one’s life forever and it affects
their financial and mental health, that
is what our senior families are dealing
with "
—Community Engagement Workshop
Participant
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 25
As noted on page 50 of the Existing Conditions Assessment, current zoning does not meet demand for
housing supply. Further, Fort Collins limits the number of unrelated people that can occupy a home
(referred to as “U+2”). While many consider U+2 to be a successful tool for preserving neighborhood
character, the extent to which U+2 impacts the housing market is unclear. More study would shed light
on how U+2 might be modified to meet its intent and advance the vision without impacting the
affordability of housing.
The Housing Strategic Plan includes the entire spectrum of housing and recognizes the critical role of
rental housing within the housing system. This will require careful consideration of new policies that could
improve housing stability and health for renters.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 26
STRATEGIES AND PRIORITIES
Development of this plan included consideration of more than 50 potential strategies that were identified
by the community City staff, City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee, and best practice research. This section
presents the initial set of prioritized strategies that will be reviewed by the community in January 2021.
The section begins with a brief overview of existing strategies and programs, followed by a discussion of
how strategies were identified, evaluated, and prioritized.
Finally, the section presents prioritized strategies with a focus on how those strategies help accomplish
the city’s Vision and address the Greatest Challenges (see pages 17-20 for more info on the Vision and
pages 21-25 for more info on the Greatest Challenges).
EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS
Existing housing policies, programs, and partners are summarized below to provide context for the
additional strategies set forth in this Plan. Additional details are available in the Existing Conditions
Assessment.
Funding Sources and Financial Assistance:
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Funds – federal funds allocated annually
to the City of Fort Collins to support affordable housing and economic/community development
activities benefitting low-income households. Ranges from $1.5 to $2.5 million annually.
• Private Activity Bonds (PABs) – tax-exempt bond capacity is allocated to the City of Fort Collins to
finance affordable housing development in association with the 4% Low Income Tax Credit (LIHTC)
development tools. PAB allocations to cities are based on population; Fort Collins received $8.9
million in 2020.
• Affordable Housing Capital Fund – locally generated funding as part of the Community Capital
Improvement Program quarter cent sales tax, a portion of which is dedicated to funding
affordable housing ($4 million over 10 years, sunsetting in 2025).
• Metropolitan Districts – special districts that issue tax exempt bonds to pay for infrastructure
improvements. Residential Metropolitan Districts must provide some form of public benefit.
Providing affordable housing is one of the public benefit options. Staff is currently evaluating this
policy and there is a moratorium on new residential Metropolitan District applications until
January 31, 2021.
• Fee deferral – qualified affordable housing projects can defer development fees until their
Certificate of Occupancy or until December 1 in the year building permits are obtained, whichever
occurs first.
• Fee credits – developers can seek credits to cover capital expansion fees, development review
fees, and building permit fees on units for households earning no more than 30% AMI.
• Homebuyer Assistance – the City previously provided loans to income-eligible households to cover
a portion of down payment and closing costs; however, the City is no longer offering this program
and is referring candidates to programs offered by other agencies.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 27
Partnerships. The City works with many partners to advance Fort Collins’ housing goals. Below are just a
few examples.
• Local Non-Profit Housing Providers – include CARE Housing, Neighbor to Neighbor, Habitat for
Humanity, and Housing Catalyst. Partners provide affordable housing as well as housing-related
services such as utility/rental assistance, housing counseling, homebuyer education, and eviction
and foreclosure prevention.
• Homeward 2020 – collaborative, strategic think-tank guiding implementation of Fort Collins’ 10-
year plan to make homelessness rare, short-lived and non-recurring by setting priorities,
developing alignment and action plans, and suggesting policy.
• Northern Colorado Continuum of Care – coordinates funding and delivery of housing and services
for people experiencing homelessness in Northern Colorado, bringing together agencies in
Larimer and Weld Counties to develop a strategic, regional approach to homelessness.
• Community Land Trust – affordable ownership model that removes land from the purchase of a
home. Current partners include Urban Land Conservancy and Elevation Community Land Trust.
• Land Bank program – the City’s primary long-term incentive for affordable housing in which the
City acquires strategic parcels, holds, and then sells to qualified affordable housing developers at
a discounted price; all units developed must be affordable in perpetuity.
Land Use Code Provisions for Affordable Housing:
• Low Density Mixed-Use (LMN) Zone District Density Bonus – density increase from 9 to 12 dwelling
units per acre for affordable housing projects in the LMN zone.
• Height bonus in the Transit Oriented Development Overlay Zone (TOD) – one additional story of
building height if 10% of total units are affordable to 80% AMI or less (only applies in TOD zone).
• Reduced landscaping requirements – affordable housing projects may plant smaller trees than
required by the Land Use Code.
• Priority processing – qualified affordable housing projects receive priority processing during the
development review process (reduces each round of review by City staff by one week).
Previous and Related Studies. Complementary recommendations from the following studies are
acknowledged in the Prioritized Strategies:
• Housing Affordability Policy Study (HAPS) – 2015
• 2015-2019 Affordable Housing Strategic Plan
• Land Use Code Audit – 2020
• Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing – 2020
• Homeward 2020 Strategic Plan – 2020
• Feasibility Study for Inclusionary Housing and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - 2020
Existing programs, policies, strategies and partnerships will continue to be necessary as the City and
community partners work towards housing goals. It is still important to increase the inventory of
affordable rental units, preserve the long-term affordability and physical condition of existing affordable
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 28
housing, increase housing and supportive services for people with special needs and support
opportunities to obtain and sustain affordable homeownership. However existing efforts are limited in a
couple of ways: first, because many of these programs are focused on reaching goals related to affordable
housing, they do not address needs across the entire housing spectrum. Second, engagement with
community members and partners indicate that community members do not always see their needs or
themselves reflected in the strategies presented in previous plans. The proposed strategies are organized
in a way to address these issues.
PRELIMINARY STRATEGIES & EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
Strategy Identification
Preliminary strategies were designed to address the greatest housing challenges identified in the Existing
Conditions report and were based on findings and recommendations in previous City reports,10F
11 in
addition to engagement with various city departments, Boards and Commissions, Home2Health partners,
meetings with the City Council Housing Ad Hoc Committee, community engagement and researching peer
cities. These groups generated hundreds of ideas, which were consolidated and organized into over 50
preliminary policy strategies for consideration in the Plan.
The process of converting ideas into preliminary strategies was led by the City’s consultant, Root Policy
Research. All suggestions were included in some form11F
12; the reduction from 150 ideas to 50+ strategies
was primarily based on consolidation of duplicate or similar ideas and framing ideas for a policy format.
A full list of ideas (and which groups recommended them) as well as the resulting preliminary strategies
will be available with the Final Plan.
Strategy Evaluation and Prioritization
The preliminary strategies were evaluated based on three factors: alignment with the vision, feasibility,
and effectiveness. The evaluation of vision alignment included a series of questions that addressed each
vision element (“everyone,” “health,” “stable,” “affordable”), with particular attention to equity factors
at the individual and neighborhood level, see the evaluation framework questions on the next page. To
evaluate whether a strategy was feasible and potentially effective, the process relied on questions related
to community support, implementation options and partnerships, as well as expectations about how
effective each strategy could be. Additional details on the preliminary strategies and evaluation
framework will be available with the Final Plan.
11 2020 Land Use Code Audit, 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, Homeward 2020
12 The only exceptions were ideas for which there was not a viable legal path forward (e.g., violation of basic property
rights or interstate commerce).
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 29
Staff and ad hoc housing committee members further prioritized strategies that met the baseline criteria
(vision alignment, feasibility, and effectiveness), with a variety of exercises that rated and ranked each
strategy as well as each problem the strategies are designed to solve, and discussed broad priorities and
objectives required to achieve the City’s vision and goal. The process prioritized vision alignment over
immediate feasibility, as some strategies may require additional staff time and/or funding. In other words,
strategies that currently may not be financially feasible were included if they met the other two criteria.
Prioritization efforts are ongoing and the strategies identified below reflect preliminary priorities, as of
December 2020. Feedback on this draft Plan along with additional staff and committee workshops to be
held in January 2021 will be reflected in the final version of the Housing Strategic Plan.
All prioritized strategies meet the baseline vision, feasibility, and effectiveness criteria and reflect staff
and community input on key objectives for the Plan. They are designed to address the Greatest
Challenges (discussed in detail on pages 21-25), produce meaningful outcomes, and expand housing
choice in Fort Collins across the entire spectrum of housing preference and need.
Evaluation Framework Ex. StrategyEx. StrategyDoes this strategy create/preserve housing affordable to 80% AMI or less (City-
adopted goal for affordability)?yes
Does this strategy enhance housing stability?maybe
Does this strategy promote healthy neighborhoods/housing?yes
Does this strategy increase equity in the following ways…
Address housing disparities?yes
Increase accessibility?no
Increase access to areas of opportunity?maybe
Promote investment in disadvantaged neighborhoods?yes
Mitigate residential displacement?yes
Does this strategy address highest priority needs (to be defined by sub-goal
development)?maybe
Does this strategy increase housing type and price-point diversity in the city?yes
Does the city have necessary resources (financial and staff capacity) to implement
administer and monitor?yes
Does this strategy have community support?yes
Can the City lead implementation of this strategy (or does it require state/regional
leadership and/or non-profit or partner action)?yes
If no, are partnerships in place to lead implementation?n/a
Does this strategy help advance other community goals (e.g., climate action, water
efficiency, etc.)?yes
How effective is this strategy in achieving the desired outcome (on a scale of 1 to 5
where 1 is not at all effective is 5 is very effective)?4
How resource intensive is this strategy (on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is no cost is 5
is very high cost)?2
Rating scales for efficacy and cost
Respond to each question with yes, maybe, or no:Vision CriteriaFeasibility Criteria
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 30
HOW STRATEGIES WERE PRIORITIZED
Housing is a fundamental part of all communities, and a critical part of community development. Yet the
types of housing available—and the market prices—are not always in line with community needs. After
analyzing housing, demographic, and job data for Fort Collins in the Existing Conditions Assessment, staff
identified the following list of Greatest Challenges and Remaining Questions (discussed in detail on pages
21-25) related to the Fort Collins housing system:
1. Price escalation impacts everyone, and
disproportionately impacts BIPOC [Black, Indigenous
and People of Color] and low-income households.
2. There aren’t enough affordable places available for
people to rent or purchase, or what is available and
affordable isn’t the kind of housing people need.
3. The City does have some tools to encourage
affordable housing, but the current amount of funding
and incentives for affordable housing are not enough
to meet our goals.
4. Job growth continues to outpace housing growth.
5. Housing is expensive to build, and the cost of building new housing will likely continue to increase
over time.
6. It is difficult to predict the lasting effects of COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic.
7. Housing policies have not consistently addressed housing stability and healthy housing, especially
for people who rent.
These challenges provide the baseline organization for
the prioritized housing strategies. Though many
strategies do address multiple challenges, they are
organized around the primary challenge addressed. (No
challenges are categorized under Greatest Challenge #6,
as a primary, though many strategies will address
housing challenges exacerbated by the pandemic). In
addition, each group of strategies is linked to the vision
(Everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford)
through a vision alignment statement.
Priority strategies are summarized in the table below.
The table also includes the anticipated outcome of each
strategy and the anticipated timeline for
implementation.
Another way of thinking about the challenges
is through the following problem statements:
• We don't have enough housing units or the
types of housing we need.
• Once the housing does exist, the people who
need the housing can't get into it.
• Once the housing exists and the people who
need it can get into it, they can't stay in it (or
they are stuck in it).
The Ad Hoc Committee identified the following
strategies as quick wins:
1. Assess displacement and gentrification risk.
8. Extend the city’s affordability term.
9. Off-cycle appropriation to advance Phase One of
the
Land Use Code (LUC) Audit.
13. Recalibrate existing incentives to reflect current
market conditions (existing incentives include fee
waivers, fee deferral, height bonus, density bonus,
reduced landscaping, priority processing).
14.Create additional development incentives for
affordable housing.
25.Foreclosure and eviction prevention and legal
representation.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 31
Each of the prioritized strategies are explained below and
they are organized by the greatest challenge that they
address. Descriptions include secondary challenges
addressed by the strategy (when applicable), the
expected outcome of the strategy, the group impacted by
the strategy, reasons for prioritization, and the
timeframe for when actions could be implemented.
All prioritized strategies included below received strong
support from staff and committee evaluators, reflect
community priorities, and meet baseline criteria for
vision alignment and feasibility. The reasons for
prioritization discussed below focus on why each strategy
received such support.
The timeframe is defined as:
• Quick(er) wins: actions that could be moved
forward in the very near term (less than 1 year)
• Transitional: mid-term actions requiring 1-2
years to implement
• Transformational: Longer term actions, requiring 2+ years to develop an implementation and
engagement strategy
Impacted players in the housing system that
strategies touch on include:
1. Builders/developers
2. Landlords
3. Homeowners associations
4. Special districts and government entities
5. Financial institutions
6. Manufactured housing neighborhoods
7. Homeowners
8. Renters
9. People experiencing homelessness
10. Residents vulnerable to displacement
11. Historically disadvantaged populations
12. Other community partners
This identification metric fosters broad access to
the plan by allowing all participants, businesses,
and residents to see where they “fit” in the city’s
approach to housing.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 32
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
Greatest Challenge #1. Price escalation impacts everyone, and disproportionately impacts BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and People of Color] and low-income
households.
Vision Alignment: The following strategies primarily address the "everyone" (i.e., equity) component of the Vision.
1. Assess displacement and
gentrification risk (New)
Map illustrating displacement and
gentrification threats at the neighborhood
level
Improve housing
equity, housing
stability, and
preservation
• Not directly referenced,
though there were many
comments to no longer being
able to afford to live here.
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
2. Promote inclusivity,
housing diversity, and
affordability as
community values.
(Expand)
Engagement should address structural racism,
myths related to affordable housing and
density, and prioritize storytelling and be
culturally appropriate
Improve housing
equity and
increase housing
choice
• Combat stigmas associated
with affordable housing
• Build community-wide
support for doing things
differently
Transformational
(2+ years)
3. Implement the 2020
Analysis of Fair Housing
Choice Action Steps
(Expand)
The Analysis of Fair Housing is a HUD-required
document that analyzes fair housing (the
intersection of civil rights and housing)
challenges for protected class populations in
Fort Collins.
Improve housing
equity and access
to opportunity
• Focus financial support on
lowest-income residents
• Ensure all neighborhoods
have access to amenities
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Transformational
(2+ years)
Greatest Challenge #2. There aren’t enough affordable places available for people to rent or purchase, or what is available and affordable isn’t the kind of
housing people need
Vision Alignment: The following strategies drive forward affordable, healthy, stable housing for all by increasing housing choice across the entire housing
spectrum.
4. Implementation,
tracking and assessment
of housing strategies
(Expand)
Develop real-time, accessible and
performance-based data evaluating
performance of strategies to ensure they are
effective, equitable and moving towards vision
Increase and
monitor
effectiveness of
strategies
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
• Consult with BIPOC and low-
income households
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
13 Each strategy is listed as New (initiated as a result of this Plan), Expand (expansion or evaluation of existing program or policy), or Continue (Continuing existing
program or policy).
14 Staff is continuing to analyze the community engagement feedback and how it supports the prioritized strategies. This section will continue to evolve as we
hear from the community.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 33
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
5. Advocate for housing-
related legislation at
state and federal levels
(Expand)
Monitor and support state level renter
protection legislation. Advocate for additional
state and federal funding sources. Work with
Larimer County on eviction protections and
consider statewide coalition
Varied (e.g.,
renter
protections,
funding options)
• Advocate for limits on rent
prices and/or annual rent
increases
• Provide emergency gap
funding to prevent eviction
Transitional
(1-2 years)
6. Visitability policy (New) Allows easy visitation by mobility impaired
residents in a portion/percentage of units in
new housing developments.
Improve
accessibility
• Build community-wide
support for doing things
differently
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Transformational
(2+ years)
7. Remove barriers to the
development of
Accessory Development
Units (Expand)
Remove Land Use Code barriers and create
more incentives for revamping existing
housing/neighborhoods
Diversify housing
options/Increase
housing choice
• Explore housing types
including smaller homes and
cooperative housing
• Relax restrictions in the
Land Use Code
Transitional
(1-2 years)
8. Extend the City’s
affordability term
(Expand)
The City’s current affordability term for
projects receiving City funding or incentives is
20 years but many cities use longer terms,
commonly 30 up to 60 years, to keep
inventory affordable for longer.
Increase stability
& preservation of
affordable
rental/owner
options
• Build community-wide
support for doing things
differently
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
9. Off-cycle appropriation
to advance Phase One of
the Land Use Code (LUC)
Audit (New)
Defines additional housing types; creates
opportunity to increase overall supply;
recalibrates incentives for affordable housing
production; identifies opportunities to add to
existing incentives; refines and simplifies
development processes
Diversify housing
options / Increase
housing choice
• Explore opportunities to
limit fees associated with
housing
• Remove or relax regulations
that limit creative reuse of
existing homes
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
Greatest Challenge #3. The City does have some tools to encourage affordable housing, but the current amount of funding and incentives are not enough
to meet our goals
Vision Alignment: The following strategies primarily address the affordability component of the Vision.
10. Refine local affordable
housing goal (Expand)
Set more specific housing goals by income
level so that it is easier to track progress and
communicate our housing goals to developers
Improve targeting
of housing
investments
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 34
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
11. Create a new dedicated
revenue stream to fund
the Affordable Housing
Fund (Expand)
Create a fee or tax that generates money for
the Affordable Housing Fund which would
support additional affordable housing
development and rehabilitation
Increase supply
and preservation
of affordable
rental/owner
housing
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Transformational
(2+ years)
12. Expand partnership(s)
with local Community
Development Financial
Institution (CDFI) to offer
gap financing and low-
cost loan pool for
affordable housing
development (Expand)
A loan pool and gap financing for affordable
housing projects that need additional financial
support to be viable
Increase supply of
affordable
rental/owner
housing
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Transitional
(1-2 years)
13. Recalibrate existing
incentives to reflect
current market
conditions (Expand)
Existing incentives include fee waivers, fee
deferral, height bonus, density bonus, reduced
landscaping, priority processing. Alter
incentives for affordable housing
development so developers are motivated to
use them based on market conditions
Increase supply of
affordable
rental/owner
housing
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Quick(er) Win
(<1 year)
14. Create additional
development incentives
for affordable housing
(New)
Increase incentives to develop affordable
housing in the Land Use Code to increase
affordable housing supply
Increase supply of
affordable
rental/owner
housing
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Quick(er)win
(<1 year)
Greatest Challenge #4. Job growth continues to outpace housing growth
Vision Alignment: The following strategies increase housing for all by removing barriers to development and increasing housing options.
15. Explore/address
financing and other
barriers to missing
middle and innovative
housing development
(New)
Collaborate with developers and financial
institutions to understand barriers for missing
middle projects, e.g., financing, code,
materials, etc.; consider partnerships with
developers and partners to address barriers
and build support for diverse, innovative, and
efficient housing options
Diversify housing
options / Increase
housing choice
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
• Relax restrictions in the
Land Use Code to make it
easier for developers to
build new homes
• Seek out innovative ideas
from the community and
peer cities
Transitional
(1-2 years)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 35
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
16. Remove barriers to
allowed densities
through code revisions
(New)
Revisit or remove barriers in code that limit
the number of multifamily units, have square
footage requirements for secondary or non-
residential buildings and height limitations
restricting the ability to maximize compact
sites using tuck-under parking
Diversify housing
options / Increase
housing choice
• Explore more housing types
including tiny homes and
cooperative housing
• Build more duplexes and small
multifamily units
• Remove or relax regulations
that limit creative reuse of
existing homes
• Relax restrictions in the
Land Use Code to make it
easier for developers to
build new homes
Transitional
(1-2 years)
Greatest Challenge #5. Housing is expensive to build, and the cost of building new housing will likely continue to increase over time.
Vision Alignment: The following strategies primarily address the affordability components of the Vision
17. Reconsider affordable
housing
requirements/funding as
part of metro districts
(Expand)
Consider requirement that Metropolitan
Districts containing housing must provide
affordable housing
Increase supply of
affordable
rental/owner
housing
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
18. Increase awareness &
opportunities for
creative collaboration
across water districts
and other regional
partners around the
challenges with water
costs and housing
(Expand)
Fort Collins has multiple water providers and
the cost of water is different in each district.
This collaboration could result in more
consistent water prices across districts.
Improve
affordability and
housing diversity
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Transitional
(1-2 years)
Greatest Challenge #6: It is difficult to predict the lasting effects of COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic.
Note: Many strategies address the challenges that COVID has created or amplified, (e.g., Strategy 25 Foreclosure and eviction prevention and legal
representation). However, those strategies were all primarily linked to other challenges. These linkages will be further described below in the narrative.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 36
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
Greatest Challenge #7. Housing policies have not consistently addressed housing stability and healthy housing, especially for people who rent.
Vision Alignment: The following strategies primarily address the health and stability components of the Vision
19. Bolster city land bank
activity by allocating
additional funding to the
program (contingent on
adopting additional
revenue stream policy)
(Expand)
The Land Bank program sets aside land for
affordable housing development. This would
allow the City to purchase more land to add to
the Land Bank.
Increase supply of
affordable
rental/owner
housing
• Incentivize developers to
build affordable housing
Transformational
(2+ years)
20. Explore the option of a
mandated rental
license/registry program
for long-term rentals and
pair with best practice
rental regulations (New)
Can result in landlord education (fair housing
or other), standardized lease agreements in
English and Spanish, application fee
reasonableness requirements, a more defined
path for conflict resolution, and health &
safety rental inspections
Improve renter
protections,
housing quality,
housing stability
and landlord
access to
information
• Explore rental licensing to
promote safe and healthy
housing
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Transformational
(2+ years)
21. Explore revisions to
occupancy limits and
family definitions
(Expand)
Occupancy limits and narrow family
definitions often create unintended
constraints on housing choice and options,
including cooperative housing opportunities
for seniors, people with disabilities, and low
income renters desiring to live with unrelated
adults in a single family home setting, as well
as non-traditional household arrangements.
Diversify housing
options / Increase
housing choice
• Remove or relax occupancy
restrictions
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Transitional
(1-2 years)
22. Public Sector Right of
First Refusal for
Affordable
Developments (New)
Typically requires owners of affordable
housing to notify the public sector of intent to
sell or redevelop property and allow period of
potential purchase by public sector or non-
profit partner.
Preserve current
supply of
affordable rental
housing
• Bolster nonprofits providing
“housing-first” models of
support
• Focus financial support on
lowest income residents
Transitional
(1-2 years)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 37
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
23. Tenant right of first
refusal for cooperative
ownership of multifamily
or manufactured housing
community (New)
Laws that give tenants the right to purchase a
rental unit or complex (including a
manufactured housing community) before the
owner puts it on the market or accepts an
offer from another potential buyer.
Increase stability
and housing
options for
renters and
manufactured
housing residents
and preservation
of affordable
housing
• Explore opportunities for
resident-owned
manufactured housing
communities
• Explore more housing types
including tiny homes and
cooperative housing
Transformational
(2+ years)
24. Support community
organizing efforts in
manufactured home
communities and
increase access to
resident rights
information, housing
resources, and housing
programs (Expand)
Continue and expand existing efforts to work
with residents and nonprofit community
partners to address the critical need for
programs focused on manufactured housing
livability and safety, reduction of the fear of
retaliation for residents, preservation of these
as an affordable housing option, and equitable
access to City resources in historically
underserved neighborhoods and populations.
Increase stability
and housing
options for
manufactured
housing residents
• Explore opportunities for
resident-owned
manufactured housing
communities
• Preserve manufactured
housing communities
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
25. Foreclosure and eviction
prevention and legal
representation (Expand)
Provides assistance with mortgage debt
restructuring and mortgage and/or utilities
payments to avoid foreclosure; short-term
emergency rent and utilities assistance for
renters. CARES Act funding is currently
dedicated to a legal defense fund for renters
but additional resources are needed.
Increase stability
for vulnerable
renters and
owners
• Provide emergency gap
funding to prevent
eviction
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Quick(er) win
(<1 year)
26. Small Landlord
Incentives (New)
Incentivize small landlords to keep units
affordable for a period of time in exchange for
subsidized rehabilitation or tax or fee waivers.
Aligns with Strategy 20 to explore rental
registration and licensing.
Increase
affordable rentals,
housing stability
and preservation,
and improve
condition
• Advocate for limits on rent
prices and/or annual rent
increases
• Explore rental licensing to
promote safe and healthy
housing
Transformational
(2+ years)
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 38
Initial Set of Prioritized
Strategies12F13 Brief Description Outcome Community Recommendations
Alignment (Draft)13F14
Timeline
Aligning the Plan with Related Efforts
Continue the City's ongoing
efforts to implement
recommendations from
current housing-related
studies and other City efforts.
(LUC Audit, Fair Housing
Analysis, Homeward 2020,
2015-2019 Affordable
Housing Strategic Plan)
(Continue)
This work acknowledges that continuing the
City’s existing efforts (as will be noted in the
full plan chapter) is critical for achieving the
City’s goals and achieving the vision.
Diversify housing
options, increase
housing choice,
increase equity,
solutions to end
homelessness,
preservation of
affordable
housing
• Focus financial support on
lowest income residents
• Bolster nonprofits providing
supportive housing services
• Preserve manufactured
housing communities
Bolster nonprofits providing
“housing first” models of
support
Provide emergency gap
funding to prevent eviction
Ongoing and
varies
Continue to align housing
work with other
departmental plans and
programs to leverage more
funding resources and
achieve citywide goals that
advance the triple bottom
line of economic,
environmental, and social
sustainability (could include
citywide disparity study)
(Continue)
As housing impacts every aspect of the
community, integrating this work across the
triple bottom line to leverage funds, reduce
redundancies, and align toward multiple city
goals is critical to success.
Citywide
alignment
• Build communitywide
support for doing things
differently
• Seek out innovative ideas from
the community and peer cities
• Increase equity in existing
programs and services
Ongoing and
varies
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 39
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES
Greatest Challenge 1: Price escalation impacts everyone, and disproportionately impacts BIPOC [Black,
indigenous and People of Color] and low-income households.
1. Assess displacement and gentrification risk (New). City
staff can use examples from other communities as a guide
for building our own index for displacement and
gentrification risk using readily available data (Census,
American Community Survey, etc.). This information can
help promote and target anti-displacement
resources/programs, pair such resources with major
capital investments, and guide community partnerships.
Why Prioritized? Low-cost effort with targeted and
meaningful impact; direct impact on equity and stability.
Already identified as an Ad Hoc Committee Quick Win.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Improve Housing Equity
Lead Entity: County, City
Impacted Players: Renters, Historically
disadvantaged populations, Residents
vulnerable to displacement
Next Steps: Best practice review of
approaches to identifying vulnerable
neighborhoods; analysis and mapping;
partner with the County’s Built
Environment Group and their work to
assess displacement
Secondary Greatest Challenges: #6
2: Promote inclusivity, housing diversity, and
affordability as community values (Expand). PR
campaign and/or communications related to density,
structural racism, need for affordable housing, myths
about affordable housing, etc. Could also use "tactical
urbanism" strategies as part of this effort.
Why Prioritized? Best fundamental practice for fostering
broad access to housing vision, contributing to an
inclusive community culture, and addressing a common
and significant barrier to the creation of affordable
housing: “Not-In-My-Back-Yard" (NIMBYism). Can be high
cost, but also a high impact strategy.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Improve Housing Equity
and Housing choice
Lead Entity: Partners, Community, City
Impacted Players: HOAs, Landlords,
Builders/Developers, Financial Institutions,
Special Districts and Government Entities,
Manufactured Housing Neighborhoods,
Homeowners, Renters, People Experiencing
Homelessness, Historically disadvantaged
populations, Residents vulnerable to
displacement, other partners
Next Steps: Coordinate with
Communications department on approach;
Evaluate funding needs and options
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
3: Implement the 2020 Analysis of Fair Housing Choice
Action Steps (Expand). The Analysis of Fair Housing is a
HUD-required document that analyzes fair housing (the
intersection of civil rights and housing) challenges for
protected class populations (e.g. race, individuals with
disabilities) in Fort Collins. It outlines the following action
steps:
a. Strengthen distribution of fair housing
information, educational and training
opportunities.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Improve Housing Equity
and access to opportunity
Lead Entity: Partners/Organizations
Impacted Players: HOAs, Landlords,
Builders/Developers, Financial Institutions,
Special Districts and Government Entities,
Manufactured Housing Neighborhoods,
Homeowners, Renters, People Experiencing
Homelessness, Historically disadvantaged
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 40
b. Improve housing options for people with
disabilities.
c. Support residents’ efforts to establish and build
credit.
d. Support programs, projects, and organizations
that improve housing access and affordability.
e. Continue to pursue equity in public infrastructure
and amenities.
f. Use Home2Health public engagement activities to
inform Land Use Code and policy updates.
Why Prioritized? HUD requirement for receiving federal
funds, direct and meaningful impact on addressing
segregation and discrimination, as well as improving fair
housing choice and increasing opportunity for BIPOC and
people with disabilities. Low cost effort resulting in
targeted and meaningful impact; direct impact on equity
and stability. Already identified as an Ad Hoc Committee
Quick Win.
populations, Residents vulnerable to
displacement, other partners
Next Steps: See Action Step details in the
Analysis of Fair Housing.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
Greatest Challenge 2: There aren’t enough affordable places available for people to rent or purchase, or
what is available and affordable isn’t the kind of housing people need.
4. Implementation, tracking, and assessment of housing
strategies (Expand). Includes:
• Regularly assess existing housing policies and
programs to ensure they are effective, equitable,
and aligned with vision. Begin with a
comprehensive review of current
programs/policies using the Government Alliance
on Race & Equity Racial Equity Toolkit. All
strategies proposed in this Housing Strategic Plan
will also be evaluated through an equity and
effectiveness lens.
• Develop real-time, accessible, and performance-
based data that evaluates the performance of
these strategies and their progress toward the
vision. This would include data for the entire
housing spectrum, from people experiencing
homeless to middle-income households.
Why Prioritized? Best practice; essential for maintaining
effectiveness, equity, and impact of housing
programs/strategies; also fosters transparency in
monitoring performance and progress toward citywide
goal for affordable housing.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Increase/monitor
effectiveness of all strategies
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: HOAs, Landlords,
Builders/Developers, Financial Institutions,
Special Districts and Government Entities,
Manufactured Housing Neighborhoods,
Homeowners, Renters, People Experiencing
Homelessness, Historically disadvantaged
populations, Residents vulnerable to
displacement, other partners
Next Steps: Evaluate existing
programs/policies for both equity and
effectiveness; Create data dashboard to
track housing production against
affordability goal(s).
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 41
5. Advocate for housing-related legislation at state and
federal levels (Expand). Focus areas could include:
monitor and support state level renter protection
legislation (e.g., fee caps, eviction protections, etc.),
advocate for additional state and federal funding sources
(e.g. real estate transfer tax), and advocate for additional
LIHTC funding and Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). Also
work with Larimer County on eviction protections and
explore the option of pausing evictions in times of crisis
(e.g., if/when state of emergency in declared). Consider a
statewide coalition of local governments, similar to
Colorado Communities for Climate Action (or CC4CA) that
the City participates in for climate.
Why Prioritized? Low cost approach to leveraging
additional resources and strategies to achieve City’s
goal/vision. Acknowledges regional nature of housing
challenges and addresses by regional/state framework.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Varied (e.g., renter
protections and funding options)
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: Special Districts and
Government Entities, other partners
Next Steps: Continue working with the
City’s Legislative Review Committee and
initiate conversations with other
municipalities to assess how local
governments can work together to advance
common goals.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1,7
6. Visitability policy (New). Require or incentivize
developers to make a portion of developments
"visitable," meeting design standards that allow easy
visitation by mobility impaired residents (one zero step
entrance, 32-inch doorways, and bathroom on the main
floor that is wheelchair accessible). Visitable design has
been shown to add no additional cost to developers; it
can be incentivized using a variety of incentives similar to
affordability incentives (e.g., fee waivers/deferrals,
priority processing, density bonuses, variances, etc.).
Why Prioritized? Low cost approach to leveraging
additional resources and strategies to achieve City’s
goal/vision. Acknowledges regional nature of housing
challenges and addresses by regional/state framework.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Improve Accessibility
Lead Entity: City
Impacted Players: Historically
disadvantaged populations
Next Steps: Evaluate appetite for mandate
vs incentive; stakeholder outreach with
development community; review similar
policies in other communities and draft
policy language for Fort Collins; partner
with the County’s Built Environment Group
to coordinate this effort with existing
multimodal index.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
7. Remove barriers to the development of Accessory
Dwelling Units (Expand). Allow by right in all residential
zone districts (in process per the 2020 LUC audit);
reduced (or waived) tap fees and other development
fees; consider development of a grant program for low
and moderate income owners; evaluate feasibility of
ADUs by lot to determine if there are overly burdensome
standards related to lot coverage, setbacks, alley access,
etc. and address those barriers as necessary. This is
connected to strategy 9 to approve the off-cycle
appropriation for phase one of the LUC audit.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Diversity Housing
Options/Increase housing choice
Lead Entity: Community, City
Impacted Players: Homeowners
Next Steps: Housing-related elements will
be included in the off-cycle appropriation to
advance Phase One of the Land Use Code
(LUC) Audit. An update to the City’s
development fees is anticipated in 2021.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1,4,5,7
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 42
Why Prioritized? Best practice for increase housing choice
without adverse impact on community context. Already
identified as priority in the 2020 LUC audit and
implementation underway.
8. Extend the city’s affordability term (Expand).
Affordability term is the time period in which affordable
housing is income restricted, after which it can convert to
market rate. The current affordability term for projects
receiving City funding or incentives is 20 years; many cities
use longer terms of 30 to 60 years.
Why Prioritized? Current term is uncommonly short;
extension would have meaningful impact on stability and
preservation of future affordable housing stock. Already
identified as an Ad Hoc Committee Quick Win.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Diversity in Housing
Options/Increase housing choice
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers,
Renters, Historically disadvantaged
populations, Residents vulnerable to
displacement
Next Steps: Stakeholder outreach to
affordable housing providers and
multifamily developers to vet term options
and applicability
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 5
9. Off-cycle appropriation to advance Phase One of the
Land Use Code (LUC) Audit (New). Responds to the
greatest challenges by addressing the entire housing
spectrum with new tools and processes, including:
a. Establishment of additional housing types;
opportunity to increase overall supply
b. Recalibration of existing incentives for affordable
housing production; identification of new
incentives
c. Refines and simplifies development processes
Beginning the LUC update is an important step to
advancing several strategies including strategies 7,13,14
and 16
Why Prioritized? Brings LUC into compliance with best
practice standards for current market trends and needs;
expands housing choice and diversity; implements
priorities already identified as part of LUC Audit and an Ad
Hoc Committee quick win.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year) to
allocate resources; Transitional (1-2 years)
to complete Phase 1 code changes
Expected Outcome: Diversity in Housing
Options/Increase housing choice
Lead Entity: City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers,
Special Districts and Government Entities,
other partners
Next Steps: Off-cycle appropriation
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1,3,4,5,7
Greatest Challenge 3: The City does have some tools to encourage affordable housing, but the current
amount of funding and incentives for affordable housing are not enough to meet our goals.
10. Refine local affordable housing goal (Expand). The City
has already adopted a broad goal of 10% affordable at 80%
AMI. Consider formal adoption of subgoals (e.g., 10% of
rental units affordable to 60% AMI; 5% of owner units deed
restricted and affordable to 100% AMI) to help set
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Improve targeting of
housing investments
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: HOAs, Landlords,
Builders/Developers, Financial Institutions,
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 43
expectations for developers as they negotiate agreements
with the City and establish more specific targets to monitor
progress.
Why Prioritized? Critical for aligning needs with quantified
affordability target and ensuring meaningful impact of
strategies.
Special Districts and Government Entities,
Manufactured Housing Neighborhoods,
Homeowners, Renters, People Experiencing
Homelessness, Historically disadvantaged
populations, Residents vulnerable to
displacement, other partners
Next Steps: Convene staff and stakeholders
to refine goal according to identified needs;
Align prioritized strategies with sub-goal
targets.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
11. Create a new dedicated revenue stream to fund the
Affordable Housing Fund through dedicated property or
sales tax (Expand). Local funds can support a variety of
affordable housing activities, have fewer restrictions and
are easier to deploy than federal or state dollars. They can
be earmarked for a specific income level (e.g., less than
30% AMI or used more broadly). Prioritized
recommendations for revenue generation that can be
implemented together or separately are:
a. Dedicated sales or property tax; and/or
b. Linkage (or impact) fees imposed on new
commercial and/or residential development.
Why Prioritized? High impact strategy and increasingly
common among local jurisdictions in the midst of rising
housing challenges and diminishing federal resources.
Additional funding is necessary for the city to achieve
affordability goal and implement select prioritized
strategies.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Increase supply
affordable rental/owner housing
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers,
Financial Institutions, Special Districts and
Government Entities, Homeowners,
Renters, People Experiencing
Homelessness, Historically disadvantaged
populations, Residents vulnerable to
displacement, other partners
Next Steps: Propose linkage fee adoption
(based on 2020 Feasibility study) to Council;
Begin to evaluate opportunities for
dedicated sales or property tax within the
broader context of citywide needs, e.g.,
transit, parks operations and maintenance,
etc.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
12. Expand partnership(s) with local Community
Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to offer gap
financing and low-cost loan pool for affordable housing
development (Expand). Partnership with a CDFI could
include financial support through grants or low-cost debt,
risk sharing through pooled loan loss reserve, or alignment
of priorities around affordable development.
Why Prioritized? Low cost effort with potential for high
impact; capitalizes on existing partnerships to leverage
common goals.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Lead Entity: Financial Institutions, City
Expected Outcome: Increase supply
affordable rental/owner housing
Impacted Players: Financial Institutions
Next Steps: Outreach to CDFIs (e.g., Impact
Development Fund) to evaluate strategic
opportunities.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
13. Recalibrate existing incentives (fee waivers, fee
deferral, height bonus, density bonus, reduced
landscaping, priority processing) to reflect current
market conditions (Expand). Conduct a detailed review
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Increase supply
affordable rental/owner housing
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 44
of financial benefits of existing incentives relative to their
requirements and evaluate applicability by income level
and geography and recommend changes to increase
effectiveness. This is connected to strategy 9 to approve
the off-cycle appropriation for phase one of the LUC
audit.
Why Prioritized? High impact strategy, already identified
as priority in LUC Audit and by Council Ad Hoc. Best
practice for maintaining effectiveness of incentives, which
must be regularly calibrated to market changes.
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers
Next Steps: Evaluate performance of
existing incentives (through analysis and
stakeholder outreach); conduct feasibility
analysis; and propose changes based on
results.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 2, 4
14. Create additional development incentives for
affordable housing (New). Development incentives
require a production of affordable rental or owner units.
Most policies mandate between 10 and 30 percent as
affordable units, depending on the market, and set
affordability terms between 15 and 99 years. The city
should evaluate and implement the following priority
incentives:
a. Expand density bonus program to apply in other
zone districts (currently limited to LMN zone).
Program would need to be calibrated for a variety
of zones.
b. Identify related building variances (e.g. setbacks,
lot coverage, parking requirements, design
standards, open space dedication)
This is connected to strategy 9 to approve the off-cycle
appropriation for phase one of the LUC audit.
Why Prioritized? Current incentives are limited and
additional incentives are critical for increasing production
of affordable housing. High impact strategy with low cost
to City as it leverages private sector investment to achieve
goals; very common practice throughout Colorado (and
other) communities. Already identified as an Ad Hoc
Committee Quick Win.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Increase supply
affordable rental/owner housing
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers
Next Steps: Conduct feasibility analysis for
density bonus expansion and calculate
financial benefit of variance incentives;
conduct stakeholder outreach with
developers to vet proposals.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 2, 4
Greatest Challenge 4: Job growth continues to outpace housing growth.
15. Explore/address financing and other barriers to
missing middle and innovative housing development
(New). Collaborate with developers and financial
institutions (CDFI, credit unions, and banks) to understand
barriers for missing middle projects, e.g., financing, code,
materials, etc.; consider partnerships with developers and
partners to address barriers and build support for diverse,
innovative, and efficient housing options.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Diversity housing
options/ Increase housing choice
Lead Entity: Builders/Developers, City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers,
Financial Institutions, Other Community
Partners
Next Steps: Convene developer working
group to assess barriers.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 45
Why Prioritized? Low cost strategy with potential to unlock
production of diverse, relatively affordable housing
options. Best practice approach to foster missing middle
options.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1, 2, 3, 7
16. Remove barriers to allowed densities through code
revisions (New). As noted in the 2020 LUC Audit, barriers
to fully realizing allowed densities include multifamily unit
number maximums, square footage thresholds for
secondary or non-residential buildings, and height
limitations that restrict the ability to maximize compact
sites using tuck-under parking. Such requirements should
be recalibrated or removed entirely. This is connected to
strategy 9 to approve the off-cycle appropriation for
phase one of the LUC audit.
Why Prioritized? Removes internal conflicts in land use
code; already identified as priority in LUC audit.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Diversity in housing
options/ Increase housing choice
Lead Entity: Builders/Developers, City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers
Next Steps: Housing-related elements will
be included in the off-cycle appropriation to
advance Phase One of the Land Use Code
(LUC) Audit
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1, 2, 3
Greatest Challenge 5: Housing is expensive to build, and the cost of building new housing will likely
continue to increase over time.
17. Reconsider affordable housing requirements/funding
as part of metro districts (Expand). The city is already
working on a specific recommendation for this strategy.
Why Prioritized? Low cost opportunity to integrate
affordable housing requirements as part of related efforts;
already prioritized by City and implementation underway.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Increase supply
affordable rental/owner housing
Lead Entity: City
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers,
Special Districts and Government Entities
Next Steps: Moratorium on Metro District
applications expires January 31. Council will
consider amendment to this policy in 2021.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 2, 4
18. Increase awareness & opportunities for creative
collaboration across water districts and other regional
partners around the challenges with water costs and
housing (Expand).
Why Prioritized? Water costs have a significant impact on
housing development cost; addressing water cost
challenges creates opportunity to improve affordability
and product diversity. Acknowledges regional nature
water impacts and seeks collaborative solutions; potential
for direct impact on sustainability and affordability.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Improve affordability
and housing diversity
Lead Entity: Water Districts, City Utilities
Impacted Players: Special Districts and
Government Entities, other partners
Next Steps: Study underway in 2021 to
identify challenges and opportunities of
multiple water providers in the GMA;
consider opportunities to expand scope to
broader region (e.g. Larimer County).
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 2
19. Bolster city land bank activity by allocating additional
funding to the program (contingent on adopting
additional revenue stream policy) (Expand). Begin with
inventory and feasibility of publicly owned land in city
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Increase/monitor
effectiveness of all strategies
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 46
limits and growth management area. Also consider
underutilized commercial properties that could be used for
affordable housing. Continue effective disposition of
existing parcels to affordable housing developers and land
trust partners.
Why Prioritized? Leverages success of current program to
increase its impact with additional resources allocation.
High impact strategy that helps City reach affordability
target.
Impacted Players: Builders/Developers
Next Steps: Identify funding potential;
identify strategic parcels for acquisition.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1, 3
Greatest Challenge 7: Housing policies have not consistently addressed housing stability and healthy
housing, especially for people who rent.
20. Explore the option of a mandated rental
license/registry program for long-term rentals and pair
with best practice rental regulations (New). Having a
rental registration or license program, in which landlords
are required to either register or obtain a license from the
city, makes it easier to implement and enforce a variety of
renter protections, promote best practices to landlords,
and identify problem landlords, as well as establish
specific housing quality and performance standards.
Specific efforts promoted through such programs include
landlord education (Fair Housing or other), standardized
lease agreements in English and Spanish, reasonable
application fee requirements, a more defined path for
conflict resolution, and health and safety rental
inspections. Can include a modest fee to cover program
cost, e.g., recent research suggests these fees range from
approximately $0 to $110/unit, though fee frequency,
determination, etc. varies by jurisdiction. This is
connected to strategy 26 Small Landlord Incentives.
Why Prioritized? Best practice, high impact, low cost
strategy that lays critical groundwork for future efforts
related to advancing vision and goal.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Improve renter
protections, housing quality, and landlord
access to information
Lead Entity: Landlords, Community, City
Impacted Players: Landlords, Manufactured
Housing Neighborhoods, Homeowners,
Renters, People Experiencing Homelessness
Historically disadvantaged populations,
Residents vulnerable to displacement
Next Steps: Form internal task force to
review best practice research on program
design; develop a proposal for policy and
community engagement.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: N/A
21. Explore revisions to occupancy limits and family
definitions (Expand). Occupancy limits and narrow family
definitions often create unintended constraints on housing
choice and options, including cooperative housing
opportunities for seniors and people with disabilities or
low-income renters desiring to live with unrelated adults in
a single family home setting. Occupancy limits can also
pose fair housing liabilities to the extent that they have a
disparate impact on people with disabilities. Current best
practices allow up to 8 unrelated or base occupancy on
building code requirements instead of family definitions.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Diversify housing
options/increase housing choice
Lead Entity: Community, City
Impacted Players: Homeowners, Renters,
People Experiencing Homelessness,
Historically disadvantaged populations,
Residents vulnerable to displacement
Next Steps: Form an internal task force to
develop a proposal for policy and
community engagement.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 47
Occupancy limits do not always have a direct relationship
to neighborhood livability, and there may be a better way
to address livability concerns.
Why Prioritized? Best practice, both in regard to increasing
housing choice and avoiding fair housing violations
(disparate impact claims).
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1,2,5,6
22. Public Sector Right of First Refusal for Affordable
Developments (New). Typically requires owners of
affordable housing to notify the public sector of intent to
sell or redevelop property and allow period of potential
purchase by public sector or non-profit partner.
Why Prioritized? High impact preservation strategy; does
not require substantial financial resources from the city if
structured to defer rights to non-profits.
Timeframe: Transitional (1-2 years)
Expected Outcome: Stabilize current supply
of affordable rental housing
Lead Entity: Partners, City
Impacted Players: Landlords,
Builders/Developers, Special Districts and
Government Entities, Residents vulnerable
to displacement
Next Steps: Review peer city policies; draft
and institute requirement and monitoring
process.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1
23. Tenant right of first refusal for cooperative ownership
of multifamily or manufactured housing community
(New). Laws that give tenants the right to purchase a rental
unit or complex (including a manufactured housing
community) before the owner puts it on the market or
accepts an offer from another potential buyer. Laws
typically allow residents to assign their “right of first
refusal” to other entities, such as nonprofit partners that
help the residents form a limited equity cooperative, or
affordable housing providers that agree to maintain the
property as affordable rental housing for a set period of
time. Note that this provision already exists for
manufactured housing communities under the Colorado
Mobile Home Park Residents Opportunity to Purchase
(HB20-1201 passed in June 2020).
Why Prioritized? Expands housing choice, leverages
existing housing stock, and extends good policy (i.e.,
Mobile Home Park Residents Opportunity to Purchase) to
additional contexts such as multifamily tenants.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Increase stability and
housing option for renters and
manufactured housing residents
Lead Entity: Residents, Partners
Impacted Players: Manufactured Housing
Neighborhoods, Renters, Residents
vulnerable to displacement, other partners
Next Steps: Review similar policies and
consider policy options.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1
24. Support community organizing efforts in
manufactured home communities and increase access to
resident rights information, housing resources, and
housing programs (Expand). Continue and expand existing
efforts to work with residents and nonprofit community
partners to address the critical need for programs focused
on manufactured housing livability and safety, reduction of
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Increase stability and
housing option for renters and
manufactured housing residents
Lead Entity: Manufactured Housing
Neighborhoods, City
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 48
the fear of retaliation for residents, preservation of these
as an affordable housing option, and equitable access to
City resources in historically underserved neighborhoods
and populations.
Why Prioritized? Direct and significant impact to uniquely
vulnerable communities; fosters health, stability, and
equity; aligns with existing efforts and priorities related to
manufactured home community stabilization.
Impacted Players: HOA’s Landlords,
Manufactured Housing Neighborhoods,
Homeowners, Renters, Historically
disadvantaged populations, Residents
vulnerable to displacement
Next Steps: Continue work with existing
partners and evaluate options for additional
funding/support.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1
25. Foreclosure and eviction prevention and legal
representation (Expand). Housing counseling generally
takes the form of providing assistance with mortgage debt
restructuring and mortgage and/or utilities payments to
avoid foreclosure; short-term emergency rent and utilities
assistance for renters. Cities often partner with local
nonprofits experienced in foreclosure counseling.
Landlord-tenant mediation is similar but generally
conducted by local Legal Aid for more involved disputes
between the landlord and tenant. CARES Act funding is
currently dedicated to a legal defense fund for renters but
additional resources are necessary to carry this strategy
beyond the duration that CARES resources allow.
Why Prioritized? High impact, best practice strategy;
leverages success of existing program; addresses acute
needs exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
(and related levels of unemployment). Already identified
as Ad Hoc Committee priority.
Timeframe: Quicker Win (<1 year)
Expected Outcome: Increase stability for
vulnerable renters and owners
Lead Entity: Partners
Impacted Players: Manufactured Housing
Neighborhoods, Homeowners, Renters,
People Experiencing Homelessness
Historically disadvantaged populations,
Residents vulnerable to displacement, other
partners
Next Steps: Allocate additional funding to
Legal Defense Fund.
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 1, 6
26. Small landlord incentives (New). Public sector
incentives that encourage small landlords to keep units
affordable for a period of time in exchange for subsidized
rehabilitation or tax or fee waivers. Requires identification
of properties through rental registration. Could also be
applied to current vacation rentals for conversion to longer
term permanent rentals. This is connected to strategy 20
Renter Regulations and/or Registry.
Why Prioritized? Potential for high impact on preservation
and condition; extends incentives to existing housing stock
(as opposed to just new development), unlocking
additional affordable potential.
Timeframe: Transformational (2+ years)
Expected Outcome: Increases affordable
rental housing (converts naturally occurring
affordable into income restricted
affordable) and improves condition.
Lead Entity: Landlords, City
Impacted Players: Landlords, Renters,
Residents vulnerable to displacement
Next Steps: Research similar policies and
evaluate feasibility of incentive options
(subsidies, fee waiver, etc.). Note: Requires
implementation rental registration strategy
(to identify landlords)
Secondary Greatest Challenges: 2
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 49
Recognizing That There Continue to Be Additional Ongoing Efforts, The Plan Is Also Aligned to The
Following Related Efforts:
Continue the City's ongoing efforts to implement recommendations from current housing-related studies
and other City efforts:
a. 2020 Land Use Code Audit Recommendations
b. 2020 Analysis of Fair Housing Choice Action Steps
c. Homeward 2020
d. 2015-2019 Affordable Housing Strategic Plan
This includes continuing to prioritize direct funding to the lowest-income residents. This also includes
strategies from the prior housing plan to: Increase the inventory of affordable rental units; preserve the
long-term affordability and physical condition of existing affordable housing; Increase housing and
associated supportive services for people with special needs; and Support opportunities to obtain and
sustain affordable homeownership.
Why Prioritized? High priority actions led by housing providers and others continue to be needed to drive
forward the 10% affordable housing goal
Continue to align housing work with prior Affordable Housing Strategic Plan and other departmental
plans and programs to leverage more funding resources and achieve citywide goals that advance the
triple bottom line of economic, environmental, and social sustainability (could include citywide
disparity study).
Why Prioritized? Aligns with the City’s commitment to the triple bottom line and centering this work in
equity
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 50
IMPLEMENTATION
Housing and shelter are fundamental community needs. This plan recognizes that achieving the vision of
“Everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford,” requires contributions from the entire
community. This work also acknowledges that no single community in the United States has solved this
issue; therefore, we will need to be in a continual testing mode to assess which strategies can work, pilot
them where appropriate, and then bring the viable solutions to scale. Adapting to changing conditions –
both within the broader market and the community – will be critical as we proceed in the decades it will
take to reach the vision.
Based on these assumptions and this plan’s commitment to being
centered in equity, the following framework is offered as a
starting point for how to lead this work into the future:
• Immediate next steps as we transition from planning to
implementation in 2021;
• A biannual lifecycle for assessing progress, revisiting
priorities, checking in with the community and with City
leadership; and
• Guiding principles for future decision making
The following sections describe each of these elements in more
detail.
IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS IN 2021
The final step in the planning process is just the beginning of the work to ensure that everyone has stable,
healthy housing they can afford. Implementation is when community, Council and staff will transition
from “what” to “how” we achieve this vision. The following elements are key next steps:
• Community Summit (Spring): To support moving from the plan to implementation, staff is working
with Home2Health partners to design a community summit that will focus on mapping out
implementation of the prioritized strategies in the Plan. More details on this summit will be
available at www.fcgov.com/housing.
• Implementation Plan Development (Spring/Summer): With the community summit complete,
staff and community partners will develop specific implementation plans. These plans will include
metrics and indicators to evaluate progress; an explanation of how projects will ensure
accountability and embed equity for all, leading with race; and clarification about specific roles
required to implement the prioritized strategies.
o To align with Strategy 10 to Refine the Affordable Housing Goal, the implementation plan will
include more specific subgoals to achieve the vision.
• Council Work Session (Summer 2021): After the Community Summit, staff will present the
outcome of the Summit and a roadmap for implementation and ongoing tracking to City Council
in a Work Session.
As noted on page 10, centering this work in
equity includes both process and
outcomes:
Equity in process: Ensuring everyone has
meaningful opportunities to engage and
provide input into the Housing Strategic
Plan process.
Equity in outcomes: Everyone has healthy,
stable housing they can afford.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 51
As noted above, implementation plans will be finalized this summer with specific metrics and indicators
for success. Though additional indicators may be identified for specific projects, the indicators below
should be used to guide the development of all implementation plans. These indicators specifically
address equity in process and outcomes and are intended to ensure continued transparency and
accountability as strategies are implemented.
Indicator Area Indicator
Equitable
Process
• Evaluate engagement in ongoing programs, processes, and services by income
and race
• Allocate resources in project budgets to achieve equity in process, e.g.,
language justice and compensation for community members’ time and
expertise
• Consistently provide language justice and access to interpreters/translators at
City events and in materials and programs, especially in Spanish and consider
other languages
• Consistently provide childcare and other resources to remove engagement
barriers for all community members
• Develop and apply a consistent approach to embedding equity in
implementation
Equitable
Outcomes
• Affordable housing inventory
• Fort Collins' Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) compared to western states
region HOI
• Housing stock in comparison to income levels (will be refined with the
subgoal development addressed in Strategy 10)
• Homeownership rates, disaggregated by race and income
• Accessible units
• Distribution of affordable housing throughout the city
• Percentage of cost-burdened homes (renters and owners)
• Jobs/housing balance
• Long-term homeless exits and entries
• Level of funding dedicated to affordable housing
BIANNUAL PLANNING LIFECYCLE
As noted above, this work will be ongoing for decades. The steps below illustrate how the City will assess
progress and move forward to implementation on a biannual basis.
1. Assess Progress: Work with community members, including community partners, stakeholders,
and historically underrepresented groups, to measure progress against established metrics. What
is working? What could be improved? What did not work? Who benefitted and who was
burdened?
2. Revisit Priorities: As noted above, the housing market and system will always be evolving, and
community priorities should evolve with these changes. Based on iterative assessment, revisit the
full strategy list. Ask if new strategies should be considered. With community partners and
stakeholders, apply the guiding principles to consider annual priorities and work plans.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 52
3. Confirm Priorities: Create space for community members and City leadership to confirm priorities
and assess if others should be considered. Note tensions and opportunities as they arise,
especially from groups impacted by strategies, that should be considered in implementation.
4. Annual Design Summit: Continue efforts to partner with community members to co-create
annual work plans with community partners, stakeholders, and City staff. Create new metrics to
assess progress, as applicable, for new priorities.
Note that these steps should be viewed as a starting point for checking in every two years – they will
evolve over time as the City and community increase their experience in equity-centered planning and
implementation.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
To support this work moving toward implementation, the plan includes a set of guiding principles to
document how decisions will be made moving forward. They will support future strategy selection and
overall prioritization to determine annual work planning. While the strategies may be updated or changed
on an annual basis, the guiding principles will continue throughout the lifecycle of this plan.
Why have guiding principles? Guiding principles recognize that the prioritization of strategies will
continue to evolve as different strategies are tested, evaluated, and adapted. In addition, new strategies
will arise and ideas we initially prioritize may not have the intended impact upon further analysis. Finally,
Fort Collins’ work on housing is bigger than one person, one entity, or any one project, and transparently
documenting how decisions will be made going forward is critical for ongoing accountability.
When will the guiding principles be applied? These principles will largely be a tool for overall
prioritization of strategies in any given year. While individual strategies will continue to be assessed
against the evaluation criteria, the guiding principles will support a holistic approach to evaluating overall
priorities for the housing system.
How will the guiding principles be applied? In the biannual planning lifecycle, principles will be applied
with the community, and reviewed by decision makers, to establish the priorities at each design summit.
Housing Strategic Plan | Draft Plan 53
Draft Guiding Principles for the Housing Strategic Plan:
Guiding Principles What the Principle Means
Center the work in
people
• One outcome, targeted strategies – achieving the vision that “Everyone has
healthy, stable housing they can afford,” will require a suite of strategies
that target different income levels, geographies, and identities; the
portfolio should reflect the entire system of impacted players
• Value in both content & context experts – strategies should be prioritized
from technical and lived experiences. Both forms of expertise should
contribute to prioritization.
Be Agile and
Adaptive
• Priorities should be reviewed annually for progress and overall work
planning
• Priorities and strategies must be specific enough to generate real solutions
and flexible enough to address the changing landscape of the community
Balance rapid
decision making with
inclusive
communication and
engagement
• Be clear that the work requires action while also prioritizing time and
space for all community members, especially those impacted by the
decisions, to engage with and influence the outcome
Build on existing
plans and policies –
and their
engagement
• Review adopted plans and policies for informing policy priorities
• Also review the feedback community members have already shared on a
topic before asking again – respect their time and prior engagement
• Identify opportunities to complement and amplify existing goals, priorities,
and where strategies can advance the triple bottom line
Expect and label
tensions,
opportunities, and
tradeoffs
• Recognize and name where limited resources impacted decision making,
where stakeholders are impacted differently and had different
perspectives, and the tradeoffs in moving forward with a given solution
Focus direct
investment on the
lowest income levels
• Limited financial resources must be targeted for housing the lowest income
households. Policy should be used all along the continuum to stimulate a
wide range of housing choice for residents at all ages, income levels and
life stages.
• Exceptions can include when an innovative technique or strategy is being
applied at higher AMI levels but generally should not exceed 120% AMI
Commit to
transparency in
decision making
• Be clear regarding how the decision maker came to their conclusions and
what was/was not considered.
Make decisions for
impact,
empowerment, and
systems (not ease of
implementation)
• Strategies should be prioritized for outcomes, not necessarily ease of
implementation. However, where high impact and ease of implementation
overlap, swift action should be taken to move these efforts forward.
• Strategies that advance multiple priorities and the triple bottom line
should be prioritized
• Assess the entire portfolio of prioritized strategies for a mix of quick wins
versus longer-term transformational solutions that may require more
dialogue and investment to implement
Social Sustainability
222 Laporte Ave.
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6758
MEMORANDUM
DATE: December 11, 2020
TO: Mayor and City Council
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Affordable Housing Executive Team1
FROM: Lindsay Ex, Interim Housing Manager
Meaghan Overton, Senior City Planner
RE: December 8, 2020 Work Session Summary: Housing Strategic Plan Update
The purpose of this item was to provide a Housing Strategic Plan update, including a summary of
fall community engagement, strategy identification, draft evaluation criteria, and consideration of an
off-cycle appropriation to initiate the first phase of updating the City’s Land Use Code. All
Councilmembers were present virtually and offered the following feedback:
Community engagement
x Appreciation for engagement process, initial findings, number of residents engaged, and
staff efforts to reach out to historically underrepresented groups, especially in the context of
the ongoing pandemic.
x Encouragement also to engage proactively with neighborhood groups and homeowner’s
associations as strategies are prioritized, including Land Use Code changes.
Strategy Identification
x Support for the approach to strategy identification and breadth of strategies considered
x Interest in prioritizing strategies
x Recognition that multiple strategies and levers will need to be pulled to make progress –
there is not a single solution that will achieve the vision
x Identification of a need to consider solutions that incorporate all kinds of neighborhoods,
with and without formal Homeowners’ Association (HOA) structures.
x Desire in both strategies and prioritization to think about how we respond to the present
while also “future proofing” to stay agile over time
Evaluation Criteria
x Desire to look at both near-term actions and transformational changes
x Support for evaluation criteria approach
Off-Cycle Appropriation to Advance the First Phase of the Land Use Code (LUC) Audit, with an
emphasis on housing-related updates
x Overall support for bringing the off-cycle appropriation forward in Q1 of 2021;
x Aligns with how ad hoc committee has been focusing on near term actions.
1 Jackie Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer; Theresa Connor, Utilities Executive Director; Caryn Champine,
Planning, Development, and Transportation (PDT) Director; Julie Brewen, Housing Catalyst Executive Director;
Dave Lenz, Finance Planning and Analysis Director; Beth Sowder, Social Sustainability Director
ATTACHMENT 2
2
x Desire to respond to current needs, identify what and where affordable housing incentives
can be expanded or improved, modernize code, and create a flexible approach to future
development, e.g., energy-efficient and innovative building techniques, aligning housing
strategies with transportation needs, etc.
x Councilmembers expressed interest in a more detailed scope of work; this scope will be
provided in the materials for the January 26 Work Session and will include what this first
phase of LUC changes will achieve as well as a proposed date for First Reading of an
appropriation ordinance.
Overall Feedback – Continue Planning and Doing at the Same Time:
x Support to continue the plan and taking action at the same time, and recognition of the
importance for the plan to include prioritized action steps. The housing needs in our
community are urgent and require both planning for the future and strategic action now.
x Recognition of the action Council has already taken to achieve their priority of Affordable
Achievable Housing strategies, including the following:
o Supported preservation of manufactured home communities (MHC) by establishing
a specific MHC zone district;
o Increasing residents’ rights in MHC;
o Improving the fee credit process for affordable housing projects;
o Evaluating the City’s metro district policy, which includes a component on affordable
housing; and
o Establishing a legal defense fund via CARES-CVRF resources to support residents
at-risk of eviction.
x Additional quick wins, as identified, may be brought forward at the January Work Session.
Next Steps
x Staff will host a series of strategy evaluation workshops in December and January.
x A public draft of the Housing Strategic Plan will be published January 7, with a public
comment period January 7-21, 2021.
x At the January 26 Work Session, staff will share the outcomes of initial strategy
prioritization, draft plan indicators & guiding principles, finalized scope for LUC updates, and
additional quick(er) wins as identified by the Ad Hoc Committee.
x Council will consider adopting the Housing Strategic Plan on February 16 (first reading).
January 1, 2021
HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN FALL 2020 ENGAGEMENT REPORT
Prepared by Cactus Consulting, LLC in partnership with the Home2Health team Executive Summary The City is updating the Housing Strategic Plan. This plan sets housing goals and guides City decisions on policy and funding for the housing system. While previous plans have focused on income-qualified Affordable Housing, this update to the Housing Strategic Plan will address the entire spectrum of housing needs in our community. The draft vision – Everyone has stable, healthy housing they can afford – reflects this shift. In October and November of 2020, nearly 450 community members took the time to share their experiences, provide feedback, and brainstorm solutions to the housing challenges in Fort Collins. This report sums up this early community feedback. Participants highlighted five priorities—Stability, Equity, Choice, Collaboration, and Creativity. Within each priority are suggested strategies for the City, nonprofits, developers, and community members. The report ends with next steps, including important community conversations around density and home ownership and recommendations from the community on how to evaluate strategies and center equity in decision-making. The Process In preparation for updating the Housing Strategic Plan, the City of Fort Collins reviewed local housing data and community feedback gathered through the Home2Health project. As a result, the City identified six key challenges related to housing: 1. Price escalation impacts everyone, and disproportionately impacts BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and People of Color] and low-income households. 2. There aren’t enough affordable places available for people to rent or purchase, or what is available and affordable isn’t the kind of housing people need. 3. The City does have some tools to encourage affordable housing, but the current amount of funding and incentives for affordable housing are not enough to meet our goals. 4. Housing is expensive to build, and the cost of building new housing will likely continue to increase over time. 5. It is difficult to predict the lasting effects of COVID-19 and the impacts of the pandemic. 6. Housing policies have not consistently addressed housing stability and healthy housing, especially for people who rent. These challenges were later updated and expanded to include a specific mention of the imbalance between job growth and housing growth. The updated list of challenges is available in the Housing Strategic Plan.
ATTACHMENT 3
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The Housing Strategic Plan team designed safe and accessible engagement opportunities to gather feedback on the challenges and ideas for overcoming them. This included Community Guide discussions, in-person (distanced and masked) focus groups, virtual workshops, and an “At-Your-Own Pace” online survey. The goals for engagement were: 1) To provide safe, flexible opportunities for all community members to participate. 2) To close persistent engagement gaps, including under-engagement of Spanish-speaking residents, renters, and residents who make less than $50,000/year. To this end, workshops and surveys, which traditionally result in more responses from women, older adults, and higher income households, were combined with outreach to specific stakeholders and community groups. The City partnered with the Mi Voz community group to discuss housing with 38 Spanish-speaking residents, many of whom reside in mobile home parks. The Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities hosted conversations with older adults and mobile home park residents. The Center for Public Deliberation hosted conversations that targeted residents under 30, and those making less than the median income. Additional engagement with neighborhood groups, including homeowners’ associations, was identified as an opportunity for growth in future engagement opportunities in this plan. Overall, staff and community partners facilitated 37 different engagement opportunities. This included four events facilitated by the Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities (PAFC) and eight by the Center for Public Deliberation (CPD). Through these approaches, the City was able to gather feedback from around 450 participants in October and November of 2020. Demographic data was not analyzed because it was optional and may not provide a full picture of participation. Participants were asked six questions related to current housing challenges in Fort Collins, the housing vision, and their ideas for achieving it. The six questions were: 1. Based on your experience, do these challenges reflect what you know about housing in Fort Collins? 2. How do these challenges affect you and our community more broadly? 3. What needs to change to address these challenges? 4. Who has the ability to make the change needed? 5. What do you wish decision makers understood about your experience with housing?
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6. How would you like to engage in this project in the future? Though the responses to these questions provided rich information on community experiences and ideas related to housing, it is important to note that this report is also built on the shoulders of many engagement efforts conducted over the past two years, including City Plan, Our Climate Future, and the Home2Health project. Community members have consistently talked about the importance of affordable housing to a healthy environment, an equitable community, and to the physical and mental health of individuals. Prior to analyzing responses from this year’s engagement efforts, we revisited the findings, and data from recent surveys and analysis (including the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis and the Larimer County Community Health Survey) to ground our work. The following community priorities reflect the collective engagement of hundreds of community members who shared their time, energy, and experiences. Community Priorities Community members generally felt that the housing challenges reflected the experience of housing in Fort Collins. Some shared personal stories of their struggle to afford healthy, stable housing. As one person shared,
While organizations like the City may express goals in number of affordable housing units available or number of dollars allocated to emergency rent relief, community members described their goals for housing in very different ways—in the ability to feel secure in their homes, in the ability to choose a home with the amenities that they want and need, and in the ability to rely on their community to work towards a better future for all. Participants suggested a variety of strategies to overcome housing challenges and help everyone in Fort Collins have healthy, stable housing they can afford. These strategies are grouped into five priority areas: 1. Stability. The cost of housing is a major source of stress and instability for many households. People want options for stable rentals and home ownership. 2. Equity. Folks want a diverse community where equity guides how we fund, build, and manage housing. 3. Choice. People recognized that different households have different housing needs. They prioritized having options for the types of housing they rent or buy. This calls for increasing the total supply of housing, revamping the housing we have, and improving access to amenities like public transportation and parks. 4. Collaboration. Housing is a complex problem, and no one organization can do it alone. Community members want the City to take the lead, but also want the community and local organizations to step up and be part of the solution. 5. Creativity. People want new and innovative solutions. They want the City and the community to be willing to do things differently.
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It is important to note that the community priorities are not listed in order of importance to the community, and many of the strategies and recommendations overlap.
Stability
The cost of housing is a major source of stress and instability for many households. People want
options for stable rentals and home ownership.
Community Recommendations: Advocate for limits on rent prices and/or annual rent increases ⧫ Explore rental licensing to promote safe and healthy housing ⧫ Preserve manufactured housing communities ⧫ Explore opportunities for resident-owned manufactured housing communities ⧫ Explore opportunities to limit fees associated with housing ⧫ Bolster nonprofits providing “housing first” models of support ⧫ Provide emergency gap funding to prevent eviction
What we heard: The cost of housing was described as a major source of stress and instability for households in Fort Collins. People recognized that easing the cost burden of housing could have a transformational impact on an individual’s mental and physical health, among other things, and praised nonprofit organizations pursuing a “housing first” model in the community. They stressed the importance of gap funding for emergency rent relief to prevent eviction and displacement. Participants expressed frustration that landlords could set and increase prices without any oversight, and suggested regulations at the state or local level that would limit maximum rent prices, reduce extra fees, and/or limit maximum annual increases. Many also recognized that low wages were a barrier to affordability and called on employers to increase wages. People also shared negative experiences with landlords who did not maintain their homes. Some were afraid that asking landlords to maintain homes would invite retaliation or lead to rent increases, putting their housing at risk. A rental registration or licensing program was suggested to put housing protections in place and ensure housing is safe and healthy. Residents of manufactured housing communities discussed the need for park preservation, and the desire to work towards more resident control and ownership of communities. Many owners of manufactured housing discussed struggling with costs despite owning their home because of perpetual increases in lot rent, costly utility bills, and frequent fees. Similarly, some participants expressed concern about the monthly fees from HOAs, condominium associations, and metro districts inflating the cost of home ownership.
Guidance for the Housing Strategic Plan: These comments align with community feedback from the Larimer County Community Health Survey and the Home2Health project regarding the central role of housing stability for individual and community well-being. Though many responses suggested home ownership as the preferred source of stability, some community members defined stability in a different way. The Housing Strategic Plan
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should discuss how each strategy could create pathways to stability for residents, whether that be long-term, stable rentals, cooperative housing, or home ownership.
Equity
Folks want a diverse community where equity guides how we fund, build, and manage housing.
Community Recommendations: Focus financial support on lowest income residents ⧫ Increase equity in existing programs and services ⧫ Bolster nonprofits providing supportive housing services ⧫ Combat stigmas associated with affordable housing ⧫ Consult with BIPOC and low-income households on housing policy and programs
What we heard: Though community members discussed and defined equity in different ways, most emphasized the importance of focusing efforts on those who are most affected by the current housing challenges, including BIPOC households, low-income households, people with disabilities, and seniors. While some participants were concerned that specifically discussing challenges for BIPOC households was outside the scope of this plan, most comments expressed a need for more inclusive programs and practices to combat ongoing discrimination and historic inequalities. In general, folks recognized that current funding levels were not adequate to meet the housing needs in our community, and discussed the importance of balancing the very immediate need to keep people’s housing stable with the longer-term need to fund the housing options people want and need in our community. In general, community members prioritized “gap funds” to help households make ends meet and subsidized housing for low-income households over financial assistance to middle-income earners. People discussed the importance of creating specialized support systems so folks can find and keep homes. Participants praised the hard work of nonprofits in this arena and expressed support for bolstering funding and expanding services to meet the needs of seniors, seniors raising grandchildren, immigrant and refugee families, and people who were previously incarcerated. Participants discussed the importance of continuing to consult with BIPOC and low-income households as decisions about housing are being made. As one person stated,
Finally, a few community members shared personal experiences of feeling unwelcome in the community because of race, ethnicity, and/or income status. As one participant shared,
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Community conversations may be needed to break stigmas around affordable housing and promote equity and inclusion in Fort Collins’ neighborhoods.
Guidance for the Housing Strategic Plan: These comments align with previous feedback from the Home2Health project and the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis on the disproportionate impact of housing challenges on BIPOC and low-income households. The Housing Strategic Plan should consider how their decisions can support equitable outcomes (going beyond the traditional focus on equitable opportunities). In addition, the Housing Strategic Plan should include clear opportunities for consultation with BIPOC and low-income households and community conversations around equity in housing.
Choice
People recognized that different households have different housing needs. They prioritized having
options for the types of housing they rent or buy. This calls both for increasing the total supply of
housing, and changing the types of housing we are creating.
Community Recommendations: Remove or relax occupancy restrictions ⧫ Explore new housing types, including tiny homes and cooperative housing ⧫ Build more duplexes and small multifamily units ⧫ Ensure all neighborhoods have access to amenities ⧫ Remove or relax regulations that limit creative reuse of existing homes.
What we heard: Many community members expressed frustration with the lack of housing choices currently available, especially for low- and middle-income earners. As one participant shared,
People called for building more housing and revamping the housing Fort Collins has to offer. Community members emphasized the need to build new housing options that people can afford on a typical salary, rather than “luxury” homes or apartments. Some also expressed a desire for options that go beyond the “traditional” large single-family home, including more duplexes, small multi-family developments, and tiny houses. Community members highlighted that the goal should be to increase options—not to expect that every low-income household should live in an apartment building. People stressed the importance of being able to access the amenities that were important to them. Some mentioned the value of having access to a personal yard or garden. Many advocated for improved community amenities in all neighborhoods, including parks, open space, and public transportation. Many participants also saw zoning and occupancy restrictions as a significant barrier to having enough housing, and to having housing that is affordable for all residents. Many supported repealing or modifying “U+2”, which limits the number of unrelated people who can live in a house. This was seen as a potential benefit
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for people of all ages living on single incomes, and an opportunity to “free up” additional homes for rental or purchase. Some participants acknowledged concerns around noise or parking that can come with higher occupancy levels, but many felt that the rule was unfairly limiting the housing choices of the larger community to prevent problems caused by a small group. Community members also suggested relaxing some restrictions in the Land Use Code to make it easier for homeowners and developers to renovate homes and set up living arrangements that work for modern households. Ideas included making it easier to add Accessory Dwelling Units (carriage houses, in-law apartments, etc.), convert single-family houses into duplexes, and set up cooperative housing. In addition to increasing available housing units, duplexes and Accessory Dwelling Units in particular were seen as a benefit for extended families who could pool resources to purchase a home, and adults for caring for aging parents. Finally, there was a perception among participants that “investment buyers” were unfairly driving up prices and reducing opportunities for home ownership by buying homes to rent out. As one participant shared,
Community members expressed frustration that first-time homebuyers were “competing” with purchasers looking for a source of income rather than a place to call home. Some community members suggested limiting the ability of investors to purchase homes, though there was recognition that this would pose a serious challenge. Additional conversations will be necessary to understand the impact of investment buying on the community and discuss opportunities to support first-time homebuyers.
Guidance for the Housing Strategic Plan: These comments align with previous feedback from City Plan engagement on relaxing occupancy ordinances and Land Use Code restrictions to allow for more housing choices. The Housing Strategic Plan should discuss how each strategy can increase the housing choices available in our community. In addition, continued conversations are needed on the right balance between encouraging homeownership and providing enough rental options.
Collaboration
Folks recognized that a challenge like housing requires community-wide action. Many of the ideas for
addressing housing challenges would require changes to local or statewide policies. However,
responses also highlighted the importance of bringing in nonprofits, developers, and local employers.
Community Recommendations: Incentivize developers to build affordable housing ⧫ Relax restrictions in the Land Use Code to make it easier for developers to build new homes ⧫ Collaborate with large employers on housing ⧫ Partner with nonprofits to provide specialized support ⧫ Build community-wide support for doing things differently
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What we heard: Though many of the recommendations were City policies or programs, community feedback highlighted the importance of collaboration to reaching Fort Collins’ vision for housing. People shared strategies that would encourage developers to build more affordable, diverse types of housing, including waiving fees or providing other financial incentives, and relaxing requirements in the Land Use Code on density (or the number of houses in an area), building height, and parking. Some also suggested placing requirements on builders and developers to provide some affordable housing in all new developers. There was some support for City-led development of subsidized housing or “tiny home” sites, but largely folks did not see the City as a major supplier or manager of affordable housing. People recognized the work of nonprofits to provide housing and supportive services to vulnerable populations, and called for increased collaboration and support for these existing programs. Some also called on local employers to take a larger role in housing policy and provision. In addition to calling for higher wages, folks suggested that large employers should take a greater responsibility for helping their employees find healthy, stable housing. One suggestion was for the City to incentivize employers who provide housing or housing stipends to their employees. Finally, people recognized the need for public awareness and education to build community-wide support for doing things differently. Community members want increased public awareness around the true size, scope, and impact of housing challenges on our community. Some expressed concern that current homeowners may resist changes that they see as a threat to their wealth and livelihood (for example, allowing more homes and occupants in their neighborhood).
Guidance for the Housing Strategic Plan: These comments align with past feedback from City Plan, Our Climate Future, Home2Health, and the Larimer County Community Health Survey on the importance of recognizing and leveraging the connections between housing and other important community priorities. Continued collaboration and dialogue will be essential to understanding the needs and the true community costs and benefits of any potential actions. The Housing Strategic Plan should discuss opportunities to leverage the skills and resources of our entire community, including community members, nonprofits, developers, and local employers.
Creativity
People want new and innovative solutions. They want the City and the community to be willing to do
things differently.
Recommendations: Explore opportunities for creative reuse of buildings ⧫ Seek out innovative ideas from the community and peer cities
What we heard: Fort Collins is a city known for innovation. Community members highlighted that they valued the spirit of innovation and creativity in the City’s approach to housing. Though many recognized that the largest and most impactful solutions were likely to be more traditional strategies—things like changing the Land Use Code and offering incentives to developers—people also wanted to see new and creative ways to provide housing. Some
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suggestions included turning hotels into group homes and instituting “housing swaps” between older individuals looking to downsize and live in more accessible homes and younger people looking for more space. The City should continue to seek out innovative ideas from within the community, and from peer cities moving forward.
Guidance for the Housing Strategic Plan: Though it can be difficult to commit resources and times to ideas that may end up being less impactful, the Housing Strategic Plan should discuss ways to pilot creative strategies for ensuring healthy, stable, affordable housing. Next Steps Community feedback identified five priorities for housing as the City adopts its new Housing Strategic Plan—Stability, Equity, Choice, Collaboration, and Creativity—along with a number of exciting and creative strategies that the City could use along the way. These community priorities and ideas have provided a starting point for the Housing Strategic Plan’s efforts. The following section outlines two important next steps.
Evaluate housing strategies with community priorities in mind The community has highlighted priorities for housing that build on prior feedback from the Home2Health project, City Plan, Our Climate Future, and more. As the City evaluates strategies, the following questions could help ensure that these community priorities are centered in decision-making: 1. Does this strategy increase the housing choices available for the community, particularly for vulnerable or traditionally under-resourced groups? 2. Does this strategy increase opportunities for housing stability for renters and homeowners? 3. Does this strategy leverage the resources and skills of our whole community? Incorporating these questions and centering community recommendations in any Housing Strategic Plan documents and decisions will be vital to achieving our housing vision.
Facilitate community conversations on “sticky” issues People recognized that changes in housing policy and programs have community-wide impact and require community-wide action. As one participant shared,
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Honest conversations about what is needed to achieve the vision—Everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford—will be vital to identifying the best path forward. Below, a few important topics are highlighted. Understanding and de-stigmatizing affordable housing Participants recognized that there are many misconceptions and fears around affordable housing. More conversations are needed to understand what affordable housing looks like in our community, and to promote acceptance and understanding between all people—no matter their income level or whether they rent or own their home. Balancing Density and Occupancy Many recognized that removing U+2 and/or increasing density in neighborhoods may be a challenging transition and could be unpopular with some homeowners. Some participants acknowledged concerns around noise or parking that can come with higher occupancy levels, but many felt that the rule was unfairly limiting the housing choices of the larger community to prevent problems caused by a small group. More conversations are needed to identify the root causes of occupancy concerns, and discuss potential alternatives. Balancing Options for Renting and Home Ownership There was a perception among participants that “investment buyers” were unfairly driving up prices and reducing opportunities for home ownership by buying homes to rent out. More data is still needed on the impact of investment buying in Fort Collins, and the right balance between promoting home ownership and supporting quality rental supply. Understanding the housing goals of the community, including what percentage prefer renting over home ownership, and the types of rentals and for-sale units that people would select, could help the City to better understand challenges and opportunities related to investment buying. Ultimately, additional conversations could reduce the perception of competition between renters and homeowners for housing. Conclusion The Fort Collins vision for housing – everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford -– is not currently a reality for everyone. Realizing this vision and overcoming the complex challenges of our housing system will require big, community-wide solutions. Overall, these responses suggest that the community is ready to do things differently. Centering both the five community priorities—Stability, Equity, Choice, Collaboration, and Creativity—and the ideas and feedback of low-income and BIPOC households will be essential to the continued efforts of the Housing Strategic Plan.
Phase 1 LUC Update: Appropriation Summary
Bottom Line: This summary outlines the proposed scope and budget for an off-cycle appropriation in
the amount of $250,000-$350,000 for Phase 1 of the Land Use Code (LUC) update. This appropriation
will enable Staff to draft critical LUC changes that will implement City Plan and the Land Use Code Audit,
implement the Housing Strategic Plan, and improve the housing system in Fort Collins.
Background: As recommended by the Ad Hoc Housing Committee at the November meeting and
supported by Council at a December 8 work session, staff is seeking an off-cycle appropriation to initiate
the housing-related LUC changes outlined in the Land Use Code Audit (2020) and prioritized in the draft
Housing Strategic Plan (adoption scheduled for February 2021). In concert with other efforts, changes to
the LUC have been identified as a high priority action to support the creation of new affordable homes
and increase housing variety.
Scope: Phase 1 of the LUC update will prioritize Housing-Related Changes and a Reorganization of the
Code. Specific examples are outlined below, and a detailed scope will be prepared as part of the RFP
process.
Housing-Related Changes:
• Define new housing types. Example: co-housing, ADU, cottage development, triplex
• Revise housing types permitted in each zone district. Example: allow duplexes in more/all zones
• Evaluate level of review for housing. Example: Basic Dev Review (BDR) for small multifamily
• Recalibrate Affordable Housing incentives. Example: density/height bonus, parking reductions
• Remove barriers to accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Example: allow attached ADUs
• Remove barriers to permitted densities. Example: remove limits on number of units per building
Code reorganization:
• Consolidate similar standards. Example: All design requirements for multifamily in one place
• Remove repetition, increase user-friendliness. Example: Uses in a table instead of a list
• Simplify language to improve clarity and consistency
Budget: This off-cycle appropriation of $250,000-$350,000 will be used to fund four required tasks to
successfully complete Phase 1 of the LUC update:
Task Est. Amount Description
Community engagement $10,000 - $20,000 Meetings, translation/interpretation, community
partner funding, data analysis
Analysis, modeling, best
practices
$40,000 - $70,000 Pro forma analysis, visualization, testing, economic
analysis, graphics and renderings, etc.
Legal Review
$60,000 - $90,000
Review of relevant case law and legal context for
proposed code changes
Code Drafting $140,000 - $175,000 Concept development and evaluation of
alternatives, writing and revising new LUC
language; collaborating across departments for
consistency with other regulations
Total estimated cost $250,000 - $350,000
ATTACHMENT 4
Phase 1 LUC Update: Appropriation Summary 2
City staff will lead this effort, supported by outside consultants to help balance daily work assignments
with the demands of this complex update to the LUC regulations.
Timeline: Phase 1 is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. Phase 2 of the LUC update is
anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.
Next Steps: First Reading of the appropriation has been scheduled for February 16, 2021 in conjunction
with consideration of adoption for the Housing Strategic Plan. If the appropriation is approved by
Council, Staff anticipates releasing an RFP for consultant support and beginning work in the second
quarter of 2021. To initiate Phase 2 of the Land Use Code update, staff will be preparing a BFO offer.
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Housing Strategic Plan Work Session
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Caryn Champine, Lindsay Ex, Meaghan Overton
January 26, 2020
ATTACHMENT 5
Questions for Consideration
2
What feedback do Councilmembers have on the following:
•Initial set of prioritized strategies?
•Draft guiding principles?
Do Councilmembers have any feedback on the quick(er) wins
identified to date?
CITY PLAN
•Principle LIV 5: Create more
opportunities for housing
choices
•Principle LIV 6: Improve
access to housing
…regardless of their race,
ethnicity, income, age, ability,
or background
Strategic Alignment
3
COUNCIL
PRIORITIES
•Affordable and Achievable
Housing Strategies
•Equity and Inclusion
•Reimagining Community
Engagement
STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES
Neighborhood Livability & Social
Health
•NLSH 1.1 Improve and
increase…housing…
affordable to a broad range of
income levels.
Step 8: Implement* (Spring +)
Step 7: Consider Adoption* (Feb/Mar)
Step 6: Prioritize Strategies* (Jan)
Step 5: Evaluate Strategies(Dec)
Step 4: ID Strategies, Criteria (Nov/Dec)
Step 3: Engage Community (Oct/Nov)
Step 2: Greatest Challenges (Sep)
Step 1: Vision (Aug)
Housing Strategic Plan Process
Progress to Date
50+Strategies Identified Thus Far
Consultant Support
Community
Engagement,
Priorities Peer Cities & Leading Authors Initial Set of Prioritized Strategies (26)
Evaluation Criteria
5
Identification, Evaluation,
and Prioritization Process
Step 4: ID Strategies,
Criteria
(Nov/Dec)
Step 5: Evaluate
Strategies
(Dec)
Step 6:
Prioritize
Strategies* (Jan)
•Findings in previous City reports
•Community engagement
•Ad Hoc Committee, stakeholder and staff input
•Best practices and peer cities
•Outcome:Initial set of 56 strategies shared at the December Work Session
•Tw o staff workshops to evaluate the 56 potential strategies
•Evaluated using the criteria of vision, equity, feasibility, cost and impact
•Outcome: Refined set of 26 strategies that meet the evaluation criteria
•Holding workshops and conversations to refine the list
•Council Work Session, Ad Hoc Committee, Home2Health Partners, Staff, Boards
and Commissions, Community
•Outcome: Final List of Priorities for the Ad option Draft
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Communicating the 26 Strategies
Brief Descriptions
Strategy Name, Description, Outcome, Alignment with
Community Recommendations, and Timeline
Detailed Descriptions
Strategy Name, Description, W hy Prioritized, Timeframe,
Outcomes, Lead Entity, Impacted Players, Next Steps,
Secondary Greatest Challenges
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Strategies by Timeline
Quicker Wins (<1 year)
1. *Assess displacement and gentrification risk (New)
4. Implementation, tracking and assessment of housing
strategies (Expand)
8.*Extend the City’s affordability term (Expand)
9. *Off-cycle appropriation to advance Phase One of the
Land Use Code (LUC) Audit (New)
10. Refine local affordable housing goal (Expand)
13.*Recalibrate existing incentives to reflect current
market conditions (Expand)
14. *Create additional development incentives for
affordable housing (New)
17. Reconsider affordable housing requirements/funding
as part of metro districts (Expand)
24.Support community organizing efforts in
manufactured home communities and increase
access to resident rights information, housing
resources, and housing programs (Expand)
25. *Foreclosure and eviction prevention and legal
representation (Expand)
Summary: 10 strategies (3 new, 7 expanded)
Key Outcomes:
Assess and evaluate current programs; Initiate Land Use Code work; Support stability and preservation
*Quick(er) wins identified by the Housing Ad Hoc Council Committee
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Strategies by Timeline
Tr ansitional Strategies (1-2 years)
5. Advocate for housing-related legislation at state and
federal levels (Expand)
7. Remove barriers to the development of Accessory
Development Units (Expand)
12.Expand partnership(s) with local Community
Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to offer gap
financing and low-cost loan pool for affordable
housing development (Expand)
15.Explore/address financing and other barriers to
missing middle and innovative housing development
(New)
16.Remove barriers to allowed densities through code
revisions (New)
18. Increase awareness & opportunities for creative
collaboration across water districts and other regional
partners around the challenges with water costs and
housing (Expand)
21. Explore revisions to occupancy limits and family
definitions (Expand)
22. Public Sector Right of First Refusal for Affordable
Developments (New)
Summary: 8 strategies (3 new, 5 expanded)
Key Outcomes:
Increase advocacy; Complete housing-related LUC changes; Develop new financing tools; Increase
collaboration around water; Revisit occupancy; Preserve existing affordable inventory
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Strategies by Timeline
Tr ansformational Strategies (2+ years)
2. Promote inclusivity, housing diversity, and affordability
as community values. (Expand)
3. Implement the 2020 Analysis of Fair Housing Choice
Action Steps (Expand)
6. Visitability policy (New)
11 . Create a new dedicated revenue stream to fund the
Affordable Housing Fund (Expand)
19.Bolster city land bank activity by allocating additional
funding to the program (contingent on adopting
additional revenue stream policy) (Expand)
20.Explore the option of a mandated rental
license/registry program for long-term rentals and pair
with best practice rental regulations (New)
23.Te nant right of first refusal for cooperative ownership
of multifamily or manufactured housing community
(New)
26.Small Landlord Incentives (New)
Summary: 8 strategies (4 new, 4 expanded)
Key Outcomes:
Promote community values; Increase accessibility of units and Fair Housing; Additional funding for housing;
Expand the land bank; Explore renter regulations & incentives; Preserve existing affordable inventory
Tr ansition to Implementation
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2021:
•Community Summit
•Implementation Plan
•Council Work Session this
Summer
Ongoing:
•Biannual Implementation
Process
•Guiding Principles for Overall
Prioritization
Draft Implementation Process (2-years)
2. Revisit
Priorities
3. Confirm
Priorities
1. Assess
Progress
4. Design
Summit
1
2
3
4
Draft Guiding Principles
•Center the work in people
•Be agile and adaptive
•Balance rapid decision making with inclusive
communication and engagement
•Build on existing plans and policies –and their
engagement
•Expect and label tensions, opportunities, and
tradeoffs
•Focus direct investment on the lowest income
levels
•Commit to transparency in decision making
•Make decisions for impact, empowerment, and
systems (not ease of implementation)
11
•Why:
•No one has solved this –stay in
testing & learning mode
•Ever changing environment
•Accountability & Transparency
•When: Applied biannually to
develop overall priorities
•Evaluation criteria à Individual
strategies
•Overall prioritiesà Guiding
Principles
•How: With community, reviewed
by decision makers, basis for
design summit
Ad Hoc Committee & Quicker Wins
12
Au gust: Overall Focus & Priorities
September: Challenges & Existing
Conditions
October: Housing Types & Zoning
November: Housing Types & Zoning;
Displacement and gentrification
December: Displacement and
gentrification; Funding & Financing;
U+2, Rental licensing
January: Strategy prioritization,
Innovative Partnerships
February: Plan Deep Dive
March: Implementation, End-of-Te rm
Ap ril: Where to Head Next
Quick(er) wins moving forward:
•Evaluate opportunities to increase and recalibrate
affordable housing incentives in the Land Use Code
•Assess displacement risk (mapping exercise)
•Foreclosure and eviction prevention (TBD)
Quick(er) wins requiring Council action:
•Metro DPA P rogram -no cost to the City
(Resolution on Feb 2)
•Off-cycle appropriation to advance Land Use Code
audit -$250-350K with $60K match from
Home2Health (First Reading on Feb 16)
Additional “quick(er) wins”may continue to be identified
13
PLACEHOLDER:
•Community feedback on the plan and strategies is open thru
January 27
•Staff will share the summary of feedback to date in the January
26 Read Before Packet
Step 8: Implement (Spring +)
Step 7: Consider Adoption (Feb/Mar)
Step 6: Prioritize Strategies (Jan)
Step 5: Evaluate Strategies(Dec)
Step 4: ID Strategies, Criteria (Nov)
Step 3: Engage Community (Oct/Nov)
Step 2: Greatest Challenges (Sep)
Step 1: Vision (Aug)
Next Steps & Implementation
Key 2021 Dates:
•January 7, 2021 –Initial Set of Strategies released
•Full draft plan released the week of Jan 11
•Jan 7 -Jan 27 -Community review
•Jan 26 –Council Work Session
•Jan 27 -Feb 3 -Staff Revisions
•Feb 16 –Adoption (1st Reading)
•April/May –Community Summit
•Summer –Implementation Plan & Council Work Session
Next Steps
14
Questions for Consideration
15
What feedback do Councilmembers have on the following:
•Initial set of prioritized strategies?
•Draft guiding principles?
Do Councilmembers have any feedback on the quick(er) wins
identified to date?