HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 07/21/2020 - PUBLIC HEARING AND RESOLUTION 2020-063 ADOPTING THAgenda Item 13
Item # 13 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY July 21, 2020
City Council
STAFF
Beth Rosen, Affordable Housing Program Administrator
Ingrid Decker, Legal
SUBJECT
Public Hearing and Resolution 2020-063 Adopting the 2020-2024 Five-Year Consolidated Plan Required by
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to hold a public hearing and consider adoption of the 2020-2024 Five-Year
Consolidated Plan which is a document required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) in order for the City to remain eligible for federal grants, including the Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) and the Home Investment Partnership (HOME) Program.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
The City is the recipient of nearly $1.8 million each year in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and
HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) for affordable housing, human services and community development projects and programs. As a
condition of funding, the City is required to engage in comprehensive planning activities every five years to
assess its affordable housing and community development needs.
The purpose of the CDBG program is to create healthy communities by improving the living conditions and
economic outcomes for low-and moderate-income persons. Historically, the City has prioritized its annual
funding to support affordable housing and human service programs. The HOME Program was designed
exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households and is the City’s primary funding source for
the development of new units.
Once developed, the goals set forth in the Consolidated Plan are carried out through Annual Action Plans,
which provide a concise summary of the actions, activities and projects that will be undertaken during the
program year to address the priority needs and goals identified in the Consolidated Plan. All Annual Action
Plan projects receive funding recommendations from the CDBG Commission through the annual Competitive
Process. These recommendations are then submitted to Council for final approval.
The Consolidated Plan development and review involved extensive internal and external stakeholder review
and input which followed the Social Sustainability Department’s HUD-required Citizen Participation Plan.
Between September 2019 and March 2020 input into community needs and priorities was sought via a variety
of methods. Identified priorities were used, in conjunction with the market analysis and needs assessment
data, to develop goals which guide the allocation of the CDBG and HOME funds over the course of the
Consolidated Plan. Economic Health, Environmental Services, and Planning, Development and Transportation
were also consulted and provided direct input into the Plan.
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The Consolidated Plan was developed within the context of recent and current City projects such as the
update to the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis, the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, and City Plan. All
items within the document align with established or ongoing City policies or practices.
Through funding and other actions, the City intends to use its 2020-2024 HUD allocations to address the
following five specific priority needs:
• Increase affordable housing inventory. Increase both rental and ownership housing with the following
priorities: mixed-income housing, permanent supportive housing, and/or housing with co-location of
services (case management, childcare, etc.). Prioritize projects serving special populations including
people experiencing homelessness, families, seniors, unaccompanied youth, people with disabilities, and
people with very low incomes. May include construction, acquisition, change of use, down-payment
assistance, etc.
• Affordable housing preservation. Includes rehabilitation of existing units, acquisition to prevent
conversion to market rate, mobile home preservation, and ownership supports such as emergency repairs,
energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility modifications.
• Housing and services for persons who are homeless. Support projects that provide overnight shelter
and/or residency programs for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including
comprehensive case management for long-term stabilization.
• Prevent homelessness. Includes diversion, reunification, short- and long-term financial assistance (rent,
utilities, etc.), comprehensive case management, service coordination, and supportive services.
• Services for low- and moderate-income populations. Prioritize special populations such as seniors,
people with disabilities, unaccompanied youth, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+, people of
color, and other historically under-represented or under-resourced populations. Priority services include
senior and disability services, mental health care, case management and transportation.
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
This Plan will allow the City to receive approximately $10 million dollars in federal funding to move forward
priority goals in the areas of housing and human services over the course of the next five years.
BOARD / COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The following four boards were provided presentations and consulted regarding the use of HUD funds:
Affordable Housing Board, which provides rankings of housing projects under consideration in the annual
Competitive Process; CDBG Commission, which provides annual funding recommendations to Council; Senior
Advisory Board and Youth Advisory Board, which both provided feedback on draft goals. The draft goals were
well received, and board input was used to refine goal language. Staff requested presentations to the
Commission on Disability and the Human Relations Commission; however, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented
those presentations from occurring. Boards and commissions did not provide recommendations regarding
adoption of the Plan.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Since September 2019, the City has been working on the development of this document, which follows a
highly prescriptive format established by HUD. There has been extensive data analysis, public and stakeholder
engagement, and review. Prior to Council presentation, the Draft Plan was made available for a 30-day public
review period in which members of the public had opportunity to provide additional input. The following is a
summary of the outreach conducted:
• Councilmembers Questionnaire: Councilmembers were provided an online questionnaire which asked
about community needs, affordable housing, and assisting low- and moderate-income households and
people with special needs. Council identified affordable housing, support and housing for people
experiencing homelessness, landlord engagement for voucher acceptance, and supportive services for
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low-and moderate-income households as priority community needs and potential areas for investment of
CDBG and HOME funds.
• Stakeholder Workshop: Staff conducted a broad stakeholder workshop to identify community needs.
Thirty-five representatives from 32 organizations attended, including human service providers, Larimer
County, Health District, Continuum of Care, Poudre School District, foundations/funders, faith community,
housing providers, Colorado State University, Downtown Development Authority and more. Participants
identified housing, housing retention, homelessness prevention, childcare, case management,
transportation, and supportive services as priority need areas.
• Focus Groups: Three separate focus groups were held on affordable housing, homelessness and human
services. Sixteen organizations representing childcare, homeless services and housing, affordable housing
providers, funders, community groups, disability services, as well as staff and volunteers attended.
Participants further refined priority needs in the three focus areas.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Over thirty interviews with key stakeholders were conducted, including human
service and affordable housing providers, Poudre School District, Special Agency Session, Columbine
Health Systems, Poudre Library, City staff, and more. Interviewees identified housing, case management,
shelter, transportation, and supportive services as priority community needs.
• Boards and Commissions: Staff presented to and sought input from the Affordable Housing Board,
CDBG Commission, Senior Advisory Board, and Youth Advisory Board. Staff was scheduled to present to
the Commission on Disability and the Human Relations Commission, but those presentations were
cancelled due to COVID-19. Boards and commissions identified diverse housing stock, affordable housing,
homeownership supports, services for people experiencing homelessness, childcare, mental health care
and transportation as priority need areas.
• Community Questionnaire: A widely distributed community questionnaire, in English and Spanish,
received over 300 responses. It was available online and paper copies were available at La Familia, The
Bike Co-Op, and Salvation Army. Community member responses mirror the input from the sources above.
A questionnaire report is included in the Plan.
• Draft Goals Survey: All participants in the workshops, focus groups, and community questionnaire who
requested follow-up were provided a survey regarding the Plan’s draft goals. Forty responses were
received, and the goals had a nearly 80% approval rating. Input was used to refine the goal language. A
survey report is included in the Plan.
• Internet Outreach: The https://www.fcgov.com/socialsustainability/consolidated-plan webpage was used
to warehouse all Consolidated Plan-related materials, including the community questionnaire,
presentations, and summaries of outreach efforts. Materials were provided in English and Spanish. Link to
page was distributed via partner organizations. To date there have been nearly 300 visits to webpage.
• Public Review Period and Public Hearing: The Draft Plan is available for public review for 30 days
before Council consideration. Notice of the Public Review Period and Public Hearing, as well as the Draft
Plan, were emailed to all prior participants, Competitive Process funding recipients, affordable housing
providers, and public notice partners identified as serving underrepresented populations. On July 2, staff
held an online Public Hearing - no comments were received.
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RESOLUTION 2020-063
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
ADOPTING THE 2020-2024 FIVE-YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN REQUIRED
BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
WHEREAS, the National Affordable Housing Act requires that local governments have a
Consolidated Plan approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in
order to remain eligible for certain federal grant programs, including the Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs; and
WHEREAS, since September 2019, City staff has been seeking input on community
needs and priorities through a variety of methods, including focus groups and interviews with
stakeholders, in conjunction with market analysis and needs assessment data, to develop goals to
guide the allocation of the CDBG and HOME funds over the course of the 2020-2024 Five-Year
Consolidated Plan (the “Plan”) in accordance with the prescribed format established by HUD;
and
WHEREAS, the Plan was developed within the context of recent and current City
projects such as the update to the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis, the Affordable Housing
Strategic Plan, and City Plan, and all items within the Plan align with established or ongoing City
policies or practices; and
WHEREAS, the City intends to use its 2020-2024 HUD allocations to address five
specific priority needs:
• Increase affordable housing inventory, prioritizing projects that serve special
populations;
• Affordable housing preservation;
• Housing and services for people experiencing homelessness;
• Prevent homelessness; and
• Services for low- and moderate-income populations; and
WHEREAS, a copy of the proposed Plan is attached hereto and incorporated herein by
reference as Exhibit “A”; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that adoption of the Plan is in the best
interests of the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That the 2020-2024 Five-Year Consolidated Plan, attached as Exhibit “A,”
is hereby adopted.
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Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this
21st day of July, A.D. 2020.
_________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
City Clerk
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 1
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EXHIBIT A
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 2
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Executive Summary
ES-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)
1. Introduction
The City of Fort Collins, Colorado is submitting its 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan. The Plan has been
prepared according to HUD requirements. The Plan will govern the City’s investment of federal funds for
persons experiencing homelessness, housing, and non-housing community development activities for
the next five-year period. This plan will be updated annually through preparation of the Annual Action
Plan.
2. Summary of the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan Needs Assessment
Overview
High priority needs identified in the Fort Collins Five-Year Consolidated Plan include both housing and
non-housing community development, persons experiencing homelessness, and special population
needs. The City of Fort Collins has developed and managed a robust Citizen Participation process to
solicit stakeholder and resident input on priority needs. The City has integrated that Citizen Participation
process with research on the scope of those needs. The City of Fort Collins’ Economic Health Strategic
Plan, the Social Sustainability Strategic Plan, the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis and the Housing
Affordability Policy Study all provide data and recommendations for City actions to address the needs of
both affordable housing and non-housing community development needs. These various findings have
been incorporated into both the Needs Analysis and Market Assessment sections of the Consolidated
Plan.
Through funding and other actions, the City will seek to address the following five specific priority
needs:
• Increase affordable housing inventory. Increase both rental and ownership housing with the
following priorities: mixed-income housing, permanent supportive housing, and/or housing with
co-location of services (case management, childcare, etc.). Prioritize projects serving special
populations including people experiencing homelessness, families, seniors, unaccompanied
youth, people with disabilities, and people with very low incomes. May include construction,
acquisition, change of use, downpayment assistance, etc.
• Affordable housing preservation. Includes rehabilitation of existing units, acquisition to prevent
conversion to market rate, mobile home preservation, and ownership supports such as
emergency repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility modifications.
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• Housing and services for persons who are homeless. Support projects that provide overnight
shelter and/or residency programs for individuals and families experiencing homelessness,
including comprehensive case management for long-term stabilization.
• Prevent homelessness. Includes diversion, reunification, short- and long-term financial
assistance (rent, utilities, etc.), comprehensive case management, service coordination, and
supportive services.
• Services for low- and moderate-income populations. Prioritize special populations such as
seniors, people with disabilities, unaccompanied youth, people experiencing homelessness,
LGBTQIA+, people of color, and other historically underrepresented or under-resourced
populations. Priority services include senior and disability services, mental health care, case
management, and transportation.
3. Evaluation of past performance
Overall, during the last five-year reporting period for Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation
Reports (CAPERs) the City has received satisfactory reviews regarding its performance in meeting goals
set forth in the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and each year’s Annual Action Plan. Additionally, HUD
continues to conclude that the City of Fort Collins is administering its programs in a manner consistent
with the applicable regulatory requirements. Review and conclusions are based solely on information
available to HUD, and do not constitute a comprehensive evaluation or approval of specific activities.
The positive performance evaluations reflected progress made towards goals considered by HUD to be
worthwhile and necessary community improvements. Updated research and analysis of community
needs, as well as fresh citizen input, has supported the continuation of goal setting and outcomes
similar to previous plans. The City of Fort Collins has responded to all technical assistance provided as a
part of any HUD review and evaluation.
4. Summary of citizen participation process and consultation process
Citizen and stakeholder participation components are a critical process in the development of the
Consolidated Plan and are a priority for the City of Fort Collins. The Social Sustainability Department
encouraged meaningful public participation in the Consolidated Plan process, especially by low- and
moderate-income residents, as well as those in legally protected classes. The department conducted a
broad consultation process, including interviews, workshops, and focus groups with public and private
agencies that provide affordable housing, homelessness prevention and intervention efforts, health and
human services, education, and funding.
Input from a broad range of community members was collected during the development of the
Consolidated Plan. The public was encouraged to participate through multiple modes, including a
Community Questionnaire, a Community Open House, through submittal of written comments
regarding the draft Plan, and the City Council Public Hearing to adopt the plan. The Social Sustainability
Department notified the public about opportunities to participate in the process on the City website,
through publication in the local newspaper, through housing and service providers, through public
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notice partners serving underrepresented populations, and through social media. Additionally, City staff
provided presentations to six City Boards and Commissions comprised of resident volunteers which
focus on housing, human services, and special populations. Input from community members was used
to determine high priority needs and goals.
5. Summary of public comments
Qualitative feedback collected through the community questionnaire, public hearings, and stakeholder
meetings provided insight into priority need from the entitlement grant beneficiary perspective. Top
priority needs were identified as:
• Affordable housing
• Supports for people experiencing homelessness
• Preventing homelessness
• Increasing access to services, with emphasis on case management
• Childcare
Public comments received during the 30-day Public Comment review period for the draft Consolidated
Plan will be included here in the final document.
6. Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them
No comments were not accepted.
7. Summary
The final City of Fort Collins Five-Year Consolidated Plan and Year 1 Annual Action Plan will be published
in August 2020 and submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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The Process
PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies 24 CFR 91.200(b)
1. Describe agency/entity responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those
responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source
The following are the agencies/entities responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and
those responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source.
Agency Role Name Department/Agency
CDBG Administrator Fort Collins Social Sustainability Department
HOME Administrator Fort Collins Social Sustainability Department
Table 1 – Responsible Agencies
Narrative
The Fort Collins Social Sustainability Department allocates federal Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) CDBG and HOME funds, and local City of Fort Collins funding to housing and human service
agencies to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income citizens. The department also implements
policies promoting and supporting self-sufficiency for low- to moderate-income citizens.
Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information
Dianne Tjalkens
Grant Programs Administrator
Social Sustainability
City of Fort Collins
970.221.6734
dtjalkens@fcgov.com
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PR-10 Consultation – 91.100, 91.110, 91.200(b), 91.300(b), 91.215(I) and
91.315(I)
1. Introduction
Community member and stakeholder participation components are a critical process in the
development of the Consolidated Plan and are a priority for the City of Fort Collins. The Social
Sustainability Department encouraged meaningful public participation in the Consolidated Plan process,
especially by low- and moderate-income people, and those in legally protected classes. The Department
conducted a broad consultation process with public and private agencies that provide affordable
housing, homelessness prevention and intervention efforts, health and human services, education, and
funding. Many stakeholders were directly consulted during the development of this plan, a community
questionnaire was widely distributed and received incredible feedback, and City Board and Commission
members provided additional public input. Social Sustainability Department staff participate on a
number of community boards and planning groups whose work impacts and informs the Consolidated
Plan process as well.
Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between
public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health
and service agencies (91.215(I)).
The City of Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board advises City Council on matters related to affordable
housing in Fort Collins and assists with preparing the City’s Affordable Housing Strategic Plan. In 2014,
the City commissioned a Housing Affordability Policy Study (HAPS), which identified distressed
populations experiencing cost burden in the Fort Collins rental market. Housing providers and service
agencies, as well as the Fort Collins public, were consulted and involved in public forums related to
housing needs and policies during the development of this study.
The City has recently commissioned an update to the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis as part of the
initiative to build a cohesive, coordinated approach to community sustainability across City departments
and with community partners.
Social Sustainability Department staff work closely with public and assisted housing providers, as well as
private and government health, mental health, and service agencies to distribute HUD and City grant
funding; identify high priority housing and social service needs that can be addressed by the City; assess
the impact of current efforts and programs to meet needs; and plan for future programs, projects, and
activities to address housing and community development needs.
The City supports programs such as the Community Behavioral Health Treatment program, where wrap-
around services are part of housing solutions and placement. The City continues to build a
comprehensive, formalized approach to supporting community members experiencing homelessness
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through support of initiatives such as the Housing First Initiative and Outreach Fort Collins. City
representatives are also actively involved in the two-county effort toward providing a Coordinated
Access Housing Placement Specialist as well as serving on the steering committee for the Northern
Colorado Continuum of Care, a subgroup of the Balance of State Continuum of Care.
In 2016, the City initiated NoCo Housing Now, which has since grown to become a regional work group
that explores regional housing solutions and provides opportunities to learn from regional colleagues.
This group is active in legislative review and in data collection and analysis.
City staff members participate on steering committees for Larimer County Strategic Plan, to develop
goals and strategies in partnership with the County. Goal and objective areas include public
infrastructure, economic opportunities and equity, community health and resilience, childcare, and
other community service needs.
Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of
homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with
children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness
Agencies from the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care (NCCC) which includes the cities of Greeley,
Loveland and Estes Park meet on a monthly basis. Members represent nonprofits, and State and local
government. The Social Sustainability Department’s Director is participating on the governing board for
the NCCC, which is applying for funding as a separate Continuum of Care for the first time in 2020. The
NCCC is focused on long-term planning and addressing the needs of homelessness on a policy level,
coordinating the point in time count, and working to meet the requirements of the McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act. The NCCC has implemented the Homeless Management Information System
(HMIS), and measures the effectiveness of agencies funded through the McKinney Vento funding
streams. The NCCC continues to work with area healthcare providers, homeless services providers, and
other care institutions to establish coordinated discharge planning processes. Additionally, the City
provides funding and volunteers for the annual Point in Time (PIT) count each January. The PIT,
spearheaded by the NCCC, is a community-wide effort to gather critical data on persons experiencing
homelessness.
The City is also working closely with the Housing First Initiative (HFI) which tracks long-term homeless
individuals, and the regional Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS). Several
agencies, including Housing Catalyst, have implemented a vulnerability index (VI-SPDAT) to assess which
people are at the highest risk if they remain homeless. It is used to prioritize individuals for housing
placement when units become available and is the primary tool used by CAHPS.
Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in
determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards and evaluate
outcomes, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the administration of HMIS
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The City of Fort Collins does not receive ESG funding.
2. Describe Agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process
and describe the jurisdictions consultations with housing, social service agencies and other
entities
Table 2 – Agencies, groups, organizations who participated
1 Agency/Group/Organization Housing Catalyst
Agency/Group/Organization Type PHA
What section of the Plan was addressed
by Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Public Housing Needs
How was the
Agency/Group/Organization consulted
and what are the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
Housing Catalyst (HC) staff were interviewed to gather
input used to create the Housing Needs Assessment
and Public Housing Needs sections of the Consolidated
Plan. Housing Catalyst provided data related to current
clients and those on the waiting list for services, recent
plans and reports, details about housing developments,
future development plans, and the needs of their
clients.
2 Agency/Group/Organization Colorado Balance of State Continuum of Care
Agency/Group/Organization Type Regional organization
Planning organization
Continuum of Care
What section of the Plan was addressed
by Consultation?
Homelessness Strategy
Homeless Needs - Chronically homeless
Homeless Needs - Families with children
Homelessness Needs - Veterans
Homelessness Needs - Unaccompanied youth
How was the
Agency/Group/Organization consulted
and what are the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
The Social Sustainability Department Director is a Board
member of the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care
(NCCC) and was directly consulted with on the above
sections of the Consolidated Plan. SSD and the NCCC
are in continuous communication and coordination.
NCCC recommendations influence the trajectory of
homelessness response and prevention.
3 Agency/Group/Organization CITY OF FORT COLLINS
Agency/Group/Organization Type Other government - Local
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What section of the Plan was addressed
by Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Lead-based Paint Strategy
Homelessness Strategy
Non-Homeless Special Needs
Economic Development
Market Analysis
Anti-poverty Strategy
Broadband Needs & Hazard Mitigation
How was the
Agency/Group/Organization consulted
and what are the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
Many City of Fort Collins departments were consulted
to gather information on current City priorities,
programs, and initiatives; the housing market and
conditions, economic development efforts,
neighborhood conditions, City growth, low-income and
special needs populations, broadband needs, and
climate hazard mitigation. These City departments
include: Social Sustainability, Economic Health,
Environmental Services, Stormwater, Utilities,
Broadband, and Planning, Development &
Transportation. Input from City departments and staff
were considered when developing the Consolidated
Plan goals and priority needs. City Council members
filled out a targeted survey to gain their insights into
priority needs and goals.
4 Agency/Group/Organization Root Policy Research, Inc.
Agency/Group/Organization Type Community planning and housing research firm
What section of the Plan was addressed
by Consultation?
Non-Homeless Special Needs
Market Analysis
How was the
Agency/Group/Organization consulted
and what are the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
Root Policy developed the 2020 Gaps Analysis for the
City of Fort Collins. Data from this study was used to
supplement other data sources and provide a clearer
picture of the current available community services and
housing market.
5 Agency/Group/Organization Poudre School District
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services-Children
Services-homeless
Publicly Funded Institution/System of Care
What section of the Plan was addressed
by Consultation?
Homeless Needs - Families with children
Homelessness Needs - Unaccompanied youth
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How was the
Agency/Group/Organization consulted
and what are the anticipated outcomes
of the consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
Poudre School District's McKinney Vento program
provided insights, information and data regarding the
state of homelessness within the student population in
Fort Collins.
Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting
The City of Fort Collins has made a concerted effort to allow all agencies who serve low- and moderate-
income residents to participate in the Consolidated Planning efforts. More than 50 organizations and
departments of the City were consulted in the development of the Consolidated Plan. Listed above are
only those organizations that contributed directly to the text of the Plan with data and information. A
complete list of organizations that were consulted with in the preparation of the Plan is included as an
attachment.
All community members of Fort Collins were also invited to participate in the planning efforts, through a
Community Questionnaire, public forums, and by providing written comments. Agencies and citizen
groups may have chosen not to participate, but all were invited to do so.
Other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan
Name of Plan Lead
Organization
How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the
goals of each plan?
Continuum of Care Balance of State
Continuum
Goals are complementary and mutually supportive, based
on active communication, and City representation on the
Northern Front Range Continuum of Care (part of the
Balance of State Continuum).
Affordable Housing
Strategic Plan
City of Fort
Collins
Goals are complementary and mutually supportive, based
on active communication, stakeholder input, available
resourcing and capacity, and decision-maker prioritization.
Social Sustainability
Department
Strategic Plan
City of Fort
Collins
Goals are complementary and mutually supportive, based
on active communication, stakeholder input, available
resourcing and capacity, and decision-maker prioritization.
Table 3 – Other local / regional / federal planning efforts
Describe cooperation and coordination with other public entities, including the State and any
adjacent units of general local government, in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan
(91.215(l))
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The City of Fort Collins works closely with Larimer County, the State of Colorado Department of Local
Affairs and other state offices to meet the needs identified in the Consolidated Plan and to implement
programs and projects to meet our goals. Many agencies serve Fort Collins, other Larimer County
jurisdictions, and the unincorporated areas of the County. Programs such as the Larimer Home
Improvement Program (LHIP) are coordinated and funded County-wide to reduce duplication. Funding
for many projects and programs identified in the Consolidated Plan comes from the State of Colorado,
through resources such as the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), HOME program, and Colorado Housing
and Finance Authority’s (CHFA) Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The City of Fort Collins
will continue to coordinate with other local and state agencies during the 2020-2024 Five-Year
Consolidated Plan.
Staff also regularly participate in local and regional conferences that promote regional collaboration.
The City’s Mayor and Council are active in regional and state initiatives including:
• Colorado Municipal League Board of Directors
• Colorado Municipal League Policy Committee
• National League of Cities Human Development Committee
• Larimer County Behavioral Health Policy Council
• Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran’s Homelessness
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PR-15 Citizen Participation – 91.105, 91.115, 91.200(c) and 91.300(c)
1. Summary of citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation
Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal-setting
Input from a broad range of community members was collected during the development of the Consolidated Plan. The public was encouraged to participate
through multiple modes, including a Community Questionnaire, a Community Open House, through submittal of written comments regarding the draft Plan, and
the City Council Public Hearing to adopt the plan. The Social Sustainability Department notified the public about opportunities to participate in the process on
the City website, through publication in the local newspaper, through housing and service providers, through public notice partners serving underrepresented
populations, and through social media. Email notice of the community questionnaire included an option to request paper copies of the questionnaire in English
and Spanish, and multiple organizations requested paper copies. City staff took the questionnaire to the Food Bank for Larimer County to solicit input directly
from their clientele. The webpage providing updates and ongoing information on the Consolidated Plan included Spanish translation, and interpretation was
available for all events. Additionally, City staff provided presentations to six City Boards and Commissions comprised of resident volunteers which focus on
housing, human services, and special populations; and City Councilmembers responded to a survey regarding priority needs and funding focus.
One stakeholder workshop and three focus groups were used to solicit input from service providers. Participation included 35 attendees from 32 organizations
representing human services, County, Health District, Continuum of Care, Poudre School District, foundations/funders, faith community, affordable housing
providers, Colorado State University, and the Downtown Development Authority. Additionally, City staff conducted individual and group interviews with over 30
organizations representing health and human service providers, affordable housing providers, justice system, homelessness coordination, County services, and
the local library district.
Input from community members, stakeholders, Council and City Boards and Commissions was used in conjunction with research and available data to determine
high priority needs and goals.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 13
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Citizen Participation Outreach
Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
1 Targeted
Interviews
Stakeholders:
Service
Providers,
Housing
Industry
Experts, City
Department
Staff, etc.
Between August 2019 and January 2020
interviews were held with organizations
representing health and human service providers,
affordable housing providers, justice system,
homelessness coordination, County services, and
the local library district. Emphasis was placed on
organizations serving underrepresented,
underserved, special and minority populations, as
well as known areas of need such as childcare,
senior services, homelessness, and behavioral
health.
Organization representatives identified housing,
homelessness, case management, childcare, and
transportation as priority areas of need for both
clients and employees. Housing was by far the most
frequently noted community need and
representatives interviewed consistently believed
that most of the CDBG and HOME funds allocated
by the City should be invested in affordable
housing.
2 Council
Questionnaire
City of Fort
Collins Council
(elected
officials)
Five of seven Councilmembers responded to the
Council Questionnaire
Councilmembers identified affordable housing,
homelessness, and supportive services as the top
areas of need to be addressed with CDBG and
HOME funds. Families and people with disabilities
were identified as having high need for affordable
rental housing, while priority ownership supports
included emergency repairs and energy efficiency
improvements. Homelessness priorities included
prevention and housing, especially for youth
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 14
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Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
3 Stakeholder
Workshop
Minorities
Non-English
Speaking -
Specify other
language:
Spanish
Human
services,
County, Health
District,
Continuum of
Care, Poudre
School District,
foundations/fu
nd
35 representatives from 32 organizations
attended and participated. The workshop
provided a presentation of Consolidated Plan
basics, including fund sources and restrictions, the
allocation process, and project timeline. Following
the presentation, participants were directed
through group activities to solicit input on
community needs and priorities. Interpretation
services provided.
Participants identified the following areas as
potential priorities for the receipt of CDBG and
HOME funds: Increase the supply of affordable
housing units, especially for youth and other special
populations; Increase the supply of affordable
housing units and expand opportunities for voucher
holders through landlord engagement; Develop
rapid rehousing, especially for families, seniors, and
youth; Develop mixed income housing; Provide
rental assistance (short- and long-term); Provide
supportive services for housing retention; Support
programs that provide homelessness prevention;
Increase access to affordable, quality childcare;
Increase access to supportive services for
marginalized populations; Improve service
coordination; Increase access to case management;
Increase access to services for aging in place/senior
supportive services; Increase access to public
transportation; Improve access to medical transit
for people with low incomes
https://www
.fcgov.com/s
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 15
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
4 Focus Group:
Housing
Service
providers and
community
groups
Housing: 12 attendees
from 10 organizations
representing human
services, housing
providers, community
volunteers, funders,
Colorado State University,
and the County. Focus
group provided a
presentation of
Consolidated Plan basics.
Following the
presentation, participants
were directed through a
group activity to refine
focus area-specific
community needs drafted
in the September 30
Stakeholder Workshop.
These priorities were
combined with results of
additional outreach and
data to draft Goals for the
Consolidated Plan.
Participants developed the following priorities and focus areas for the
allocation of CDBG and HOME funds:- Increase the supply of affordable
housing units, both rental and ownership with the following priorities:
mixed income housing, co-location of services such as case management
and/or childcare, accessible units, assisted living, and units for the lowest
income levels. May include acquisition, change of use, etc.- Preserve
existing affordable housing, including rehabilitation of existing units,
acquisition to prevent conversion to market rate, mobile home
protections, and ownership supports.- Develop temporary supportive
housing for people experiencing homelessness, with priority for special
populations including families, seniors, unaccompanied youth, and people
with disabilities; and respite care for homeless individuals recovering from
medical conditions and treatment.- Provide landlord education and
engagement, specifically around acceptance of vouchers, to increase units
of affordable housing and housing for people experiencing homelessness.
May include dedicated staff, relationship-building events/services,
education on source of income discrimination, etc.- Provide housing
retention services for previously homeless individuals and families,
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 16
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
5 Focus Group:
Homelessness
Service
providers and
community
groups
Homelessness: 8 attendees from 7 organizations
representing human services, housing providers,
and community volunteers and organizers.
Followed same format as Affordable Housing
focus group.
Participants developed the following priorities and
focus areas for the allocation of CDBG and HOME
funds:- Provide homelessness and eviction
prevention services for individuals and families
including short- and long-term financial assistance,
case management, and supportive services.
Includes rental assistance (short- and long-term)
and supportive services for housing retention.-
Provide comprehensive service coordination and
case management for individuals and families
experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including
diversion, reunification, and travel expenses for
relocation.
https://www
.fcgov.com/s
ustainability/
pdf/FocusGr
oupsSummar
ySheet.pdf?1
574792756
6 Focus Group:
Human
Services
Service
providers and
community
groups
Human Services: 10 attendees from 10
organizations representing human services,
housing providers, community volunteers, and
funders. Followed same format as Affordable
Housing focus group.
Participants developed the following priorities and
focus areas for the allocation of CDBG and HOME
funds:- Increase access to services for low- and
moderate-income individuals and families, with
emphasis on special populations such as seniors,
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 17
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Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
7 Community
Questionnaire
Minorities
Non-English
Speaking -
Specify other
language:
Spanish
Persons with
disabilities
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Residents of
Public and
Assisted
Housing
Service
providers,
affordable
housing
providers, and
workshop and
focus group
invitees
Questionnaire available in English and Spanish,
online and on paper. 303 total responses: 62%
community members, 26% provider staff, 6%
government employees, and 6% other.
Questionnaire results identified the following
priority need areas:- Affordable housing for low-
and moderate-income households, including
developing and preserving affordable rental
housing; increase the supply of permanent rental
housing with supportive services for persons who
are experiencing homelessness; and homeless
prevention support (such as emergency rent
assistance, financial counseling)- Facilities and
services for people experiencing homelessness,
including mental health care, cold weather shelter,
substance use disorder treatment, and case
management- Supportive services, including mental
health care, childcare services and facilities,
substance use disorder treatment, and financial
assistance
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 18
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Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
8 Internet
Outreach
Minorities
Non-English
Speaking -
Specify other
language:
Spanish
Persons with
disabilities
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Residents of
Public and
Assisted
Housing
Webpage was used to warehouse all Consolidated
Plan related materials, including the community
questionnaire, presentations, and summaries of
outreach efforts. Materials were provided in
English and Spanish. Link to page was distributed
via partner organizations. 289 visits to webpage,
with 67 document downloads and 74 click
throughs to the Community Questionnaire.
No comments received. https://www
.fcgov.com/s
ocialsustaina
bility/consoli
dated-plan
9 Email Draft
Goals Survey
Participants in
Community
Questionnaire,
stakeholder
workshop and
focus groups
A survey requesting input into the drafted Goals
was emailed to Community Questionnaire
respondents who had requested follow-up, plus
all stakeholders. 40 responses were received.
Nearly 80% approval of Draft Goals by 40
respondents. Input was used to refine language in
the Goals. Summary of findings is included as an
attachment.
https://www
.surveygizmo
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 19
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Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
10 Boards &
Commissions
Presentations
Members of
Boards &
Commission
Boards are composed of approximately 7 to 10
volunteer community members who are
appointed by Council to their respective boards.
Four boards were provided presentations and
consulted regarding the use of HUD funds. AHB
provides rankings of housing projects under
consideration in annual Competitive Process.
CDBG provides funding recommendations to
Council. All boards report to Council and provide
feedback on proposed projects.
CDBG Commission and Affordable Housing Board
provided input into the Needs Assessment and
drafting of goals. Senior Advisory Board and Youth
Advisory Board provided feedback on Draft Goals.
Goals were well received, and board input was used
to refine goal language.
https://www
.fcgov.com/c
ityclerk/boar
ds.php
11 Newspaper
Ad
Non-English
Speaking -
Specify other
language:
Spanish
Residents of
Public and
Assisted
Housing
Public notices were published in English and
Spanish in the local newspaper, the Coloradoan,
in advance of the Competitive Process, before
Council decisions on funding, and before the
Public Review Period for the Consolidated Plan.
Notices were also distributed via nonprofit
partner agencies and posted on the City website.
To date, the public comments received have largely
been statements of gratitude from the applying
agencies.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 20
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Mode of
Outreach
Target of
Outreach
Summary of
response/attendance
Summary of
comments received
URL (If
applicable)
12 Public Hearing Minorities
Non-English
Speaking -
Specify other
language:
Spanish
Persons with
disabilities
Non-
targeted/broad
community
Residents of
Public and
Assisted
Housing
Public Hearing noticed in the Coloradoan in
English and Spanish. Notices were also distributed
via nonprofit partner agencies and posted on the
City website. Interpretation services offered on
request. Hearing was held online due to COVID-19
Safer-at-Home state orders. The Hearing provided
an overview of the Consolidated Planning process
and the Competitive Process for FY20 funding,
and solicited community input.
The online public hearing had no attendees;
however, the recording will be available on the
Consolidated Plan webpage and comments will be
accepted through the end of the public review
period.
https://www
.fcgov.com/s
ocialsustaina
bility/
13 Public Hearing Non-
targeted/broad
community
Public Hearing at City Council Meeting, Resolution
to Adopt Consolidated Plan.
TBD
Table 4 – Citizen Participation Outreach
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 21
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Needs Assessment
NA-05 Overview
Needs Assessment Overview
The City of Fort Collins gathered information to determine priority needs from many sources. The City
has undertaken demographic and housing market research using US Census, Multiple Listing Service
(MLS), CHAS, and other sources. Data in the Social Sustainability Gaps Analysis and Affordable Housing
Strategic Plan also informed the needs assessment. The City conducted a series of workshops and
stakeholder interviews with human service and affordable housing providers, City staff, County staff,
Housing Catalyst, the Poudre River Library District, the Poudre School District, employers, and other
organizations involved with serving low-income and special needs populations. A questionnaire was
made available to all Fort Collins residents, asking citizens to provide their insights into housing,
homeless, special needs and community development needs within the community. All information has
been considered in the drafting of this plan.
This section shows where households of different types have greater housing needs than others.
The data show that disproportionate needs exist in Fort Collins for seniors, low-income households,
people of color, people with disabilities, and single head of household families:
• Senior households with at least one person age 75 or older have the highest percentage of
households at 0–30% AMI (20%). 40% of households with one or more children aged six and
younger have incomes at or below 80% AMI. In general, households with older adults or with
young children are more likely to earn less than 100% AMI. The number of seniors in Fort Collins
is expected to reach nearly 20% of the population by 2030.
• Extremely low-income and very low-income families have a greater likelihood of experiencing
housing problems than households with higher incomes. White, Black/African American, and
Hispanic households are impacted at a higher rate than Asian and Native American households.
The most pervasive housing problem, by far, is cost burden. According to apartmentlist.com,
50.9% of renters in Fort Collins were cost-burdened in 2018.
• Black/African American households are cost-burdened at a significantly higher rate (60%) than
average (38%). As incomes rise, the rate of housing problems decreases, however, Black/African
American households continue to be disproportionately impacted even at higher incomes.
• Poverty data for Fort Collins shows that Hispanic/Latinx households had a 6.2% higher incidence
of poverty than non-Hispanic or Latino households in 2017. Although just 12% of the general
population in Fort Collins is Hispanic/Latinx, 42% of public housing and 23% of voucher holders
are Hispanic/Latinx.
• Forty-eight percent (48%) of public housing residents and 38% of voucher holders are female
headed households with children. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of public housing residents and
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 22
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26% of voucher holders are households with children. 10% of public housing residents and 7% of
voucher holders are non-elderly households with children with a disabled household member.
• According to the PIT, the majority of respondents were chronically homeless and/or self-
reported a disability. 42% of individuals tracked through the Housing First Initiative report
having a disability.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 23
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NA-10 Housing Needs Assessment - 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c)
Summary of Housing Needs
Between the year 2009 and 2015, the population in Fort Collins rose 6%, while the number of
households rose 11%. Median incomes rose 16% during this time period.
Demographics Base Year: 2009 Most Recent Year: 2015 % Change
Population 143,986 153,295 6%
Households 53,090 58,920 11%
Median Income $47,843.00 $55,647.00 16%
Table 5 - Housing Needs Assessment Demographics
Data Source: 2005-2009 ACS (Base Year), 2011-2015 ACS (Most Recent Year)
Total Population
According to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), between 2010 and 2018, the population
of Fort Collins grew by approximately 22,000 people while Larimer County grew by nearly 50,000
people. As evidenced in the chart below, the population of Fort Collins is growing at a slower rate than
the County.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 24
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Population by Age Range
The following table shows the percent of residents in Fort Collins by age range. While the number of
persons in each range is expected to grow, Fort Collins is expected to see growth in the population over
60 years of age. Currently, there are as slightly more people 60 and over than there are under 17.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 25
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Population by Race and Ethnicity
The demographics of Fort Collins are anticipated to experience similar trends to the rest of the country,
moving toward a more diverse population. Currently, nearly 90% of Fort Collins residents identify their
race as white, and ethnicity as non-Hispanic. The largest minority group in Fort Collins is persons of
Latinx descent, at 11.4% of the total population. The percent of persons who are Latinx in Fort Collins is
consistent with Larimer County (11.7%) but lower than the state of Colorado (21%).
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 26
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Hispanic Origin by Census Tract
The following map shows Hispanic persons are concentrated in census tracts in northern Fort Collins.
These census tracts are reflective of the Buckingham, Andersonville, and Alta Vista neighborhoods that
have historic roots for the Hispanic community, as well as the Hickory Village area.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 27
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Poverty
The following tables provide information about persons in poverty living in Fort Collins. The number of
persons in poverty has grown from 24,988 in 2010 to 25,861 in 2018. The poverty rate, however, has
remained consistent, with the overall rate hovering between 17% and 19%. Poverty rates for children,
seniors, and people who are employed have also remained consistent among each category.
Fortunately, seniors have a lower rate of poverty than these other populations. ACS data estimates that
20.8% of all female-headed households have incomes at less than 100% of the poverty level in Fort
Collins. This is slightly higher than the overall poverty rate for the community.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 28
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Poverty by Race and Ethnicity
The estimated median household income in Fort Collins is highest for Asian and non-Hispanic white
residents at $65,724 and $62,136 respectively. Median household income for African American and
Hispanic households is roughly $20,000 less than non-Hispanic white and Asian households. Roughly 1 in
4 nonwhite households earn less than $25,000 annually.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 29
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Number of Households Table
0-30%
HAMFI
>30-50%
HAMFI
>50-80%
HAMFI
>80-100%
HAMFI
>100%
HAMFI
Total Households 10,285 7,090 10,450 6,170 24,925
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 30
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0-30%
HAMFI
>30-50%
HAMFI
>50-80%
HAMFI
>80-100%
HAMFI
>100%
HAMFI
Small Family Households 2,075 1,950 3,050 2,470 13,775
Large Family Households 245 180 570 400 1,835
Household contains at least one
person 62-74 years of age 1,115 795 1,600 835 3,925
Household contains at least one
person age 75 or older 895 855 925 495 1,370
Households with one or more
children 6 years old or younger 1,050 789 1,104 1,040 3,410
Table 6 - Total Households Table
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
Total Households
Table 6 shows the estimated number of households by household type and Area Median Income (AMI)
level in 2015. The highest concentrations of any household type are in the greater than 100% AMI
income range. Senior households with at least one person age 75 or older have the highest percentage
of households at 0–30% AMI (20%). 40% of households with one or more children aged six and younger
have incomes at or below 80% AMI. In general, households with older adults or with young children are
more likely to earn less than 100% AMI.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 31
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Housing Needs Summary Tables
1. Housing Problems (Households with one of the listed needs)
Renter Owner
0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
>80-
100%
AMI
Total 0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
>80-
100%
AMI
Total
NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS
Substandard Housing -
Lacking complete
plumbing or kitchen
facilities 175 145 115 15 450 15 35 15 10 75
Severely Overcrowded
- With >1.51 people
per room (and
complete kitchen and
plumbing) 65 20 40 0 125 25 0 0 35 60
Overcrowded - With
1.01-1.5 people per
room (and none of the
above problems) 80 90 75 80 325 0 4 55 0 59
Housing cost burden
greater than 50% of
income (and none of
the above problems) 6,200 2,040 390 20 8,650 1,295 730 425 30 2,480
Housing cost burden
greater than 30% of
income (and none of
the above problems) 490 2,105 2,910 550 6,055 315 439 1,760 895 3,409
Zero/negative Income
(and none of the
above problems) 530 0 0 0 530 195 0 0 0 195
Table 7 – Housing Problems Table
Data
Source:
2011-2015 CHAS
Housing Problems
Table 7 through 12 show households with Housing Problems by tenure and income range. Housing
problems are defined by HUD for the Consolidated Plan as:
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 32
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2. Housing unit lacks complete plumbing facilities
3. Overcrowding (1.01–1.5 persons per room)
4. Severe Overcrowding (greater than 1.5 persons per room)
5. Cost Burden (households paying between 30% and 50% of their income for housing)
6. Severe Cost Burden (household pays 50% or more of their income for housing)
In Fort Collins, there were 450 rental units and 75 owner occupied units without complete plumbing or
kitchen facilities in 2015. Of these, most were rentals serving households at or below 80% AMI. There
were 125 severely overcrowded rental and 60 severely overcrowded ownership households in Fort
Collins, while 325 renters and 59 owners were overcrowded in 2015. By far the largest housing problem
experienced by households at 100% of the AMI or less in Fort Collins was cost burden. Renter
households were more likely to be severely cost burdened and owners were more likely to be cost
burdened. There were 6200 renter households at 0–30% AMI that were severely cost burdened, which is
60% of 0–30%AMI households. 4145 renters earning 30–50% of the AMI were cost burdened or severely
cost burdened. There were also 1295 owners at 0–30% AMI who were severely cost burdened. The
majority of cost burdened owners fell in the 50–80% AMI category.
2. Housing Problems 2 (Households with one or more Severe Housing Problems: Lacks kitchen
or complete plumbing, severe overcrowding, severe cost burden)
Renter Owner
0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
>80-
100%
AMI
Total 0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
>80-
100%
AMI
Total
NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS
Having 1 or more
of four housing
problems 6,525 2,290 620 115 9,550 1,335 770 495 75 2,675
Having none of
four housing
problems 1,000 2,695 5,425 2,790 11,910 700 1,335 3,915 3,190 9,140
Household has
negative income,
but none of the
other housing
problems 530 0 0 0 530 195 0 0 0 195
Table 8 – Housing Problems 2
Data
Source:
2011-2015 CHAS
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 33
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Total of 12,225 households experienced one or more housing problems (approximately 21% of all
households) most of which were cost burdened.
3. Cost Burden > 30%
Renter Owner
0-30%
AMI
>30-50%
AMI
>50-80%
AMI
Total 0-30%
AMI
>30-50%
AMI
>50-80%
AMI
Total
NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS
Small Related 1,330 1,185 775 3,290 374 395 925 1,694
Large Related 150 90 90 330 60 50 120 230
Elderly 635 404 349 1,388 655 390 585 1,630
Other 4,845 2,700 2,185 9,730 515 369 555 1,439
Total need by
income
6,960 4,379 3,399 14,738 1,604 1,204 2,185 4,993
Table 9 – Cost Burden > 30%
Data
Source:
2011-2015 CHAS
Cost Burden
Cost burden disproportionately impacts the elderly and small families. 66% of elderly households were
cost burdened, while 21% of all small related households were cost burdened.
4. Cost Burden > 50%
Renter Owner
0-30%
AMI
>30-50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
Total 0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
Total
NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS
Small Related 1,180 425 45 1,650 324 355 105 784
Large Related 140 35 0 175 60 20 35 115
Elderly 550 220 90 860 450 175 160 785
Other 4,570 1,510 280 6,360 450 195 125 770
Total need by
income
6,440 2,190 415 9,045 1,284 745 425 2,454
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 34
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57% of small families at 0–30% AMI are severely cost burdened. Across the board, the lower the income
the more likely a household is to be cost burdened.
5. Crowding (More than one person per room)
Renter Owner
0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
>80-
100%
AMI
Total 0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
>80-
100%
AMI
Total
NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS
Single family
households 95 110 115 80 400 25 4 25 35 89
Multiple, unrelated
family households 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 0 35
Other, non-family
households 50 0 0 0 50 0 0 0 0 0
Total need by
income
145 110 115 80 450 25 4 60 35 124
Table 11 – Crowding Information – 1/2
Data
Source:
2011-2015 CHAS
Crowding
Crowding is primarily an issue for single family households but impacts only 2% of all households.
Renter Owner
0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
80%
AMI
Total 0-30%
AMI
>30-
50%
AMI
>50-
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 35
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According to the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, there are 15,380 one-person
households living in Fort Collins, occupying 25% of total housing units and 29% of rental units. The
median annual income for a single person household in Fort Collins is $31,773. With median rent at
$1190/mth, a single person household would need to earn $47,000 to be not be cost-burdened in their
housing. If single people experience poverty at the same rate as the overall community (17%), is could
be assumed that over 2600 individuals could benefit from housing assistance. Additionally, the annual
Point in Time Count has identified 353 individuals experiencing homelessness in our community, many
of whom are single and have disabilities. Also, 44.2% of people in “other living arrangements” (not
including family households) are at or below 125% FPL. Accordingly, it can be assumed that a large
proportion of single person households (3000+) need housing assistance, including students, seniors,
people with disabilities, people experiencing housing problems, and people currently experiencing
homelessness. The biggest need for housing assistance among any household type, including individuals,
is affordably priced rentals and units for sale.
Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance who are disabled or
victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
Victims of Domestic Violence
Approximately 25,500 women and 20,800 men in Fort Collins are estimated to have experienced
intimidate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lives. These numbers are based on the most
recent (2010-2012 average annual estimates) State of Colorado lifetime prevalence rates from the CDC
applied to the Fort Collins population of women and men 18 years and older.
Statewide prevalence rates also suggest that in any given year, an estimated 5,000 women and 3,500
men in Fort Collins experience IPV (Male prevalence rates are based on national 12-month prevalence
rates. State 12-month rates are not available.). In FY18, Crossroads Safehouse, the local shelter for
victims of domestic violence, served nearly 700 unduplicated clients.
The January 2019 Point-in-Time (PIT) count in Fort Collins found 16% of people experiencing
homelessness on that night were survivors of domestic violence. These people require safe shelter,
counseling and other services, and often also need job training, housing placement, and an affordable
rental unit.
People with Disabilities
Households with disabled members will be discussed in further detail in NA-45, Non-Homeless Special
Needs Assessment. According to ACS 2018 5-Year Estimates, almost 70% of people over 16 with a
disability are not in the workforce. Those who are employed work primarily in educational services, and
health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food
services; and retail trade. These fields generally pay less than others—the median pay for a person with
a disability was $6000 less than for a person without a disability. Approximately 20% of individuals with
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 36
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
disabilities are living below the federal poverty limit, which is significantly below the Area Median
Income and Self-Sufficiency rates for Fort Collins. The most common assistance needed for households
with a disabled household member are access to accessible housing units, accessibility modifications for
existing housing, access to public transportation, and rent restrictions to reduce household housing
costs. Refer to Population with Disabilities chart above.
What are the most common housing problems?
The most common housing problems in Fort Collins, by far, are Cost Burden and Severe Cost Burden.
Housing costs in Fort Collins and throughout Colorado have been rising dramatically. The supply of
available units has been on the decline and households with moderate, low, and extremely low incomes
are less able to pay for escalating housing costs than those with higher incomes. Please see the Housing
Markets section for more information on the cost of housing in Fort Collins.
Are any populations/household types more affected than others by these problems?
• A total of 12,225 households experienced one or more housing problems (approximately 21% of
all households) most of which were cost burdened. Cost burden and severe cost burden are
more likely among renters but remain a significant problem for lower-income homeowners as
well.
• Extremely low and very low-income households are more likely to experience housing problems
than those with higher incomes.
• Black/African American households are disproportionately impacted by housing problems and
severe housing problems at every income level and are cost-burdened at a higher rate than any
other race or ethnicity.
• Small related and other households are most affected by cost burden.
• 57% of small families at 0–30% AMI are severely cost burdened. Across the board, the lower the
income the more likely a household is to be cost burdened.
• Cost burden disproportionately impacts the elderly and small families. 66% of elderly
households were cost burdened, while 21% of all small related households were cost burdened.
Describe the characteristics and needs of Low-income individuals and families with children
(especially extremely low-income) who are currently housed but are at imminent risk of
either residing in shelters or becoming unsheltered 91.205(c)/91.305(c)). Also discuss the
needs of formerly homeless families and individuals who are receiving rapid re-housing
assistance and are nearing the termination of that assistance
The Housing First Initiative collects data on the contributing factors leading to homelessness. These
factors are self-reported by people who have become homeless. The top ten reasons identified for
becoming homeless are: inability to pay rent or mortgage, lost job or inability to find work, relationship
problems, being asked to leave their housing, mental illness, bad credit, alcohol or substance abuse
problems, family or personal illness, domestic violence, and discharge from correctional institution.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 37
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Additionally, nearly 40% of those people in Fort Collins who have experienced homelessness 6 months
or more have zero income. 54% of 2019 Point in Time Count respondents reported at least one disability
and 16% reported fleeing from domestic violence.
Households spending 50% or more of their income on housing (severely cost burdened) are considered
at risk of homelessness. These households have limited capacity to adjust to rising home prices and are
vulnerable to even minor shifts in rents, property taxes, and/or incomes. This is especially true for low
and extremely low-income households. In 2015, there were a total of 6440 renter households at 0–30%
AMI, 1284 owner households at 0-30% AMI, 2190 renter households at 31–50% AMI, and 745 owners at
31-50% AMI with severe cost burden in Fort Collins. Many severely cost-burdened households are low
and very low-income families, elderly, and “other” households. Fort Collins has a very low vacancy rate,
and price restricted rental properties are short in supply (there is currently a 3-5 year wait for all
subsidized housing programs through Housing Catalyst). Households who fall behind in rent or mortgage
payments will find it difficult to find a less costly unit within Fort Collins.
Homeless providers and housing providers interviewed during the preparation of the Consolidated Plan
indicated the biggest hurdles for their clients are finding affordable housing and retaining the housing
they enter. This is also true for victims of domestic violence. Households will struggle to avoid the
homeless cycle without housing that costs 30% or less of their income.
Formerly homeless families and individuals nearing the termination of rapid re-housing assistance need
extended case management and/or supportive services to ensure continued housing stability. Case
management can provide support and resources necessary to retain their housing. Landlord
engagement is also an identified area of need, both to encourage the acceptance of vouchers as well as
to support tenants in maintaining housing in the community.
If a jurisdiction provides estimates of the at-risk population(s), it should also include a
description of the operational definition of the at-risk group and the methodology used to
generate the estimates:
Fort Collins does not provide estimates of any specific at-risk populations.
Specify particular housing characteristics that have been linked with instability and an
increased risk of homelessness
Housing cost and housing availability are the two housing characteristics most linked to housing
instability. The Fort Collins rental housing market is tight, and the rise in rent and sales prices, combined
with low vacancy, is causing households to be priced out of the market, experience cost burdens of 30-
50% or more, and are forcing some households to double up. Homelessness intervention providers
report a need to extend emergency rental assistance from a typical once per year limit to up to three
years depending on client circumstances. As noted in NA-40, people experiencing homelessness in Fort
Collins report the top reasons for losing housing include inability to pay rent or mortgage, loss of a job,
relationship difficulties, being requested to leave, behavioral health issues, and credit challenges.
Discussion
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 38
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Please refer to the MA-15 Cost of Housing section of the Consolidated Plan to read more about housing
costs, and the gap in prices and unit availability for households in Fort Collins.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 39
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NA-15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2)
Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to
the needs of that category of need as a whole.
Introduction
A disproportionately greater need exists when the members of racial or ethnic groups at a specific
income level experience housing problems at a greater rate (10% or more) than the income level as a
whole. The following data has been provided by HUD to conduct an analysis of disproportionate needs
in Fort Collins.
The four housing problems* identified by HUD and included in this analysis are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities
2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities
3. More than one person per room
4. Cost burden greater than 30%
0%-30% of Area Median Income
Housing Problems Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 8,665 895 725
White 6,995 735 440
Black / African American 109 15 0
Asian 165 25 130
American Indian, Alaska Native 60 0 20
Pacific Islander 0 0 4
Hispanic 1,055 125 105
Table 13 - Disproportionally Greater Need 0 - 30% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
*The four housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per
room, 4.Cost Burden greater than 30%
Extremely low-income families have a greater likelihood of experiencing housing problems than
households with higher incomes; white (86%), Black/African American (88%), and Hispanic (82%)
households are impacted at a higher rate than Asian (52%) and Native American (75%) households.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 40
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
30%-50% of Area Median Income
Housing Problems Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 5,605 1,474 0
White 4,715 1,159 0
Black / African American 35 30 0
Asian 90 14 0
American Indian, Alaska Native 10 0 0
Pacific Islander 4 0 0
Hispanic 555 215 0
Table 14 - Disproportionally Greater Need 30 - 50% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
*The four housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per
room, 4.Cost Burden greater than 30%
Very low-income households are nearly as likely as extremely low-income households to experience
housing problems in Fort Collins, 79% overall. Black/African American households are the only category
to have a lower rate of housing problems, while 100% of Native American and Pacific Islander
households have housing problems.
50%-80% of Area Median Income
Housing Problems Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 5,785 4,670 0
White 4,930 3,805 0
Black / African American 145 15 0
Asian 135 105 0
American Indian, Alaska Native 4 25 0
Pacific Islander 0 25 0
Hispanic 400 600 0
Table 15 - Disproportionally Greater Need 50 - 80% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 41
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
*The four housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per
room, 4.Cost Burden greater than 30%
Housing problem issues dramatically decrease in frequency between 30-50% AMI and 50-80% AMI
households, with the exception Black/African American households. These households are negatively
impacted at a rate of 91%, while the average is 55%.
80%-100% of Area Median Income
Housing Problems Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 1,635 4,535 0
White 1,445 3,875 0
Black / African American 10 15 0
Asian 0 110 0
American Indian, Alaska Native 0 0 0
Pacific Islander 0 4 0
Hispanic 120 475 0
Table 16 - Disproportionally Greater Need 80 - 100% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
*The four housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than one person per
room, 4.Cost Burden greater than 30%
As incomes rise, the rate of housing problems continues to decrease; however, Black/African American
households continue to be disproportionately impacted at 40% experiencing housing problems, while
the average for this income range is 26%.
Discussion
Lower income households have higher rates of housing problems, and racial and ethnic minorities as
more likely to experience housing problems. However, with low numbers of households of races other
than white, it is difficult to determine whether there is a significant trend of non-white households being
disproportionately impacted by housing problems.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 42
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
NA-20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems – 91.205
(b)(2)
Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to
the needs of that category of need as a whole.
Introduction
While no one racial or ethnic group had a disproportionate housing problem, HUD data does find that
while 76% of all households earning 0–30% AMI have one of the four severe housing problems,
Black/African American households have 85% severe housing problems. This is a disproportionately
greater housing need. The disparities between races in having housing problems grows with incomes up
to 80% AMI. At 81-100% AMI severe housing problems become nearly nonexistent.
0%-30% of Area Median Income
Severe Housing Problems* Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 7,860 1,700 725
White 6,370 1,360 440
Black / African American 104 19 0
Asian 150 40 130
American Indian, Alaska Native 60 0 20
Pacific Islander 0 0 4
Hispanic 935 250 105
Table 17 – Severe Housing Problems 0 - 30% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
*The four severe housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per
room, 4.Cost Burden over 50%
Extremely low-income families have a greater likelihood of experiencing severe housing problems than
higher income households; Black/African American (85%), are impacted at a higher rate than average
(76%), while Asian households have a lower incident of severe housing problems than average at 47%.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 43
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
30%-50% of Area Median Income
Severe Housing Problems* Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 3,060 4,030 0
White 2,615 3,264 0
Black / African American 4 60 0
Asian 55 49 0
American Indian, Alaska Native 10 0 0
Pacific Islander 4 0 0
Hispanic 305 470 0
Table 18 – Severe Housing Problems 30 - 50% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
*The four severe housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per
room, 4.Cost Burden over 50%
Very low-income households are significantly less likely than extremely low-income households to
experience severe housing problems in Fort Collins, 43% average. Black/African American households
are the only category to have a significantly lower rate of severe housing problems at this income level,
while 100% of Native American and Pacific Islander households have severe housing problems.
50%-80% of Area Median Income
Severe Housing Problems* Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 1,115 9,340 0
White 995 7,750 0
Black / African American 0 160 0
Asian 60 185 0
American Indian, Alaska Native 0 29 0
Pacific Islander 0 25 0
Hispanic 60 940 0
Table 19 – Severe Housing Problems 50 - 80% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 44
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
*The four severe housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per
room, 4.Cost Burden over 50%
Severe housing problems issues dramatically decrease in frequency between 30-50% AMI and 50-80%
AMI households (32% reduction), with the exception Asian households. These households are negatively
impacted at a rate of 24%, while the average is 11%.
80%-100% of Area Median Income
Severe Housing Problems* Has one or more of
four housing
problems
Has none of the
four housing
problems
Household has
no/negative
income, but none
of the other
housing problems
Jurisdiction as a whole 190 5,980 0
White 115 5,205 0
Black / African American 0 25 0
Asian 0 110 0
American Indian, Alaska Native 0 0 0
Pacific Islander 0 4 0
Hispanic 25 565 0
Table 20 – Severe Housing Problems 80 - 100% AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
*The four severe housing problems are:
1. Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2. Lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3. More than 1.5 persons per
room, 4.Cost Burden over 50%
As incomes rise to 80-100% AMI, the rate of severe housing problems decreases significantly (3%
average); with Hispanic households the only category experiencing these problems at a higher than
average rate (4%).
Discussion
Income appears to be the primary driver of severe housing problems. Severe cost-burden is the main
housing problem that households in Fort Collins experience.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 45
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
NA-25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens – 91.205 (b)(2)
Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to
the needs of that category of need as a whole.
Introduction:
Black/African American households are cost-burdened at a significantly higher rate (60%) than average
(38%). According to apartmentlist.com, 50.9% of renters in Fort Collins were cost-burdened in 2018.
Housing Cost Burden
Housing Cost Burden <=30% 30-50% >50% No / negative
income (not
computed)
Jurisdiction as a whole 35,640 10,780 11,695 810
White 31,105 9,185 9,775 520
Black / African American 200 190 109 0
Asian 795 145 225 130
American Indian, Alaska
Native 120 4 70 20
Pacific Islander 35 0 4 4
Hispanic 2,800 880 1,205 110
Table 21 – Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens AMI
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
Discussion:
Cost burden is a community-wide issue with escalating housing costs and relatively stagnant wage
growth. Those households with lower incomes are more susceptible to being cost-burdened than higher
income households.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 46
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
NA-30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2)
Are there any Income categories in which a racial or ethnic group has disproportionately
greater need than the needs of that income category as a whole?
Extremely low and very low-income households are more likely to experience housing problems than
those with higher incomes. Additionally, Black/African American households continue to be
disproportionately impacted by housing problems and severe housing problems at every income level
and are cost-burdened at a higher rate than any other race or ethnicity.
If they have needs not identified above, what are those needs?
Housing costs continue to increase while wages have stagnated, impacting the housing cost-burden of
the community’s lowest wage earners.
Are any of those racial or ethnic groups located in specific areas or neighborhoods in your
community?
There are neighborhoods in Fort Collins with higher percentages of Hispanic households, but HUD data
does not suggest these households have any disproportionately greater housing needs.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 47
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
NA-35 Public Housing – 91.205(b)
Introduction
Housing Catalyst is the housing authority of the City of Fort Collins. Our community knows that building a better life and pursuing opportunity
begins with having a place to live, and Housing Catalyst strives to make living in Fort Collins affordable, regardless of income. It provides the
critical tools families need and serves as an anchor for people whose lives need stability and support. Housing Catalyst is a mission-driven
developer at the leading edge of affordable housing. It forges public-private partnerships to build strong communities based on pride and
belonging. Actively moving the region forward, Housing Catalyst is reinventing how people access, experience and perceive affordable housing.
Housing Catalyst is HUD designated “High Performer,” progressive housing developer and manager that provides many housing opportunities to
residents of Fort Collins. The agency serves nearly 5,000 people per year. The agency owns and operates housing units; provides Housing Choice
Vouchers; Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Vouchers; Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers and special purpose housing
vouchers for people with disabilities; and develops new housing communities throughout Fort Collins and neighboring communities.
Totals in Use
Program Type
Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Vouchers
Total Project -
based
Tenant -
based
Special Purpose Voucher
Veterans
Affairs
Supportive
Housing
Family
Unification
Program
Disabled
*
# of units vouchers in use 0 0 70 1,184 232 510 119 39 284
Table 22 - Public Housing by Program Type
*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition
Alternate Data Source Name:
Housing Catalyst Data
Data Source Comments:
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 48
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Characteristics of Residents
Program Type
Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Vouchers
Total Project -
based
Tenant -
based
Special Purpose Voucher
Veterans
Affairs
Supportive
Housing
Family
Unification
Program
Average Annual Income 0 0 17,334 13,931 12,513 15,641 13,947 11,669
Average length of stay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Average Household size 0 0 0 2 2 0 21 0
# Homeless at admission 0 0 3 214 60 16 75 6
# of Elderly Program Participants
(>62) 0 0 17 373 49 188 40 3
# of Disabled Families 0 0 37 701 99 230 84 9
# of Families requesting accessibility
features 0 0 0 878 136 567 58 4
# of HIV/AIDS program participants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
# of DV victims 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Table 23 – Characteristics of Public Housing Residents by Program Type
Alternate Data Source Name:
Housing Catalyst Data
Data Source Comments:
Family Type
Thirty-eight percent (38%) of public housing residents and 26% of voucher holders are non-elderly, non-disabled households with children,
according to data provided by Housing Catalyst. Another 10% of public housing residents and 7% of voucher holders are non-elderly households
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 49
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
with children with a disabled household member. Forty-eight percent (48%) of public housing residents and 38% of voucher holders are female
headed households with children.
Family Type Charts
Tenant Ages
Thirty-nine percent (39%) of public housing residents are children aged 17 and younger, and 35% of voucher holder household members are
children. Just 11% of public housing residents and 16% of voucher holder household members are seniors age 62 and older.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 50
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Tenant Ages Charts
Race of Residents
Program Type
Race Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Vouchers
Total Project -
based
Tenant -
based
Special Purpose Voucher
Veterans
Affairs
Supportive
Housing
Family
Unification
Program
Disabled
*
White 0 20 142 806 124 523 52 4 79
Black/African American 0 0 5 33 6 18 5 0 2
Asian 0 1 0 6 1 4 0 0 1
American Indian/Alaska
Native 0 1 3 33 5 22 1 0 4
Pacific Islander 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition
Table 24 – Race of Public Housing Residents by Program Type
Data Source: PIC (PIH Information Center)
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Race of Residents
The following chart was provided by Housing Catalyst to replace the data provided by HUD, but describes the race of residents by percent, rather
than number.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 52
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Ethnicity of Residents
Program Type
Ethnicity Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Vouchers
Total Project -
based
Tenant -
based
Special Purpose Voucher
Veterans
Affairs
Supportive
Housing
Family
Unification
Program
Disabled
*
Hispanic 0 7 61 216 31 160 6 1 12
Not Hispanic 0 15 89 662 105 407 52 3 74
*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing Home Transition
Table 25 – Ethnicity of Public Housing Residents by Program Type
Data Source: PIC (PIH Information Center)
Ethnicity of Residents
While most households utilizing assistance from Housing Catalyst are white, the percentage of Hispanic or Latino households utilizing assistance
from Housing Catalyst is higher than the percentage of Hispanic or Latino household in the general population. Although just 12% of the general
population in Fort Collins is Hispanic/Latino, 42% of public housing and 23% of voucher holders are Hispanic or Latino. Poverty data for Fort
Collins shows that Hispanic/Latino households had a 6.2% higher incidence of poverty than non-Hispanic or Latino households in 2017.
The following chart was provided by Housing Catalyst to replace the data provided by HUD, but describes the race of residents by percent, rather
than number.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 53
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Tenant Incomes
Seventy-four percent (74%) of public housing residents and 82% of voucher holder households have incomes at 0–30% of the AMI. The average
annual income for clients in all program types is below the 30% AMI income limit. Forty-one (41%) of public housing residents and 43% of
voucher holders have incomes at or below $10,000 per year.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 54
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Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 55
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Income Sources
Fifty-four (54%) of Housing Catalyst’s public housing tenant households have income from wages. Another 51% rely upon Social Security
Insurance (SSI), Social Security (SS) or pension income, 1% are on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and 0% have no income. A
higher percentage of voucher holders have SSI, SS or pension income.
Length of Stay
Once Fort Collins residents move into public housing or secure a Housing Choice or other housing voucher, they tend to stay. Most residents
have lived in their property or used their voucher for over two years. Affordable housing options are hard to find in Fort Collins, and assistance
that allows a household, especially those at 0–30% AMI as most Housing Catalyst households are, is difficult to secure.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 56
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 06/30/2018)
Waiting List
Housing Catalyst only opens waitlists periodically for targeted special populations. As a result, Housing Catalyst’s waitlist numbers are not
indicative of community need.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 57
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Section 504 Needs Assessment: Describe the needs of public housing tenants and applicants
on the waiting list for accessible units:
Housing Catalyst does a needs assessment as new projects come on board. There are many households
being served by Housing Catalyst who need accessible homes, and persons on the waiting list for
housing units in need of accessible units. Housing providers interviewed during the development of the
Consolidated Plan indicate that persons with the need for an accessible rental, especially those who
need efficiency or one-bedroom apartments, have increasingly had a hard time finding an affordable,
accessible place to live. Many persons with disabilities need housing located near public transportation,
services, and shopping, an added challenge when searching for a rental.
Most immediate needs of residents of Public Housing and Housing Choice voucher holders
There are many unmet needs for public housing residents and voucher holders. Availability of rental
units continues to be the largest. Beyond this, there is an ongoing need for subsidy and supportive
services for families, youth, and seniors. In addition, frequent utilizers of emergency services and those
re-entering from the corrections system also have these needs but face additional barriers.
There also continues to be a need for affordable day care. This combines with a lack of employment
training and employment not paying a living wage creates a situation where people cannot afford to
reenter the workforce. Finally, there are needs for better transportation, more supportive services for
people who have transitioned out of homelessness, and mental health and substance use treatment.
How do these needs compare to the housing needs of the population at large
These needs are experienced by other extremely low and low-income households in Fort Collins. They
are not as impactful on higher income households, and those who can afford prevailing rents and
transportation costs. Persons with disabilities and fixed incomes, such as seniors, are impacted more
than other households by rising costs, low inventory, and lack of access to public transportation.
Consolidated Plan Fort Collins 58
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NA-40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c)
Introduction:
Homeless needs were assessed through interviews with service providers, a homelessness-specific focus
group, data from a variety of sources, and the knowledge of staff who assist in the coordination of
winter emergency sheltering and serve on the boards of Northern Colorado Continuum of Care and
Outreach Fort Collins. The City maintains strong partnerships, through funding and/or collaboration,
with homeless service providers including Homeward Alliance, Homeward 2020, Housing First Initiative,
Outreach Fort Collins, Catholic Charities, Fort Collins Rescue Mission, and Housing Catalyst, as well as
City of Fort Collins Police and Natural Areas Rangers.
In the past, the Point in Time (PIT) count was one of the primary tools for Fort Collins to access data
regarding homelessness. However, with changes in the PIT and the implementation of the Housing First
Initiative and CAHPS (Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System) additional information is
available on individuals experiencing homelessness in Fort Collins. Data in this section is sourced from
reports from these initiatives.
Homeless Needs Assessment
Population Estimate the # of
persons experiencing
homelessness on a
given night
Estimate the
#
experiencing
homelessness
each year
Estimate
the #
becoming
homeless
each year
Estimate the
# exiting
homelessness
each year
Estimate the
# of days
persons
experience
homelessness
Sheltered Unsheltered
Persons in
Households
with Adult(s)
and Child(ren) 0 0 0 0 0 0
Persons in
Households
with Only
Children 0 0 0 0 0 0
Persons in
Households
with Only
Adults 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chronically
Homeless
Individuals 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Population Estimate the # of
persons experiencing
homelessness on a
given night
Estimate the
#
experiencing
homelessness
each year
Estimate
the #
becoming
homeless
each year
Estimate the
# exiting
homelessness
each year
Estimate the
# of days
persons
experience
homelessness
Sheltered Unsheltered
Chronically
Homeless
Families 0 0 0 0 0 0
Veterans 0 0 0 0 0 0
Unaccompanied
Child 0 0 0 0 0 0
Persons with
HIV 0 0 0 0 0 0
Table 26 - Homeless Needs Assessment
Data Source
Comments:
Consistent data for these categories was unavailable. Alternate data is
provided below with information on the data sources.
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Length of Time Homeless
Length of homelessness is captured by the Housing First Initiative, with a focus on those who have been
homeless six months or more. The majority of those experiencing homeless are homeless between one
and five years, with another 19% experiencing 10 or more years of homelessness.
Leading factors contributing to becoming homeless, self-reported by HFI participants are as follows:
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Homelessness Subpopulations
The annual PIT report does not contain demographics for those surveyed. However, it does collect
information on chronically homeless, veterans, victims of domestic violence, and persons with
disabilities.
According to the PIT, the majority of respondents were chronically homeless and/or self-reported a
disability. Similarly, 42% of those individuals tracked through the Housing First Initiative report having a
disability.
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If data is not available for the categories "number of persons becoming and exiting
homelessness each year," and "number of days that persons experience homelessness,"
describe these categories for each homeless population type (including chronically homeless
individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and
unaccompanied youth):
In October 2015 the Mayor Wade Troxell signed onto the 2015 Mayors Challenge to End Veteran
Homelessness, a federal initiative calling for mayors to commit to ending veteran homelessness in their
cities. Several efforts were already underway in Fort Collins to end veteran homelessness, including
much of the work associated with the Fort Collins 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. These efforts
include landlord outreach, coordination with other veteran service initiatives, increasing Veterans
Administration Supportive Housing voucher usage and using Housing First and Trauma Informed Care
philosophies to assist veteran families. Thus far these efforts have been successful. Veterans have been
housed at a significantly higher rate than other demographic groups in Larimer County. Similarly, the
Housing First Initiative reports only 6% of respondents reported veteran status.
Fort Collins does not currently have a youth homeless shelter, therefore decreasing the ability of the
homelessness coordination system to house unaccompanied youth.
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Nature and Extent of Homelessness: (Optional)
Race: Sheltered: Unsheltered (optional)
White 265 0
Black or African American 21 0
Asian 0 0
American Indian or Alaska
Native 33 0
Pacific Islander 6 0
Ethnicity: Sheltered: Unsheltered (optional)
Hispanic 44 0
Not Hispanic 298 0
Alternate Data Source Name:
Annual Point in Time Count
Data Source
Comments:
This data includes sheltered and unsheltered individuals. 353 people were
surveyed in 2019, with an estimated 89 unsheltered individuals.
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Homelessness by Race and Ethnicity HFI Data
Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance for families with
children and the families of veterans.
HFI and PIT reports do not provide information on families with children. However, Catholic Charities
shelter has capacity for four families per night, Family Housing Network houses 4 families each night (12
additional waitlisted families may use the day shelter), and Crossroads Safehouse has 32 rooms with 104
beds to serve families that are victims of domestic violence. Also, Poudre School District provided the
following information regarding students participating in the McKinney Vento program for students
experiencing homelessness. In 2017 the program began breaking out categories of unsheltered students
to include camping and RV/vehicle—the unsheltered totals have actually increased from the 50s to over
70 in the 2018-19 school year. Students who are doubled-up with other families and unaccompanied
account for the majority of students experiencing homelessness, about half of whom are elementary
aged.
HFI and PIT reports do not provide information on families with children. However, Catholic Charities
shelter has capacity for four families per night, Family Housing Network houses 4 families each night (12
additional waitlisted families may use the day shelter), and Crossroads Safehouse has 32 rooms with 104
beds to serve families that are victims of domestic violence. Also, Poudre School District provided the
following information regarding students participating in the McKinney Vento program for students
experiencing homelessness. In 2017 the program began breaking out categories of unsheltered students
to include camping and RV/vehicle—the unsheltered totals have actually increased from the 50s to over
70 in the 2018-19 school year. Students who are doubled-up with other families and unaccompanied
account for the majority of students experiencing homelessness, about half of whom are elementary
aged.
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Describe the Nature and Extent of Homelessness by Racial and Ethnic Group.
According to HFI, there are 434 individuals experiencing homelessness for 6 months or more in Fort
Collins. While Native American/Alaskan Native individuals comprise less than 1% of the population, they
represent 6% of the homeless population. Similarly, Black/African Americans are overrepresented. The
annual PIT also collected race and ethnicity demographics on the 353 people it surveyed in 2019. As
with the HFI data, Black/African Americans and Native Americans and Alaskan Natives are shown to be
overrepresented in the population of people experiencing homelessness.
Catholic Charities shelter reported similar findings: 15% of their overnight clients in FY18 were
Hispanic/Latino, 6% Black/African American, and 9% American Indian/Native Alaskan. They also
reported 15% of their clients as having a disability.
No ethnic group is disproportionately experiencing homelessness. According to 2017 ACS 5-year
estimates, 12% of the population of Fort Collins is Hispanic/Latinx, while 88% of the population identifies
as non-Hispanic/Latinx. However, people of races other than white are over-represented in the
population of people experiencing homelessness.
Describe the Nature and Extent of Unsheltered and Sheltered Homelessness.
The PIT conducted in January 2019 surveyed 264 sheltered individuals and 89 unsheltered individuals.
Information on these individuals was not reported in such a way as to be able to distinguish differences
in demographic trends between sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. The HFI
dashboard does not provide data on sheltered versus unsheltered.
Discussion:
Available data shows that people with disabilities, Native American or Native Alaskan, and Black or
African American community members experience homelessness at higher rates than other populations.
Additionally, many people experiencing homelessness are chronically homeless, but the majority of HFI
participants have been homeless 1-3 years. Diversion, reunification, and housing first efforts have
lowered the number of veterans and families experiencing homelessness. The top reported cause of
homelessness is the inability to pay rent or mortgage. With 164 of 434 HFI participants reporting zero
income, and only 2 reporting income sufficient to rent at market rate, these people will be unable to
afford housing without rental assistance. The high rate of disability means that permanent supportive
housing is an important resource for reducing homelessness in Fort Collins. In the focus groups and
interviews conducted for the Consolidated Plan, respite care for people experiencing homelessness was
also identified as a high need. People experiencing homelessness may delay care for medical issues
because they do not have a secure place to recover from medical procedures. Catholic Charities shelter
is collaborating with local health care providers to begin offering this critical service to their clients.
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NA-45 Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment - 91.205 (b,d)
Introduction:
The City of Fort Collins identifies several special need populations within the City. Populations include:
persons with physical disabilities, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), mental health
disabilities, Substance Use Disorders (SUDS), seniors, people with HIV/AIDS, and victims of domestic
violence.
Describe the characteristics of special needs populations in your community:
Seniors
Seniors age 65 and older make up an estimated 11% of the city’s population with over 18,000 senior
residents. Seniors are projected to comprise 19% of the total population by 2030. Most older adults live
in single-family homes. Many of the remaining seniors live in multifamily housing. Minority seniors are
more likely to live in a multigenerational household with 19% of older Hispanic households and 20% of
older Asian households living in three generation households compared to only 10% of older
Black/African American households and 4% of older white households. A small portion of seniors live in
group quarters (e.g. skilled nursing facilities)--2.4% of people ages 65 to 79 and 7.7% of those over 80. In
recent years, the portion of seniors living in group settings has declined due to an increase in-home and
community-based services that offer longer-term residential support services. In the 2018 Community
Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA), only 13% of seniors indicated they had good access to
quality affordable housing.
Frail Elderly
“Frail Elderly” is defined as elderly persons who requires assistance with three or more activities of daily
living, such as bathing, walking and performing light housework. Of those 65 and up, 1112 have a self-
care difficulty, and 3268 have an independent living difficulty. This constitutes approximately 10% of
people over 65. Frail elderly people are likely to need daily self-care support. With the anticipated
growth in the number of seniors will come additional need for both assisted living (particularly that
accept Medicaid), and aging in place supports such as affordable senior rental housing, transportation
assistance, in-home assistance, and accessible housing modifications.
Mental Illness
The National Institute on Mental Health reports that 66.7% of adults with serious mental illness seek
treatment. Applying that statistic to Fort Collins adults with serious mental illness suggests that
approximately 1,900 adults have not sought treatment. Untreated serious mental illness has both
personal and social costs, including unemployment, disability, risk of suicide, substance use disorders,
and homelessness, and can strain law enforcement and emergency response services. The prevalence of
mental illness in adults is lower than for adolescents with approximately 19% of adults with any mental
illness and 4.5% with a serious mental illness. Nearly half of all adolescents aged 12 to 17 have any
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mental illness (including mild disorders), and 11% suffer from a serious mental illness according to
national trends. An estimated 1,300 adolescents and 5,800 adults suffer from a serious mental illness in
Fort Collins. In its most severe state, mental illness can lead to residents taking their own lives. While
suicide rates fluctuate annually, the rate of suicide increased in Larimer County and Colorado from 2004
to 2018. In 2018, the suicide rate per 100,000 population in Larimer County was 22.8 compared to 21.9
statewide. Over the past five and a half years, 1 in 3 people who died of suicide in Larimer County were
in this age group. From 2011 to 2015, the rate of suicide was highest consistently every year for the
population between 45 and 64 years old according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment.
Describe the characteristics of special needs populations in your community:
Substance Use Disorders
In Fort Collins, national prevalence rates translate to an estimated 7,600 individuals with an alcohol use
disorder and nearly 4,000 individuals with a drug use disorder.
Persons with Disabilities
More than 14,500 residents 5 years or older were estimated to have a disability in 2018. Nearly 70% are
seniors. Children (18 and under) with a disability primarily have cognitive difficulties while people 18 and
older mostly have ambulatory disabilities. Some people with disabilities are limited in their ability to
work and rely on Social Security and disability payments as their primary sources of income. 42% of Fort
Collins residents with disabilities are employed, 9% are unemployed and the remainder are not in the
labor force. The disparity in median income between disabled residents and residents without a
disability is higher in Fort Collins than statewide with a 53% difference in median income in the city. The
average monthly Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) amount received by an eligible person with a
disability in 2019 was $1,234. SSDI is available only to people who have had a work history.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available to people who do not have a work history or who do not
qualify for SSDI. These payments are set at $783 per month, or $9,400 per year. Persons with disabilities
who are awaiting approval for social security payments are eligible to receive a small amount of cash
assistance from the State of Colorado (Aid to the Needy Disabled program). This assistance is just $200
per month.
Children with Developmental Disabilities
Learning disabilities and ADHD are the most prevalent developmental disabilities observed in children
nationwide. Approximately 4,900 children in Fort Collins had any developmental disability in 2018. The
estimated number of children with a development disability based on the 2017 PEDIATRICS study
exceeds the Census estimate because of different definitions of disability (e.g., the American Community
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Survey (ACS) “cognitive” disability definition does not appear to include ADHD or learning disabilities,
but the PEDIATRICS definition does).
Domestic Violence
Statewide prevalence rates suggest that in any given year, approximately 5000 women and 3500 men in
Fort Collins experience intimate partner violence (IPV). There are currently no permanent housing
options specifically designed for victims of domestic violence, which makes discharge after a temporary
stay at Crossroads Safehouse challenging. However, Crossroads has received a grant to provide rapid
rehousing services to their clients. Access to housing, services, health care and long-term mental health
care are key needs for this population.
People Living with HIV/AIDS
In Larimer County in 2016, 88/100,000 people were living with HIV. While there is a low incidence of
HIV/AIDS and treatments are helping people live longer, healthier lives, people with HIV/AIDS who have
limited resources may need housing supports to improve outcomes related to their physical and mental
health. When access to quality housing and services are available, lower income people with HIV/AIDS
are more likely to receive necessary medical and therapeutic treatments, as well as other social supports
that aid recovery. Northern Colorado Health Network (NCHN) reports the housing needs of their clients
include rent reduction programs, deposit assistance, eviction prevention, tenant based rental assistance,
housing navigation, utility assistance, and landlord engagement. NCHN also reported that transportation
is a barrier for medical care.
What are the housing and supportive service needs of these populations and how are these
needs determined?
A variety of sources were used to determine the housing and supportive service needs of non-homeless
special needs populations. Stakeholders from organizations that provide services to these populations
were interviewed for the Consolidated Plan and participated in workshops and focus groups designed to
identify the highest needs and priorities for CDBG and HOME funds in Fort Collins over the next five
years. A community questionnaire was used to gauge public perception of the housing needs and
human service needs of these populations. Additionally, a variety of data including ACS and local reports
were used to verify the needs identified through stakeholder and public input. Affordable housing,
permanent supportive housing, and housing with co-location of services like childcare and case
management were identified as top priorities for new housing units. Homeownership supports such as
accessibility modifications, emergency repairs, and efficiency upgrades were identified as housing
rehabilitation priorities. Emergency shelter, housing stabilization, and increased access to services are
priority human service needs in Fort Collins. The Consolidated Plan Goals will prioritize projects serving
special populations including people experiencing homelessness, families, seniors, unaccompanied
youth, people with disabilities, and people with very low incomes. Organizations providing services to
victims of domestic violence, people with behavioral health needs, and people living with HIV will
continue to be supported by the City of Fort Collins through collaboration, and potential funding with
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federal and/or local dollars. Specifically, a new behavioral health facility has been identified by Larimer
County as a high need and was brought before voters for a dedicated tax. Upon completion, the new
regional behavioral health facility will offer a full spectrum of mental health care and withdrawal
management services, including medication-assisted treatment and inpatient care.
Discuss the size and characteristics of the population with HIV/AIDS and their families within
the Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area:
According to the 2019 HIV Epidemiology Annual Report published by the Colorado Department of Health
and Environment, as of 2016 (the most recent year for which data is available) there are 12,215 people
living with HIV in the state of Colorado. Of these people, 14.7% are Black/African American, 22% are
Hispanic/Latinx, and 59% are white. Most people living with HIV in Colorado are male (87.3%) and live in
the Denver area (10,180). In Larimer County, the incident rate of HIV is 88 out of every 100,000 people,
meaning there are approximately 300 people living with HIV in Larimer County, about half of whom may
live in Fort Collins (based on population distribution).
Discussion:
The City of Fort Collins is not a HOPWA grantee.
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NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs – 91.215 (f)
Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Facilities:
City Plan is the primary document guiding development within the City of Fort Collins. The Planning,
Development & Transportation Department spearheads this Plan and maintains the capital
improvement plan, which is used by City staff and Council to set priorities and work plans for City
General Funds and Sales Tax revenues. In April 2015, the voters of Fort Collins passed a 10-year quarter-
cent tax renewal dedicated to community improvements, identified through a capital needs assessment.
The Community Capital Improvement Program includes 17 capital improvement projects, including
affordable housing, street and intersection improvements, bicycle infrastructure improvements, ADA
sidewalk and bus stop improvements, building renovations, bridge construction, bus replacements, a
community whitewater park, and Nature in the City projects. Because the City has other financing
resources, it does not plan to use CDBG funds for general public facilities. Since infrastructure needs and
improvements are addressed through City Plan and the Community Capital Improvement Program,
specific areas and projects are not noted as part of this report.
The City’s Social Sustainability Strategic Plan and Consolidated Plan outreach have not identified any
priority public facility needs. However childcare, transitional housing, and homeless sheltering are
identified community needs that may require additional facilities and have the potential to be funded
through the City’s annual Competitive Process with either City or federal funds, depending on eligibility
and available resources.
How were these needs determined?
The City of Fort Collins conducts an annual review of the Capital Improvements Plan and emerging
needs, which includes public facilities and infrastructure items. In addition, the City has sponsored
extensive public participation efforts to gain a better understanding of the facility needs of agencies
serving the needs of low-income populations. These outreach efforts include interviews with agency
personnel and focus groups composed of agency representatives and community members who focused
exclusively on how CDBG funds could be used to address the non-housing needs of the community. In
addition, residents were surveyed on space and facility requirements needed to effectively deliver
services to low-income households, special needs groups, and persons experiencing homelessness.
Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Improvements:
The City of Fort Collins has sizeable needs for Public Improvements in many parts of its jurisdiction.
Growth puts added pressures on infrastructure, and ensuring that there are adequate public facilities to
provide acceptable levels of service for water, sewer, police, transportation, and other critical facilities is
a City priority. City Plan Principle LIV 1 directs the City to “maintain a compact pattern of growth that is
well served by public facilities and encourages the efficient use of land.”
The City also has an established Growth Management Area (GMA) that limits the amount of land
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available for new development to serve the growing population. There is only one area of the City, the
northeast quadrant, which has any sizeable land parcels for new development. However, in order for
that undeveloped area to become viable for new development, significant infrastructure improvements
will need to be installed. Assuming a low-income benefit could be measured in the new development
area, the capital costs of those improvements are so substantial they are beyond what could be
developed with CDBG funds. Because of the pressing Public Facility needs and Public Service needs
identified by the City, Public Improvement needs will be addressed with City funds from the General
Fund and other City-based revenue sources.
How were these needs determined?
The City closely analyzes and tracks service demands and loads on existing facilities in order to update
and prioritize Capital Needs improvements. The City’s Planning and Zoning Board has conducted a
number of hearings and meetings to gain citizen input on the benefits and challenges of bringing new
infrastructure investment to the Northeast Quadrant of the City. Additionally, the City maintains a
Transportation Capital Improvement Plan and manages Community Capital Improvement projects
funded through a voter-approved, 10-year, quarter-cent tax.
Funding for the City’s Capital Projects is approved as part of the biennial budget. The Budgeting for
Outcomes (BFO) process is a competitive budgeting system that ensures that the budget presented to
City Council reflects the City’s strategic priorities as adopted in the City’s Strategic Plan and policy
guidance from City Plan.
Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Services:
The Fort Collins Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan (SSDSP) identifies vulnerable populations
who need ongoing supportive services. Those populations include households facing the challenges of
poverty, homeless and near-homeless individuals and families, seniors, people with behavioral health
needs, and people with disabilities. A critical component of an effective supportive services delivery
system is the use of CDBG Public Service funding allocations to partially support delivery of those
services. In addition to CDBG Public Service dollars, the City contributes Human Service Program dollars
from the General Fund and the Keep Fort Collins Great tax to provide competitive funding to the
organizations providing these services. Priority public service needs identified in the Consolidated Plan
for allocation of CDBG funds include emergency sheltering and services for people experiencing
homelessness, housing supports and eviction prevention, and increased access to services such as senior
an disability services, mental health care, case management, and transportation. Landlord education to
increase acceptance of vouchers by private landlords was also identified as a priority area of need;
however, there are currently no programs providing this service. Should an organization apply for
funding to provide this service, the project could receive CDBG funds under the goal of increasing access
to services for low- and moderate-income persons. Childcare was also identified as a priority area of
need, but is better served through City funds which carry fewer restrictions and administrative
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requirements than federal dollars. Therefore, while childcare will not be identified as a goal area in the
Consolidated Plan, it will be addressed in a future plan addressing human service funding that is
provided by the City.
How were these needs determined?
The City conducts extensive community engagement as a matter of course. A variety of engagement
efforts and planning documents are used to determine highest priority community needs for public
service. The Social Sustainability Strategic Plan was formulated using the findings of its Social
Sustainability Gaps Analysis Study, first released in 2014 and updated in 2020. The Gaps Analysis
includes extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis regarding housing, human services, childcare,
and mobile home park preservation, compiled by an outside consulting firm. The findings of the first
Gaps Analysis were used to develop the Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan, which identified
health and wellness, equity, housing and prosperity as highest priority areas for department
involvement. The City also conducts an annual Community Survey in which residents rate the quality of
life, their satisfaction with community amenities and local government, and identify priorities for
community planning and resource allocation. Significant engagement with residents and service
providers occurs with the development of the Consolidated Plan as well, including interviews with
service providers, workshops and focus groups, as well as a community questionnaire. Additionally, City
staff participate in many collaborative groups that address communitywide and regional needs and
issues. All outreach and research efforts guided the development of the needs assessment and goals of
the Consolidated Plan.
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Housing Market Analysis
MA-05 Overview
Housing Market Analysis Overview:
Characteristics of the housing market:
• The housing stock is evenly split between ownership and rental.
• The City has an occupancy restriction which limits the number of non-family household
members. Average household size is ~2.5 people.
• There are 2965 price restricted rental and 137 restricted ownership units in the housing
inventory.
• There are not enough units affordable to renters earning $25,000 or less, and only 11% of
renters could afford to purchase at home at the median value.
• Cost burden is the greatest housing problem facing households.
• Median rent is $1300+ per month, and 75% of units rent for between $1000 and $2000/mth.
Statewide, rent has increased over 50% in the last 7 years.
• Average rents for all apartment types, except 3-bedroom and up, are significantly higher than
both the Fair Market Rent limits (FMRs) and the High HOME rent limits.
• There is a need for rental housing for individuals and families at 60% AMI or less. The need is
especially acute for those at 0–30% AMI, people on fixed incomes, and persons with special
needs, such as individuals with disabilities who need deeply subsidized accessible units.
• The current median home value in Fort Collins is over $400,000. Households earning 80% AMI or
less will have difficulty finding an affordable home without large subsidies.
• Owner-occupied units in Fort Collins tend to be newer than rental units. 46% of rentals were
built in 1980 or before and may need rehabilitation, upgrades, lead-based paint remediation.
• There is a significant need for emergency repair, energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility
modifications for renters and owners in Fort Collins.
Condition of Public Housing:
• Housing Catalyst is participating in HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program to
reposition and/or disposition all 154 Public Housing units. RAD allows the replacement of these
scattered site properties with more efficient homes and will increase the net number of
affordable housing units in Fort Collins by an additional 370 units.
• Housing Catalyst plans to sell 44 of these units to Elevations Community Land Trust, to be
converted to permanently affordable homeownership.
• There are no restoration and revitalization needs in these public housing units.
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Facilities and services for vulnerable populations:
• Fort Collins has a network of providers that serve vulnerable populations including people
experiencing homelessness, elderly and frail elderly, people with behavioral health needs,
people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, Spanish speaking residents, at-risk youth,
veterans, victims of domestic violence, and low-income individuals and families.
• The facilities and services available for people experiencing homelessness in Fort Collins include
diversion and prevention, emergency shelters, transitional housing, permanent supportive
housing, and supportive services such as mental and physical health care, clothing, food,
veterinary services, bicycle repairs, and many more.
• The nonprofit housing providers serving the community include CARE Housing, Housing Catalyst,
Neighbor to Neighbor, Volunteers of America, and Habitat for Humanity.
Economic characteristics:
• The university impacts the housing mix and cost; employment opportunities, rates, and wages;
average educational attainment; and other factors affecting the economy.
• The unemployment rate for younger residents is higher than the rate for those ages 25+.
• The top four occupations in the County employ over 19,000 people and pay no more than a
median hourly wage of $17.39.
• Fort Collins has a higher percentage of adults with a college education than jobs that need this
education level.
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MA-10 Number of Housing Units – 91.210(a)&(b)(2)
Introduction
More than half of the Fort Collins housing stock is single family detached homes. Only 24% of units are
within rental or owner-occupied properties with five or more units. One way to stabilize housing cost is
to increase units, across the community. Strategies to increase units as Fort Collins approaches build-out
may include changes to incentives, increasing density in multifamily developments, decreasing
restrictions on ADUs, and encouraging housing in infill and redevelopment. Barriers include increasing
land costs, increasing construction costs, and the high cost of water, especially in areas not covered by
the Fort Collins water utility—areas which also have the most land available. In 2019 there were a total
of 953 new building permits for dwelling units in Fort Collins; 66.4% of those were for multifamily units,
13.9% were single-family attached units, and 19.6% were for single family units. The City has 2,897
multifamily units in the pipeline. These are units that are under review, approved, or under
construction, and does not include units that are part of a conceptual proposal that has not yet
submitted a formal development application. The figure also does not include units at a new
development called Montava as those have only been approved at a master-plan level. However, the
City anticipates Montava to produce approximately 300 units targeting low-income households and an
additional 300 units of attainable housing.
All residential properties by number of units
Property Type Number %
1-unit detached structure 34,490 56%
1-unit, attached structure 5,235 9%
2-4 units 4,750 8%
5-19 units 9,889 16%
20 or more units 5,104 8%
Mobile Home, boat, RV, van, etc 1,665 3%
Total 61,133 100%
Table 27 – Residential Properties by Unit Number
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
The US Census American Community Survey further refines this data by tenure. Ninety percent of all
owners live in single-family homes, while 37% of renters live in single-family homes. The remainder
primarily live in 5-19-unit properties (30%).
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Housing Type and Tenure
Unit Size by Tenure
Owners Renters
Number % Number %
No bedroom 40 0% 830 3%
1 bedroom 575 2% 4,475 16%
2 bedrooms 5,115 16% 12,120 45%
3 or more bedrooms 26,035 82% 9,725 36%
Total 31,765 100% 27,150 100%
Table 28 – Unit Size by Tenure
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
Most owners lived in homes with three or more bedrooms, while the majority of renters lived in units
with two or three bedrooms. The average household size for owners was 2.63 persons, while renter
households had a smaller average household size of 2.22 persons. Many renters in Fort Collins are also
students. The number of persons allowed to live within a housing unit is capped by the City’s occupancy
ordinance.
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Rental Housing Gaps by Income Range
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Describe the number and targeting (income level/type of family served) of units assisted with
federal, state, and local programs.
In total, there are currently 2965 price restricted rental units and 137 restricted ownership units in the
Fort Collins affordable housing inventory. All restrictions are for households at income levels from 0–
80% AMI. These units serve individuals, families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons who
would otherwise be experiencing homelessness.
Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes for households earning 60% or less of the
AMI. Habitat provides a zero percent interest loan with affordable monthly payment to homeowners
who contribute up to 500 hours of “sweat equity” in the building of their home. Fort Collins Habitat has
built approximately 75 homes in Fort Collins and hopes to build 40 more by 2024.
Provide an assessment of units expected to be lost from the affordable housing inventory for
any reason, such as expiration of Section 8 contracts.
Housing Catalyst (the City of Fort Collins Housing Authority), initially owned 154 scattered-site Public
Housing units. Housing Catalyst was selected and approved to participate in HUD’s Rental Assistance
Demonstration (RAD) program for repositioning and/or disposition of all 154 Public Housing units within
its portfolio into Low Income Housing Tax Credit developments using a phased approach over several
years. The RAD program has enabled Housing Catalyst to sell about half of its aging, scattered-site Public
Housing portfolio with deferred capital needs and utilize the sale proceeds to leverage additional
affordable housing properties that are financially sustainable and less subject to declining federal
operating subsidies. RAD allowed the replacement of these scattered site properties with more efficient,
healthy, livable homes for the residents, and increased the net number of affordable housing units in
Fort Collins.
Currently, Housing Catalyst has opted to pursue a two-tiered approach under Section 18 of the United
States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, to reposition and dispose of most of its remaining Public
Housing units and issue current residents Tenant Protection Housing Choice Vouchers (TP-HCV). Pursuit
of Section 18 will significantly reduce administrative burdens realized under RAD and optimize benefits
to both residents and Housing Catalyst’s strategic affordable housing goals. Forty-four of the remaining
public units will be sold in two phases (30 units, then 14) to Elevations Community land trust to be
renovated and sold as permanently affordable homeownership product. Sale proceeds will be utilized to
leverage additional affordable housing properties that are financially sustainable and removed from
declining Public Housing program operating subsidies. Housing Catalyst will receive 44 new vouchers to
serve existing families in ways that support stability and mobility. Housing Catalyst will reposition,
rehabilitate, and manage a portion of or all the remaining Public Housing units. Consistent with the City
of Fort Collins Strategic Plan, Housing Catalyst aims to continue the increase of affordable housing units
within the city by a targeted 3 to 1 ratio from these efforts.
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Aside from the repositioning of public housing, no other units are expected to be lost from the inventory
at this time. However, two large Section 8 subsidized properties are privately held, Oakbrook I and
Oakbrook II. Oakbrook I sold in 2006 and retains income restrictions and rental assistance. Oakbrook II
has HUD insurance and subsidized rents. The owners of Oakbrook I are pursuing the possibility of
acquiring Oakbrook II and have expressed interest in pursuing the City’s Private Activity Bond allocation
in order to facilitate rehabilitation of both properties using 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits
(LIHTC). The City will continue to monitor this project in an effort to retain the deeply subsidized units
as part of the affordable inventory.
CARE Housing’s Greenbriar Village is the only LIHTC property expected to expire in the next 5 years. The
Land Use Restriction on 40 units of multifamily housing is scheduled to expire in 2025. CARE Housing is a
mission driven, non-profit affordable housing provider. The risk of these units being lost to the inventory
it low. It is likely they will seek City funding to support a tax credit rehabilitation.
Does the availability of housing units meet the needs of the population?
When there is a smaller number of housing units available to households within a certain income range
than there are households within that range, a housing gap exists. The tables here provide a
supply/demand analysis of the housing stock in Fort Collins.
The Rental Housing Gaps by Income Range chart above compares the number of renter households in
the city in 2018, their income levels, the maximum monthly rent they could afford without being cost-
burdened, and the number of units in the market that were affordable to them. The Rental Gap column
shows the difference between the number of renter households and the number of rental units
affordable to them. Negative numbers indicate a shortage of units at the specific income level. Renters
with too few affordable units to serve them are not homeless but are paying more for rental units than
they can afford because of the shortage of units in their price range.
Describe the need for specific types of housing:
The gaps analysis shows that:
• Almost 2,600 renters earn less than $10,000 per year but there are only 190 rental units priced
at their affordability range (less than $250/month). This leaves a “gap,” or shortage, of 2,389
units for these extremely low-income households.
• Rental unit shortages also exist for renters earning between $10,000 and $15,000 per year
(1,870 renters versus 412 units), renters earning between $15,000 and $20,000 per year (1,587
renters and 181 units) and those earning between $20,000 and $25,000 per year (2,754 renters
and 742 units).
• Altogether, the City has a shortage of rental units priced affordably for renters earning less than
$25,000 per year of 7,265 units. Some of these renters are students (discussed in more detail
below).16 These households are also working residents earning low wages, residents who are
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unemployed and residents who are disabled and cannot work—in other words, those residents
who are truly living in poverty
• The purchase gaps analysis conducted by Root Policy Research for the 2020 Gaps Analysis shows
the Fort Collins housing purchase market to be relatively affordable for people earning more
than $50,000 per year, especially those earning $75,000 or more. About 28% of homes are
affordable to people earning between $35,000 and $75,000 and an additional 28% of homes are
affordable to people earning between $75,000 and $100,000. However, only 11% of all current
renters can afford the 2018 median home value of $414,900.
Affordable housing production programs, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program
and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), target renter households with incomes at or
below 60% AMI. The 2020 Gaps Analysis estimates approximately 2600 non-student households are in
need of affordable housing.
There is a need for rental housing for individuals and families at 60% AMI or less. The need is especially
acute for those at 0–30% AMI, people on fixed incomes, and persons with special needs, such as
disabled individuals who need deeply subsidized accessible units that are close to public transportation.
The largest gap exists in the supply of rental housing affordable to households earning below 30% AMI,
with seniors, homeless and persons with disabilities representing the greatest need. Currently, Housing
Catalyst (the Fort Collins Housing Authority), is developing Mason Place, 60 units of permanent
supportive housing that will be available to formerly homeless, disabled and veteran households.
Volunteers of America (VOA) has applied for 9% LIHTC financing to build 55-units of affordable senior
housing.
Homeownership has become increasing unattainable for households under 100% AMI. Households
earning over 100% AMI do not need subsidy in Fort Collins, however, those below 100% AMI do.
Households at 80–100% AMI are the best candidates for homeownership assistance programs. Due to
various federal funding restrictions that restrict assistance to households below 80% AMI, the City
downpayment program no longer fills the market gap and is expected to be inactivated. Other market
products, specifically CHFA and bank portfolio loans are meeting the needs for households who qualify
between 80% and 100% AMI. Households at 80% AMI or less will have a very difficult time finding an
affordable home without large subsidies. These households are candidates for self-help programs such
as Habitat for Humanity and income-restricted ownership development and partnerships such as
Community Land Trusts.
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MA-15 Housing Market Analysis: Cost of Housing - 91.210(a)
Introduction
Housing costs in Fort Collins and the entire northern Front Range have been rising. Average rent and
home sales prices have risen at a higher rate than wages, while vacancy rates remain low, at 2.6%.
The following charts shows housing cost data based on 2015 information. However, recent research
conducted by Root Policy Research for the Fort Collins Gaps Analysis shows that the current median
home value in Fort Collins has surpassed $400,000. Concurrently, median rent is over $1300 per month,
and over 75% of units rent for between $1000 and $2000 per month, leaving few available rental units
for low-income households. This information is dramatically different from the 2015 ACS data.
Cost of Housing
Base Year: 2009 Most Recent Year: 2015 % Change
Median Home Value 239,900 265,900 11%
Median Contract Rent 737 976 32%
Table 29 – Cost of Housing
Data Source: 2005-2009 ACS (Base Year), 2011-2015 ACS (Most Recent Year)
Rent Paid Number %
Less than $500 2,049 7.6%
$500-999 12,509 46.1%
$1,000-1,499 9,140 33.7%
$1,500-1,999 2,615 9.6%
$2,000 or more 830 3.1%
Total 27,143 100.0%
Table 30 - Rent Paid
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
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Rent Increases
Rent has increased statewide over 50% in the last 7 years. Fort Collins average rent falls in line with
statewide increases. The only area of Fort Collins where rents remain lower is in the northeast quadrant
of the city. This coincides with the area with the most remaining developable land, with the largest
identified food desert, a higher rate of poverty than the southeast and southwest quadrants (though
lower than the northwest quadrant), and a higher percentage of Hispanic population. Larger units have
higher rents; however, as illustrated below, for sale product also has decreasing affordability, making
home purchase for families more and more unattainable.
Housing for Sale
The housing affordability index (HAI) provides a way to track over time whether housing is becoming
more or less affordable for the typical household. The HAI incorporates changes in key variables
affecting affordability: housing prices, interest rates, and income. The HAI index has a value of 100 when
the median-income family has sufficient income to purchase a median-priced existing home. A higher
index number indicates that more households can afford to purchase a home. The current AHI for Fort
Collins illustrates the lack of affordability of single-family homes for the average wage earner.
Townhomes and condos are more affordable, but have significantly less inventory available for purchase
(less than 30% of 2019 sales were townhomes and condos). HAI trend data shows that both housing
types have decreased in affordability over the last 8 years.
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Housing Affordability
% Units affordable to Households
earning
Renter Owner
30% HAMFI 1,009 No Data
50% HAMFI 4,999 953
80% HAMFI 16,914 4,767
100% HAMFI No Data 9,027
Total 22,922 14,747
Table 31 – Housing Affordability
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
Monthly Rent
Monthly Rent ($) Efficiency (no
bedroom)
1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom
Fair Market Rent 782 905 1,106 1,609 1,948
High HOME Rent 782 905 1,106 1,404 1,546
Low HOME Rent 745 798 957 1,106 1,235
Table 32 – Monthly Rent
Data Source: HUD FMR and HOME Rents
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Is there sufficient housing for households at all income levels?
No, the gaps analysis provided in MA-10 shows there are gaps for rental units priced for households
earning $25,000 annually and below, and gaps for households with incomes below $75,000 annually
trying to purchase a home in Fort Collins.
How is affordability of housing likely to change considering changes to home values and/or
rents?
In Fort Collins, the cost of all housing types continues to rise. Increases in incomes are not keeping pace
with increases in housing prices. As market prices continue to rise, more households will become cost
burdened and those in need of homeless prevention services will also continue to rise. The demand for
income-restricted housing and de facto-affordable housing for lower-income earners and those on fixed
incomes will continue to increase.
How do HOME rents / Fair Market Rent compare to Area Median Rent? How might this
impact your strategy to produce or preserve affordable housing?
Average rents in Fort Collins for all apartment types, except 3-bedroom and up, are significantly higher
than both the Fair Market Rent limits (FMRs) and the High HOME rent limits. The table above shows that
FMR and High HOME rents run between 3% and 27% lower than the average rent for the same units.
The largest variance is for one-bedroom and two-bedroom, two-bath units. Housing providers have
indicated it is very hard for their clients to find smaller units, and those with vouchers find it even more
difficult to find private landlords willing to accept Section 8 vouchers with the low FMR reimbursement
rates.
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MA-20 Housing Market Analysis: Condition of Housing – 91.210(a)
Introduction
In addition to analyzing housing costs, the City considers the condition of the housing stock in decisions
around priorities for funding. Older housing units may need rehabilitation or upgrades to make them
safe and habitable, including lead-based paint abatement.
HUD calculates the number of occupied housing units with one or more “selected conditions” by tenure.
These conditions include:
• Lack of complete plumbing
• Lack of complete kitchen facilities
• More than one person per room
• Cost burden greater than 30%
In Fort Collins, very few housing units lack complete plumbing. 2011-2015 CHAS data shows only 450
rental units and 75 owner units occupied by households at 100% AMI or less that lacked complete
plumbing or kitchen facilities. These units may be candidates for local housing rehabilitation programs.
Cost burden and severe cost burden are by far the greatest housing problems facing Fort Collins
households.
Definitions
HUD requires the local jurisdiction provide their definition for “standard condition” and “substandard
condition but suitable for rehabilitation” in the Consolidated Plan.
The Larimer Home Improvement Program (LHIP), operated by the Loveland Housing Authority
throughout Larimer County, including the City of Fort Collins, has developed Program Guidelines for
their housing rehabilitation program. The City of Fort Collins provides funding to operate this program
within the City limits of Fort Collins, and the program operates in cooperation between the City of Fort
Collins, City of Loveland, and Larimer County. The program provides rehabilitation loans to qualified
households earning 80% of the AMI or less. According to this program:
• The definition of “Standard Condition” is a housing unit that meets HUD Housing Quality
Standards (HQS), as well as all Colorado and Fort Collins building codes.
• The definition of “Substandard Condition” is a housing unit that has a minimum of one HQS
deficiency or building code violation.
• The definition of “Substandard Condition but suitable for Rehabilitation” requires the HQS or
code violation must be correctable during the rehabilitation process, and the home must be able
to be brought up to current building codes.
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The following definitions come from the Structure and Premises Condition Code of the City, 2006
International Property Maintenance Code, including Fort Collins Amendments from October 2008 &
January 2019. The Code does not define “standard condition,” but provides detailed information on
substandard conditions and remediation.
• SUBSTANDARD. Condition(s) that through neglect, deterioration, or damage no longer meet the
minimum requirements of the currently adopted code as it relates to the specific condition(s)
identified. Even though such condition(s) may not be found dangerous at the time of their
discovery, such condition(s), if not corrected, may pose a risk to the health and safety of the
public, the occupants or property thereof pursuant to Section 108.1.5.
• 108.1 General. When any structure or portion thereof is found to be substandard, unfit for
human occupancy, unlawful or dangerous, or when any equipment or fixture installed or
used therein is found to be substandard, such condition shall be abated or otherwise
corrected, repaired, or removed pursuant to the provisions of this code
• 108.1.1 Substandard structures. A substandard structure is one that may pose a risk to the
life, health, property or safety of the occupants thereof or the public, even though it does
not constitute a dangerous structure as defined in Section 108.1.5, either because the
structure lacks the equipment necessary to protect or warn occupants in the event of fire, or
because it contains substandard or missing equipment, systems or fixtures, or is damaged,
decayed, dilapidated, or structurally unsound.
• 108.1.2 Substandard equipment and fixtures. Substandard equipment or fixtures may
include any boiler, heating equipment, elevator, moving stairway, electrical wiring or device,
flammable liquid containers, potable water, plumbing, sanitation systems or fixtures, or
other equipment on the premises or within the structure which is in such disrepair or
unsound condition that the equipment or fixtures pose a potential risk to life, health,
property or safety of the public or occupants of the premises or structure.
• 108.1.3 Structure unfit for human occupancy. A structure is unfit for human occupancy
whenever the code official finds that such structure is unlawful or, because of the degree to
which the structure is in disrepair or lacks maintenance, is unsanitary, vermin or rat
infested, contains filth and contamination, or lacks ventilation, illumination, sanitary or
heating facilities or other essential equipment required by this code, or because the location
of the structure constitutes a hazard to the occupants of the structure or the public.
• 108.1.4 Unlawful structure. An unlawful structure is one found in whole or in part to be
occupied by more persons than permitted under this code, the City Code or any other code
adopted by the City, or which structure was erected, altered or occupied contrary to law.
• 108.1.5 Dangerous structure or premises. A structure or premises is dangerous if any part,
element or component thereof is no longer within its serviceability limit or strength limit
state as defined in this code or, when considered in totality, the structure or premises pose
an imminent threat danger to the health and safety of the public or the occupants of the
structure or premises as referenced in Appendix A of this code.
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Condition of Units
Condition of Units Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied
Number % Number %
With one selected Condition 7,075 22% 15,325 56%
With two selected Conditions 70 0% 685 3%
With three selected Conditions 4 0% 4 0%
With four selected Conditions 0 0% 0 0%
No selected Conditions 24,615 77% 11,140 41%
Total 31,764 99% 27,154 100%
Table 33 - Condition of Units
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
Year Unit Built
Year Unit Built Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied
Number % Number %
2000 or later 8,240 26% 4,980 18%
1980-1999 12,665 40% 9,799 36%
1950-1979 8,925 28% 10,145 37%
Before 1950 1,939 6% 2,230 8%
Total 31,769 100% 27,154 99%
Table 34 – Year Unit Built
Data Source: 2011-2015 CHAS
Owner-occupied units in Fort Collins tend to be newer than rental units. Sixty-four percent of owner-
occupied units were built in 1980 or after, while 54% of rentals were built in 1980 or after. Units
constructed before 1980 may be in need of rehabilitation and upgrades, and may also contain lead-
based paint.
Risk of Lead-Based Paint Hazard
Risk of Lead-Based Paint Hazard Owner-Occupied Renter-Occupied
Number % Number %
Total Number of Units Built Before 1980 10,864 34% 12,375 46%
Housing Units build before 1980 with children present 5,405 17% 3,710 14%
Table 35 – Risk of Lead-Based Paint
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS (Total Units) 2011-2015 CHAS (Units with Children present)
HUD calculates the number of housing units that may be at risk for lead-based paint hazards. Units built
before 1980 may have lead-based paint, which is dangerous to children if not properly encapsulated or
remediated. Colorado has not conducted any area wide lead-based paint studies which would help
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determine how many children may actually be at risk for lead poisoning in Fort Collins. However,
approximately 15% of housing units build before 1980 have children present, and without remediation
are at risk for lead. Owners of rental housing units should test for lead to ensure rental units are safe for
children living in them. In Colorado, owners are required to disclose any knowledge of lead hazards
when selling their homes. Homes rehabilitated with CDBG funds must meet all HUD lead-based paint
safety requirements. Ideally, all housing units containing lead-based paint would be remediated.
Vacant Units
Suitable for
Rehabilitation
Not Suitable for
Rehabilitation
Total
Vacant Units 0 0 0
Abandoned Vacant Units 0 0 0
REO Properties 0 0 0
Abandoned REO Properties 0 0 0
Table 36 - Vacant Units
Data Source: 2005-2009 CHAS
Vacancy by Housing Type
HUD requests that grantees estimate the number of vacant housing units, those suitable for
rehabilitation and those not suitable for rehabilitation. This information is not tracked by the City of Fort
Collins. However, American Community Survey data indicates there are 1080 vacant units in Fort Collins
which are not for rent, for sale, or second homes. RealtyTrac, a service which tracks foreclosures and
Real Estate Owned (REO) bank-owned properties, reports that over the last six months there have been
only 15 bank-owned foreclosures in Fort Collins. Data on abandoned REO properties was unavailable at
the time of the preparation of this report.
Need for Owner and Rental Rehabilitation
Just under 40% of all housing units in Fort Collins were built before 1980. Units built in or before the
1980s may be in need of rehabilitation, especially those units built over 40 or 50 years ago. Stakeholder
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and public input into the Consolidated Plan indicated there is a significant need for emergency repair,
energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility modifications for renters and owners in Fort Collins.
Consultation with City staff regarding climate risks indicate that older homes may benefit not only from
energy efficiency upgrades, but weatherization and installation of air conditioning or other protections
for indoor air quality in the event of pervasive outdoor air quality issues, such as wildfire smoke or
extreme heat. Some older units may benefit from lead abatement, and others could reduce their risk of
flooding through flood mitigation efforts. The following map shows the age of housing units by census
tracts in Fort Collins. The second map shows median income by census tract. There are some areas in
central and north Fort Collins where housing is older and incomes are lower. These are ideal target areas
for programs that provide the above-mentioned services. The City works with LEAP, Energy Outreach
Colorado, Larimer County Conservation Corps, and Larimer Home Improvement Program to provide
these services. The City also offers a variety of programs including low-interest efficiency loans and
rebates for installation of efficient appliances and fixtures.
Estimated Number of Housing Units Occupied by Low or Moderate Income Families with LBP
Hazards
The City of Fort Collins estimates that approximately 4600 occupied units rented or owned by low-
income households may contain lead-based paint.
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MA-25 Public and Assisted Housing – 91.210(b)
Introduction
Housing Catalyst owns 70 scattered public housing units. Housing Catalyst continues to reposition its
Public Housing portfolio through RAD and Section 18 programs. Housing Catalyst has already
repositioned more than half of its portfolio. Housing Catalyst continues this process and plans to sell 44
properties to Elevations Community Land Trust which will then be permanently affordable
homeownership opportunities in the community.
Totals Number of Units
Program Type
Certificate Mod-
Rehab
Public
Housing
Vouchers
Total Project
-based
Tenant
-based
Special Purpose Voucher
Veterans
Affairs
Supportive
Housing
Family
Unification
Program
Disabled
*
# of units
vouchers
available 0 0 70 1,184 232 510 119 39 284
# of
accessible
units
*includes Non-Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One-Year, Mainstream Five-year, and Nursing
Home Transition
Table 37 – Total Number of Units by Program Type
Alternate Data Source Name:
Housing Catalyst Data
Data Source
Describe the supply of public housing developments:
Describe the number and physical condition of public housing units in the jurisdiction,
including those that are participating in an approved Public Housing Agency Plan:
Housing Catalyst has repositioned more than half of its public housing units. The agency received a score
of 94 in its last Public Housing Management Assessment System (PHAS). The units have not had another
formal REAC score since then due to the RAD process.
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Public Housing Condition
Public Housing has been approved for conversion under RAD.
Public Housing Development Average Inspection Score
N/A N/A
Table 38 - Public Housing Condition
Describe the restoration and revitalization needs of public housing units in the jurisdiction:
The units have not had another formal REAC score since then due to the RAD process. There are no
restoration and revitalization needs in these public housing units, which will be repositioned or
converted in the next few years.
Describe the public housing agency's strategy for improving the living environment of low-
and moderate-income families residing in public housing:
Residents of public housing will be relocated to new properties, which will have transit accessible
locations, community buildings, better building condition, greater efficiencies/energy efficiencies, and
access to on-site property managers. Residents who move will also have Housing Choice Vouchers
(Tenant Protection), and, after a year, may request a regular portable Housing Choice Voucher which
they can use to move to privately held housing.
Discussion:
Housing Catalyst has adopted the Bringing School Home model for education-enriched
housing. Educational attainment can break the cycle of poverty for families and reduce their
dependence housing subsidy. As a housing provider, Housing Catalyst is a strong partner in our
community’s effort to close the achievement and opportunity gaps for children. By encouraging
kindergarten readiness, grade-level reading and high school graduation, Housing Catalyst hopes to
positively impact children’s educational experience.
To date, Housing Catalyst has made significant progress establishing relationships with the Poudre
School District and key community partners. Strategies it has chosen to focus on at this stage include:
• School readiness
• Better school attendance
• Improved summer enrichment learning
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MA-30 Homeless Facilities and Services – 91.210(c)
Introduction
Through a multi-faceted approach to addressing homelessness in Fort Collins, several types of housing
have been established and more are under development to help those in need. The types of facilities
and services available in Fort Collins include diversion and prevention, emergency shelters, transitional
housing, and permanent supportive housing. Fort Collins is a part of the Northern Colorado Continuum
of Care (NoCO CoC; CO - 505). Homeward 2020 is a consortium initiative developed to make
homelessness rare, short-lived, and non-recurring. This effort encompasses leadership from the
business, government, and non-profit sectors in the community, and counts the City of Fort Collins
among its supporters and partners. The table below summarizes the number of beds and units available
within the City Limits of Fort Collins.
Facilities and Housing Targeted to Homeless Households
Emergency Shelter Beds Transitional
Housing Beds
Permanent Supportive
Housing Beds
Year Round
Beds
(Current &
New)
Voucher /
Seasonal /
Overflow
Beds
Current &
New
Current &
New
Under
Development
Households
with Adult(s)
and Child(ren) 68 0 0 84 0
Households
with Only
Adults 165 54 0 142 60
Chronically
Homeless
Households 0 0 0 25 60
Veterans 12 0 0 15 0
Unaccompanied
Youth 0 0 1 0 0
Table 39 - Facilities and Housing Targeted to Homeless Households
Data Source
Comments:
Mainstream Services
Mainstream benefits play an important role in supplementing household income and serve as a safety
net for vulnerable households. Benefits include income supports, health care and work supports. Often
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individuals experiencing homelessness are eligible for these benefits. Uncomplicated access to these
benefits can decrease the length of time families and individuals experience homelessness.
• Larimer County administers several public assistance programs available to low-income
homeless and non-homeless citizens. They include Colorado Child Care Assistance Program
(CCCAP), Food Stamps (SNAP), Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), Weatherization,
Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Social Security, Old Age Pension
(OAP), and Aid to Needy and Disabled (AND).
• Access to mainstream services can be challenging and difficult to navigate for persons with
certain barriers. The Murphy Center in Fort Collins strives to bring available community
resources to one place to decrease barriers for homeless persons. Services onsite at the center
include: employment resources, housing assistance, financial counseling, transportation
assistance, job training and educational opportunities, mental health and substance abuse
counseling, phone and computer access for employment contacts, medical and dental health
assistance, washer/dryer, showers, and storage facilities.
• “Navigators” is one partner of the Murphy center. It works to assist homeless citizens and those
at risk in applying for State benefits such as Food Stamps and Temporary Aid to Needy Families.
• SummitStone Health Partners is a primary provider of mental health and substance abuse
evaluations, referrals, and treatment for homeless individuals and families.
• Senior Community Service Employment Program provides employment support for seniors who
are homeless with job opportunities.
• A primary component of the Fort Collins Ten Year Plan to Make Homelessness Rare, Short-Lived,
and Non-Recurring is to increase access to mainstream benefits for homeless persons. Access to
mainstream services is often a frustrating process for populations with multiple challenges.
SOAR, a national program, is a proven strategy that helps states increase access to people who
are at risk of homelessness by increasing access to eligibility assessments for SSI/SSDI.
Establishing income for eligible homeless citizens is a critical step in accessing or retaining
housing.
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Describe mainstream services, such as health, mental health, and employment services to the
extent those services are used to complement services targeted to homeless persons
• The Colorado PEAK system is an online system where applicants can apply directly for public
assistance. The Larimer County Benefits Information Center assists citizens with direct help from
technicians who can provide detailed information about each case, including status of
applications, whether there are missing documents, and information on how to apply.
• Hand-Up Cooperative, under the auspices of Homeless Gear, is a nonprofit community initiative
that includes many Fort Collins businesses and social service agencies. The cooperative assists
people who are either at risk or experiencing homelessness gain employment and navigate a
road to financial self-sufficiency.
• The Larimer County Workforce Center-Employment First (EF) is a program for Larimer County
food assistance participants who are also eligible for employment services. The Workforce
Center has a Resource Center (computers, fax, phone, copy machine) which can be utilized for
job searches. Employment case management, resumes and cover letters, job search skills
workshops, transportation, training scholarships and internship opportunities are offered. Other
employment resources noted in the Ten Year Plan to Make Homelessness Rare, Short-Lived, and
Non-Recurring in Fort Collins include Labor Ready and the Women’s Resource Center (now
defunct).
• The Larimer County Workforce Center provides job search assistance and referrals designed
specifically for unemployed veterans. It has a Veterans Workforce Investment Program, which
provides licensing, certification and training for veterans. Larimer County Veterans Service office
assists veterans and their families with filing for and obtaining benefits, claim counseling,
developing claims and representation. The Veteran’s Service Office and the Vet Center also
assist veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• The Larimer County Workforce Center Youth Services program has several components. Young
adults aged 14–21 can receive assistance with education and employment including tutoring,
GED assistance, training scholarships, job search and information and referrals to other needed
services, including housing. Direct support and advocacy are available to all youth participants.
• SummitStone Health Partners administers comprehensive mental health and substance abuse
services to the community and in collaboration with the Murphy Center to increase access to
treatment for persons who are homeless. Case management services integrate mental health
and physical health care with collaborations with area health care professionals. SummitStone
operates permanent supportive housing programs in various locations in Larimer County (See
needs section for additional detail).
• Salud Family Health Care in Fort Collins is one of four health centers in Larimer County. It is part
of the Plan De Salud Del Valle Health Centers network, and operates year-round. It primarily
serves the rural population in Fort Collins and surrounding cities with primary care, mental
health and enrollment assistance.
• Fort Collins Veteran’s Outpatient Clinic provides primary care, mental health counseling,
audiology, nutrition counseling, physical and occupational therapy services. There is a laboratory
for routine blood draws at this location as well.
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• Turning Point Center for Youth and Family Development (Turning Point) was originally
established as an emergency shelter for youth in the juvenile justice system many years ago.
Although no longer providing service in that capacity, it has grown to become a multi-service
agency offering crisis intervention, day treatment, outpatient therapy, coaching and mentoring,
intensive residential treatment, and other mental health and substance abuse treatment
options for both homeless and non-homeless youth and their families.
List and describe services and facilities that meet the needs of homeless persons, particularly
chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their
families, and unaccompanied youth. If the services and facilities are listed on screen SP-40
Institutional Delivery Structure or screen MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services,
describe how these facilities and services specifically address the needs of these populations.
• The Murphy Center provides day shelter and access to services (Catholic Charities provides
afternoon day shelter). The Murphy Center is a single point of entry for persons experiencing
homelessness and in need of multiple services. Services on-site include employment assistance,
housing assistance, financial counseling, mental health and substance abuse counseling, dental
health, and computer and phone access. Multiple community providers staff the Murphy
Center.
• Family Housing Network operates a day center for families experiencing homelessness. The day
center is a family-friendly facility that meets the unique needs of families with children, and is
open six days a week. Services include computer/internet use, showers, laundry, kitchen, resting
rooms for naps and illness recovery, and play, reading, and work areas.
• Neighbor to Neighbor serves Fort Collins with several housing related services that include
emergency rental assistance, first month’s rent assistance, foreclosure prevention counseling,
and homebuyer education.
• Salvation Army helps residents who have received an eviction or utility shutoff notice when
funds are available.
• In partnership with Energy Outreach Colorado and the City of Fort Collins, Catholic Charities, La
Familia/The Family Center, and Discover Goodwill offer utility assistance for eligible residents
who have received shutoff notices.
• Disabled Resource Services (DRS) offers limited financial assistance to persons with a disability
for emergency needs such as prescriptions, transportation, eviction prevention or emergency
utility payments.
• The Food Bank of Larimer County and its partner agencies have pantry locations in Fort Collins
and Loveland. They distribute healthy foods, provide education and healthy recipes.
• The Fort Collins Rescue Mission has 22 residence program beds (14 for men, 8 for women), 34
work dorm beds (18 for men, 16 for women), and 24 overflow mats for men. In the winter FCRM
increases overflow mats for men to 44 and adds 5 overflow mats for women.
• Crossroads Safehouse is launching a Rapid Rehousing program for victims of domestic violence
in 2020.
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• The Matthews House is a local non-profit entity that helps youth and families gain self-
sufficiency. Its HOST program provides temporary housing for children, youth and families in
crisis.
• Catholic Charities operates a 12-unit program for veterans experiencing homelessness,
considered emergency shelter for HUD HIC. Additionally, Catholic Charities has: 42 beds for
men in the summer (18 “program,” 24 overflow/overnight); 26 beds for women (6 “program”,
20 overflow/overnight in the summer), sixteen beds for families (4 rooms with 4 beds each), and
additional winter onsite space for 20 men.
• Catholic Charities offers 32 seasonal off-site mats for women during the winter season
November through April.
• Housing Catalyst’s Redtail Ponds provides PSH and supportive services, life skills, case
management and counseling to its residents. Forty units target formerly homeless individuals
(25 for single individuals and 15 for Veterans) and twenty units are available for those who fall
within the 30-50% Area Median Income (AMI) range.
• Housing Catalyst administers 115 VA Supportive Housing Vouchers (VASH) for homeless
veterans in Fort Collins. In addition, the FCHA has 27 beds in its SRO Programs designated for
adults experiencing homelessness.
• Volunteers of America (VOA), has a program called Supportive Services for Veteran Families. The
program encompasses homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing for veteran families.
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MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services – 91.210(d)
Introduction
The City of Fort Collins has many services, facilities, and housing programs designed to address the
needs of the elderly and frail elderly population; persons with mental, physical and developmental
disabilities; people with Substance Use Disorders (SUDS); people with HIV/AIDS; victims of domestic
violence; veterans; and at-risk risk youth.
The primary housing need of many of these households is cost burden. Many people with special needs
require supportive housing and services to enable them to live independently and to avoid
homelessness or institutionalization. The supportive housing and services needed by these
subpopulations are often similar to needs of people experiencing homelessness. Additionally,
transportation is a common barrier to accessing services and treatment across all of these populations;
therefore, housing near transit is preferable.
Including the elderly, frail elderly, persons with disabilities (mental, physical, developmental),
persons with alcohol or other drug addictions, persons with HIV/AIDS and their families,
public housing residents and any other categories the jurisdiction may specify, and describe
their supportive housing needs
Elderly and Frail-Elderly
In-home health care and accessible and affordable living quarters are necessary components for many
members of the aging population of Fort Collins. Transportation assistance, housekeeping, shopping,
yard work, home repair, and other disability services may also be necessary to help seniors age in
place. In addition, seniors are more likely to have a disability than other populations. Some need 24-
hour care to remain safe, either in their homes or in a care facility, as cognitive and physical abilities
change over time.
• The Larimer County Office on Aging provides funding to agencies that provide services for
seniors in Larimer County, including congregate meals, transportation, legal assistance,
caregiver support, and many more.
• Options for Long Term Care (OLTC) provides assessment and ongoing case management to
older and disabled low-income individuals who are in need of long term care services in their
own homes or alternative care facilities, and provides assessment for people in need of
placement in a skilled facility.
• Adult Protective Services receives reports of mistreatment or neglect of at-risk adults who, due
to age or disability, unable to advocate for themselves. Following an assessment, Adult
Protective Services will make referrals to implement services to reduce risk and prevent further
mistreatment.
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• The County’s Long Term Care Ombudsman provides assistance and mediation for residents of
long term care facilities.
• The Family Caregiver Support Program supports family members caring for seniors in their
homes. Provides support, education, classes, respite grants, support groups and care
consultations.
• The County offers a Senior Tax Work Off program for low-income seniors to work off a portion
of their property tax bill.
• The City Rebate Program assists low income individuals, families, disabled individuals, and
seniors who live in Fort Collins with rebates on property tax and rent, utilities, and grocery taxes.
• Project Visibility provides training for administrators and staff of nursing facilities, assisted living
residences, home care agencies and other senior service providers, as well as the friends and
families of LBGT elders.
• The City of Fort Collins Senior Center provides wellness services to seniors and community
members of all ages and income levels. Diverse social activities and outings are provided
regularly.
• SilverSneakers is a national program that offers seniors discounted and no-cost access to gyms,
fitness classes, and online work-out videos. There are eight participating locations in Fort Collins,
including City facilities.
• Pathways Hospice is a nonprofit providing symptom management and support for serious long-
term illness (palliative care), medical and hospice care for individuals navigating the last months
of life, and grief counseling and programs for those mourning the loss of a loved one or dealing
with a tragedy. They also provide specialized veterans’ end-of-life services.
• Volunteers of America provides affordable housing to low-income families, seniors, veterans
and people with disabilities. They also provide Meals on Wheels, Supportive Services for Veteran
Families, Senior Café Lunch, and Caring Companions caregiver support.
• Senior Alternatives in Transportation (SAINT) is a non-profit organization that provides
transportation people 60 years old and up, and people 18-60 who have disabilities that prevent
them from driving.
• A Little Help: Connects senior with volunteers for assistance with transportation, snow removal,
visits, care navigation, household and yard help, and social activities.
• Larimer Home Improvement Program (LHIP): Administered by the Loveland Housing Authority,
LHIP provides low interest rate home improvement loans for low income people for health,
safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency-related issues.
• Meals on Wheels: Prepares and delivers meals to people who are home-bound, over 62 years of
age, or disabled and unable to safely prepare their own meals. Prices based on income.
• Partnership for Age Friendly Communities is an organization that promotes livable communities
for all ages and advocates for development, infrastructure, and services that address the needs
and preferences of older adults, including affordable and appropriate housing opportunities,
adequate transportation and mobility options, and supportive community features and services.
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Persons with Disabilities
Many disabled community members need accessible, affordable housing options with a spectrum of
services. Those living on Social Security alone fall below the poverty line and are at higher risk, given
high housing costs. Housing counseling; employment, transportation, and medication assistance; and
assistance with shopping, bathing and cleaning are necessary for some members of the community. The
2018 ACS reports that 42% of Fort Collins residents with disabilities are employed. Nine percent of
residents with disabilities are unemployed and 54% are not in the labor force. Therefore, employment
supports, subsidized housing, and supportive housing are a critical for many people with disabilities.
Additionally, accessible units paired with access to transportation and nearby services are imperative to
the independence of community members with disabilities.
• Elderhaus provides therapeutic daytime care to seniors and adults with disabilities. Services
include transportation, enrichment and recreation activities, cognitive training, daily living
activities training, veterans services, and occupational therapy.
• Foothills Gateway is the local Community Center Board in Larimer County that serves Fort
Collins. Foothills Gateway provides services and support programs for individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families including training, supported
employment, housing, habilitation, transportation, family support services, adult respite, early
childhood intervention and case management for both children and adults.
• Disabled Resource Services (DRS) provides advocacy related to fair housing, employment,
transportation and benefits assistance, independent living skills training, and loaner equipment
to people with disabilities.
• Adult Resources for Care and Help (ARCH) provides information and access to long-term care
support and services. ARCH is Colorado's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). Assists
adults age 18 and older with functional disabilities and persons of all ages with developmental
disabilities.
• The Larimer County Special Needs Population Registry is a program that keeps a registry of
names of people with special needs who may need assistance in the event of an emergency
evacuation. Several local agencies, the City of Fort Collins and Loveland are all partners in this
effort.
• The Arc of Larimer County promotes and protects the civil rights and overall wellbeing of people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individual and systems advocacy and
education. Arc assists with benefit applications, access to services, and advocates for students
within the school district.
• Easter Seals Colorado offers programming, transportation, respite car, neurological
rehabilitation, disability benefits services, and employment services throughout the state of
Colorado.
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Mental Health Disabilities
Persons with mental health challenges may require supportive services tailored to their individual
needs. Safe, affordable housing combined with in-home medication monitoring, peer-to-peer support,
social outings, therapeutic services, life-skills and case management are all facets of the supportive
housing needs of this population. Fort Collins currently has an insufficient number of mental health
facility beds to accommodate the community need.
• Larimer County’s Behavioral Health Taxis a 0.25% sales and use tax that will cover capital costs
for the 64-bed behavioral health facility slated to open in mid-2022. Funds will also provide
increased distributive services throughout the County. The behavioral health master plan
includes the following uses for distributive services dollars:
o Supporting schools with suicide prevention education and licensed behavioral health care
providers
o Financial assistance for people who can’t afford psychiatric care, recovery programs,
medication and transportation because of gaps in insurance coverage
o Mental health training for youth, adults and service providers
o Expanding tele-counseling and tele-psychiatry services for people in rural and
unincorporated communities
o Growing the pool of certified addiction counselors and mental health service providers
• The Health District of Northern Larimer County provides the following mental health services:
o Connections services include needs assessment, information and referral, assistance with
coordinating and navigating care, brief intervention, connection to reduced-cost counseling,
education, and training.
o CAYAC (Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Connections) is a service of Connections that
helps young people (up to age 24) and their families with the early identification,
assessment/testing, and treatment of mental health and substance use concerns. It also
works closely with schools through a school liaison.
o The Integrated Care Program places behavioral health providers in two local medical clinics
(UCHealth Family Medicine Center and Salud Family Health Center) where they work
alongside health-care staff to help patients with mental health or substance use concerns.
o Connections offers regular classes and trainings to the public, often at no cost. Trainings
include Mental Health First Aid, and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention.
o Naloxone distribution program, including training and education for members of the public
and community providers who work with substance users on how to administer the life-
saving treatment to a loved one or a stranger.
• The Community Mental Health and Substance Use Alliance includes representatives from 35
agencies, including consumer advocates, schools, city and county government, the faith
community, the criminal justice system, private therapists, and other local health and human
service providers. The Alliance collaborates to restructure how mental illness and substance use
disorder services are provided in Larimer County.
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• SummitStone Health Partners administers crisis services, as well as comprehensive mental
health and substance use disorder services to low-income, uninsured, or underinsured people.
Case management services integrate mental health and physical health care in collaborations
with area health care professionals. SummitStone also operates supportive housing programs
across Larimer County.
• Heart-Centered Counseling (HCC) is a private counseling provider that accepts Medicaid, private
insurance, and offers a sliding scale. HCC offers counseling, therapy, and psychiatric care and
medication treatment.
• La Cocina (see section below on Spanish Speaking Residents)
• UC Health Mountain Crest Behavioral Health Center offers mental health assessments and
treatment programs including medical intervention and inpatient and outpatient programs for
adolescents (13-17), adults, senior citizens, and families. Mountain Crest has 41 inpatient beds.
• The Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County offers support groups for those affected
by tragedy, training and events for suicide awareness, and prevention trainings.
• UCHealth Community Paramedics provide mobile, integrated health care services that are
designed to reduce patient emergency room (ER) visits and hospital readmissions. Services
include monitoring chronic conditions, in-home care, in-home blood draws/lab work,
medication delivery, and discharge instruction and treatment plan follow-up.
• The Community Outreach, Response, and Engagement (CORE) Team is comprised of a
behavioral health provider (BHP) and a community paramedic. The Team partners with local law
enforcement to provide episodic medical care and medical assessment stability in the field.
These providers respond in tandem to in-progress 911 calls for service when officers identify a
behavioral health need as central to the call. CORE units can provide point-of-care testing,
urinalysis, EKG, medical assessment, and behavioral health assessment while on scene.
Substance Use Disorders
Persons with substance use disorders (SUDS), or who are dually diagnosed with mental health and SUDS
disorders, also need affordable quality housing with in-home and community-based ongoing case
management and therapy. Individualized plans may involve medication monitoring, employment and/or
vocational assistance and other supports. There is increasing need for detoxification services for people
with SUDS—particularly opiate addiction—as well as an increasing need for inpatient care and
treatment.
• SummitStone Health Partners is opening Garcia House, a 16-bed residential treatment center in
Fort Collins to fill a gap in substance abuse and mental health services (see above for more
information). The Garcia House will provide inpatient treatment for eight men and eight women
for up to 90 days.
• Mountain Crest Behavioral Healthcare Center (see above)
• Turning Point offers services to youth who are struggling with behavior, mental health, or
substance abuse issues, from outpatient services to intensive residential treatment. Turning
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Point offers a separate residential treatment facility for male and female youth ages 12-21. A
typical stay in the long-term residential treatment program is four to five months, while a typical
stay in the short-term program is 30-60 days.
• Harvest Farm (Wellington) is a 100-acre farm and rehabilitation center for men, located in
Wellington, Colorado and serving the region. Owned and operated by Denver Rescue Mission,
the Farm hosts up to 72 men in a long-term program that offers academic and vocational
studies, and life skill courses including anger management, debt elimination, and budgeting.
• The Lighthouse is a faith-based, self-pay, residential facility designed to support sober living for
adult men. The program includes life skills, in house classes, educational and employment
assistance. Lighthouse has 50-person capacity.
HIV/AIDS
Persons with HIV/AIDS with limited resources sometimes need supportive housing to improve outcomes
related to their physical and mental health. When access to quality housing and services are available,
lower income people with HIV/AIDS are more likely to receive necessary medical and therapeutic
treatments, as well as other social supports that aid recovery.
• Colorado Health Network’s Northern Colorado AIDS project (NCAP) provides prevention, care
and advocacy. NCAP assists with housing (TBRA and shallow rent programs), medications,
nutrition, financial assistance, and ongoing case management.
• Salud CARES (connections for Art, Resources, Education and Services) Clinic is a specialty clinic
providing medical care, medications, case management, behavioral health, and dental services
for people living with HIV.
Spanish Speaking Residents
Over 5% of Fort Collins residents speak Spanish. Translation services are available for students and their
families through Poudre School District, and many key service providers including the City, County, and
health care providers offer services in Spanish and/or offer interpretation. Additionally, a variety of
providers offer advocacy and programs specifically for Spanish-speaking community members.
• Mi Voz Northern Colorado is a collaboration of La Familia and The Center for African American
Health which distributes online community surveys to underrepresented and Spanish-speaking
participants, with the goal of increasing inclusion in decision-making about health, community,
and recreation needs.
• Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity’s (CanDo) goals are to reduce the
prevalence of obesity and increase physical activity and healthy eating habits through support,
advocacy, and education.
• La Familia/The Family Center provides multicultural, bilingual childcare; Early Head Start; a
family development program that assists families in achieving self-sufficiency and accessing
resources; a community garden in partnership with The Growing Project; diapers and hygiene
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products; utility assistance in partnership with Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC); and a Spanish-
language Car Seat Distribution and Education program.
• Salud is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) operating 13 clinic locations, 11 school sites
and a mobile unit. Salud provides medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health care services
to low-income, medically underserved populations, and migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
Salud accepts Medicaid, Medicare, CHP+, and most private insurance plans, and offers a sliding
fee scale based on family size and income.
• La Cocina employs professional and volunteers including trained psychologists, counselors,
social workers, marriage and family therapists, mentors & educators, and health promotion
workers to provide mental health services and supports to Spanish-speaking families.
At Risk Youth
Most children in Fort Collins benefit from the City’s strong educational institutions, cultural offerings and
safe and stable environment. Some children are not as fortunate and need strong community and
school supports to ensure that they succeed. According to the 2020 Gaps Analysis, there are
approximately 3,000 children in Fort Collins who live below the poverty level, 1000 who are homeless in
Poudre School District, 350 who are neglected and abused, 1300 who have severe mental illness, 1700
who leave school because of dropping out or are asked to leave (suspended/expelled), and as many as
5500 who leave school at a less than proficient level on standardized tests.
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), provides advocacy for children who have been
abused and neglected as their cases move through the court process. CASA volunteers are
appointed by a juvenile judge. CASA of Larimer County is part of a national network of CASA
organizations.
• Harmony House, a program of CASA, is a visitation center that allows supervised visits of family
members and children. Some, but not all, of these meetings are court-ordered. The house also
operates as a safe exchange site for families/guardians. The Harmony House program is
currently piloting the Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP) to support parents during supervised
visitations through developing parent knowledge in appropriate developmental expectations of
children, empathy, discipline with dignity, self-awareness, and empowerment and
independence of children.
• Poudre School District (PSD) provides several programs that provide services to at-risk youth,
including: the Teen Pregnancy Program at Fort Collins High School, McKinney Vento program for
students and their families experiencing homelessness, and the Mental Health Team that
provides early intervention as well as services during time of crises.
• Bringing School Home, is a Housing Catalyst program that partners with the Poudre School
District to improve educational outcomes for children and families they serve. As a housing
provider, Housing Catalyst aims to break the cycle of poverty in part by encouraging
kindergarten readiness, grade-level reading, and high school graduation. Immediate strategies
for improved outcomes include school readiness, better school attendance, and improved
summer enrichment learning.
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• The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) works with children who have been abused to provide them
and their non-offending family members access to needed supports and services. CAC is part of
the National Children’s Alliance. The organization provides forensic interviews of children after
allegations of abuse to assist the county human services department and law enforcement in
child abuse investigations. Non-offending parents/caregivers receive counseling and support
referrals.
• Childsafe assists children who have experienced sexual abuse. Services provided include therapy
(group, individual, family), parenting classes, and referral to supplemental programs. Bilingual
services are available. The outpatient program serves victims ages 2 to 18 in a combination of
individual, group, and family therapy. Most clients have very low incomes.
• The Community Life Center, a part of The Matthews House, provides family services, education,
and recreation programs to support children and families. The Family Services program provides
system navigation, ongoing supportive services, and proactive parenting education programs.
The Education program focuses on improving student academic and social skills to better meet
their educational needs through educational partnerships and collaborations as well as after-
school programming. The Matthews House opened a second community life center in 2015 to
serve a greater portion of the Fort Collins population.
• Crossroads Safehouse offers a youth program that helps children and teens increase self-
esteem, develop and practice coping and communication skills, and learn alternatives to
aggressive behaviors. Programs offered to children in the broader community include:
• Youth Advocacy, which provides therapy to children and teens affected by domestic violence
(one-on-one sessions as well as meeting with family members) and
• Time to Talk, a peer-education approach about dating violence presented by high school
students in the Poudre School District.
• La Familia/Family Center provides affordable, accessible, high quality early childhood education
(ECE) and family strengthening services with an emphasis on cultural attunement with Latinx
community. These services are delivered through the organization’s licensed ECE program which
provides childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. La Familia offers a sliding scale tuition,
bilingual childcare, and offers parent support services. They also offer home visitations, youth
programs, health and wellness initiatives, and adult education/ESL/computer services. La
Familia also partners with the City and Energy Outreach Colorado to offer emergency utility
payment assistance.
• Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development office offers young adult services to
connect with young adults (14 to 24 years old) looking for job training and employment. The
CareerRise programs provide education, training, and career exposure for young adults in the
community, while the Larimer County Conservation Corps offers seasonal work to conserve
habitat areas in the county
• Larimer County Hub Juvenile Assessment Center, a collaboration between Larimer County
Department of Human Services, law enforcement, and mental health services, is a coordinated
multi-agency, single entry point for services to Larimer County youth (ages 0-17) and their
families. The Hub is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by a team of intake specialists who
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provide services such as child protection screening, comprehensive child and family assessments
for at-risk youth, detention screening, early intervention and referral to appropriate community
services and individual and/or family counseling.
• Realities for Children provides emergency services, organizational support, community
awareness and youth activities to abused and neglected children in Larimer County. Emergency
funding is available on a case-by-case basis for children who have no other resources to meet
their needs. Keeping Dreams Alive grants allow youth to follow their dreams, and Triumph
Awards provide collegiate scholarships for youth emancipating from the system to pursue
higher education.
• The Center for Family Outreach serves youth and families struggling with substance abuse,
disruptive or high-risk behaviors, and/or family conflict. The organization offers a 90-day
voluntary program to assist youth and families with substance abuse challenges and/or
disruptive or high-risk behaviors. Services offered include counseling and therapy, GED and
academic tutoring, art enrichment, community service, and substance abuse monitoring. Parent
classes to strengthen parenting skills are also offered. The Center also runs a diversion program
and more intense intervention programs for teens who have received a legal summons.
• The Matthews House hosts a youth empowerment program that assists youth between the
ages of 16 and 21 with life skills. Many of the youth assisted by the organization have been part
of the human services, foster care, or juvenile/justice system, live below the poverty level, and
have experienced abuse; some are homeless. Youth are referred to the Matthews House by
county human services, the school district, the justice system, and other nonprofits that work
with at-risk youth. The Matthews House programs assist youth in finding safe and affordable
housing, obtaining needed physical and mental health care, finding employment or receiving job
training, pursuing their education, and development independent living and social skills.
• SummitStone Health Partners Namaqua Center assists children who have experienced trauma,
have severe behavioral challenges, and/or have a diagnosed emotional disturbance. Programs
include a Family Support Program for families with children who are severally behaviorally
challenged; support to grandfamilies in the form of case management, resource acquisition and
allocation, systems navigation, support groups, education, and emergency aid; Wondercamp, a
skill building program for children with severe emotional disturbances who need structure and
support during school holidays; a mentor program for youth; the SPOT, an after school program
for adolescents to develop skills to navigate the world with a serious mental illness; and respite
care for families.
• Turning Point Center for Youth and Family Development provides therapeutic services to youth
and families through individual therapy sessions or in a residential treatment facility. Services
include therapeutic coaching, therapy, short- and long-term substance abuse treatment for
teens, adolescent day treatment programs, crisis intervention, DUI/DWAI classes, and coaching
and mentoring programs. Children are referred to their program by schools, the Larimer County
Department of Human Services, and similar state departments. Health insurance covers many of
the services provided by Turning Point; the organization also accepts Medicaid. Turning Point’s
education programs include schooling alternatives for at-risk and expelled students.
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• Partners Mentoring Youth (PMY) creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships
between positive adult role models and youth facing challenges in their personal, social, and
academic lives. PMY provides opportunities to youth who are waiting for a mentor through the
Nexus Program which hosts recreational, life-skill building, and community services activities for
groups. PMY also offers substance abuse education and prevention programs.
• The Northside Aztlan Community Center (City of Fort Collins) offers programs for people of all
ages and youth at-risk. The center hosts youth nights which offers social activities, games, food
and other services.
• Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) is a childcare assistance program administered through
the Larimer County Department of Human Services and funded by the state. Because of high
demand for the program, enrollment was stopped in September 2016 and a waitlist has been
put into place. Due to additional funding received in 2020, the waitlist may be reopened.
• Colorado Preschool Program (CCP) is a state program that subsidies early childhood education
services, including those delivered through public schools and Head Start. The program focuses
on children who have identified risk factors that could impair their success in school.
• Early Childhood Council of Larimer County (ECCLC) is one of 31 early childhood councils that
work to improve early learning and care services for Colorado children and families. This
includes improving availability and quality of early care and education, health care, parenting,
and social and emotional health of families and children.
• Teaching Tree Childhood Early Learning Center provides childcare, early learning, and school
readiness for children 6 weeks to 8 years old. Teaching Tree serves about 300 children in a year
in their Larimer County Locations including one center in Fort Collins and one in Loveland.
Teaching Tree provides scholarships, serves an unlimited number of CCAP families, and offers
sliding fees for families who don’t quality for CCAP.
• Poudre School District Early Childhood Education (PSD ECE) offers parental support programs
through elementary schools in PSD. These range from Early Head Start qualifying families
(serving children birth to age 3) to subsidized preschool programs.
• Boys & Girls Club of Larimer County has three clubhouses open daily afterschool until 7 p.m.
and during the summer from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Boys and Girls Club focuses on academic
success, character and citizenship, and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Veterans
Lower income veterans with health, mental health, substance use disorders and/or unstable housing
history often need affordable, supportive housing with case management support to establish benefits,
assist with housing search and establish and maintain housing and health care. The VA Supportive
Housing program (VASH) was designed to meet this goal.
• Housing Catalyst administers 135 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers
• Volunteers of America (VOA) provides a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
program called the Back Home program which provides outreach, case-management, assistance
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in obtaining benefits and emergency financial resources, rapid rehousing and homeless
prevention services.
• The Larimer County Veterans Service Office assists with filing for and obtaining benefits; claim
counseling, developing, and representation; advocacy for veterans, their families and survivors;
and VA Health Care Enrollment Priority Groups.
• Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development Office helps veterans, especially
recently separated veterans and those with a service-connected disability or some other barrier
to employment, to develop their careers and find employment.
• Redtail Ponds (Housing Catalyst) Redtail Ponds is a 60-unit affordable housing development
that provides housing designed to meet the needs of formerly homeless individuals with
disabilities and formerly homeless veterans.
• Northern Colorado Coordinated Assessment & Housing Placement System (CAHPS) works with
Housing First Initiative to provide assessment, navigation, case management, and wrap-around
services to house and retain housing for people on the by-name list. CAHPS began in 2015 with a
focus on veterans.
• Catholic Charities has a 12-bed residential/transitional program specifically for veterans that
includes case management.
• The Cheyenne VA Medical Center Homeless Program assists veterans that are experiencing
homelessness or are at risk for homelessness in accessing eligible services through VA programs
or other community programs. Services are available in Fort Collins at the Murphy Center and
Catholic Charities.
• Veterans Compass offers individualized advocacy to veterans and helps veterans transition to
civilian life through employment and support in the form of discounted goods and services.
Victims of Domestic Violence
Victims of domestic violence need urgent supportive services and resources. Establishing income
support and rapidly obtaining shelter and supportive housing are critical components to avoiding
additional trauma.
• Crossroads Safehouse offers 24/7 crisis intervention, emergency safehousing, advocacy and
support groups, legal advocacy, and youth programming for victims of domestic violence. They
also offer community education and trainings to community organizations, businesses,
government agencies, schools. Crossroads recently received a grant to provide the Road to
Home rapid-rehousing program to their clients. The program provides financial, rental, and
housing-search assistance to help victims find and maintain permanent housing. Partner
organizations will provide supportive services to participants.
• The Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center (SAVA) offers free and confidential services
including a 24-hour crisis hotline, individual advocacy, therapy, and support groups for sexual
assault survivors and their families. They also provide prevention and education programs for
ages 8-18 and for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
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• Larimer County Sheriff's Office Victim Response Team (VRT) provides on-scene assistance,
emotional support, information on referrals and resources, information regarding Victim
Compensations Assistance, and assistance with bond hearings to victims of crimes.
• ChildSafe provides comprehensive treatment to victims of child sexual abuse and their non-
offending family members, including group therapy.
• Larimer County Department of Human Services responds to reports of child abuse and neglect
as well as mistreatment or neglect of at-risk adults who are, due to age or disability, are unable
to advocate for themselves.
Describe programs for ensuring that persons returning from mental and physical health
institutions receive appropriate supportive housing
The City of Fort Collins, its housing and service providers, and the homelessness intervention advocacy
community recognize the importance of discharge planning within community institutions to prevent
long-term or episodic homelessness. The Social Sustainability Department’s Director is a board member
for the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care and continues to work with area healthcare providers,
homeless services providers, and other care institutions to establish coordinated discharge planning
processes. Direct partners in addressing this issue include the Larimer County Detention Center,
UCHealth, the Larimer County Foster Care System, SummitStone Health Partners, Housing Catalyst, and
others. The voter-approved behavioral health facility, when complete, will enhance the discharge
planning process as part of their integrated services. The Larimer County Detention Center has
incorporated MAT (medication-assisted treatment) for people with opioid use disorders into their
operations, along with behavioral therapy and comprehensive discharge planning for continuity of care
after inmates are released. An increased focus on preventing homelessness post-discharge at the state
and federal level has helped increase awareness of this issue. Homeward 2020’s Ten Year Plan to Make
Homelessness Rare, Short-Lived and Non-Recurring has highlighted the need for these efforts and
helped coordinate key agencies to identify and address contributing factors and solutions.
Additionally, the City funds a variety of human service programs with City dollars that aid in
homelessness prevention. These include, but are not limited to: The Matthews House Empowering
Youth Program which supports youth transitioning out of foster care and/or the juvenile justice system;
the Murphy Center, a one-stop-shop assistance location for community members at risk of becoming
homeless; and rent assistance through Neighbor to Neighbor, to keep low income individuals and
families in their homes. The City’s Utilities department provides a reduced rate for those with higher
electricity usage due to medically necessary equipment, and partners with Energy Outreach Colorado to
provide energy bill assistance and weatherization. Other community resources and needs are listed
above.
Specify the activities that the jurisdiction plans to undertake during the next year to address
the housing and supportive services needs identified in accordance with 91.215(e) with
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respect to persons who are not homeless but have other special needs. Link to one-year
goals. 91.315(e)
The City of Fort Collins will support persons with special needs through funding affordable housing,
supportive housing development, and human services with federal and City funds. Housing projects that
will be funded with federal dollars include rehabilitation of existing affordable housing for low-income
families and individuals, and new construction development for low-income families and seniors. Over
the course of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan the City will prioritize new construction and
rehabilitation of housing projects that serve special populations and include co-location of services.
Additionally, the City may award local dollars to projects providing transitional housing and home
repairs for seniors and people with disabilities. Annually, the City of Fort Collins allocates up to 15% of
its CDBG funds to public service activities, and in the next year, plans to support agencies that provide
emergency shelter, behavioral health services, disability services, and homelessness prevention. Though
this Consolidated Plan, the City will prioritize public service projects that support special populations
such as seniors, people with disabilities, unaccompanied youth, people experiencing homelessness,
LGBTQIA+, people of color, and other historically underrepresented or under-resourced populations.
Priority services include senior and disability services, mental health care, case management, and
transportation. Funding will assist with agency operations, staffing, staff training, programmatic costs,
and materials needed to deliver service. The City accepts applications for funding both housing and
public services each spring and determines awards in July of each year.
For entitlement/consortia grantees: Specify the activities that the jurisdiction plans to
undertake during the next year to address the housing and supportive services needs
identified in accordance with 91.215(e) with respect to persons who are not homeless but
have other special needs. Link to one-year goals. (91.220(2))
See above.
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MA-40 Barriers to Affordable Housing – 91.210(e)
Negative Effects of Public Policies on Affordable Housing and Residential Investment
The City of Fort Collins continues to see population growth that outpaces housing availability. Fort
Collins is also home to Colorado State University, which has a population of over 26,000 undergraduate
students studying on campus. The demand for student housing contributes to the lack of availability of
rental housing for the community at large.
Fort Collins has implemented a number of policies and practices to encourage the development of
affordable housing. Some of those policies include expedited processing of affordable housing
development review applications; residential density bonuses in certain zone districts; reduced
landscape sizing requirements; fee waivers and deferrals for targeted affordable housing projects; and a
City-funded Affordable Housing Fund, which can assist with financial support to offset various fees and
exactions that new development must pay under existing City laws and regulations relating to new
development. Because of the Tax Payer Bill of Rights Amendment (TABOR), the City operates its utility
service departments as enterprises, which means that if new water or sewer services are requested, the
cost of those services—including plant investment fees and other capital expenditures—must be
covered by revenues earned by the enterprise fund. In July of 2014, Duncan and Associates produced an
Impact Fee Survey for the City of Greeley that included fees from several communities in Larimer
County. Those communities were Fort Collins, Loveland and the unincorporated areas of Larimer
County. The findings of the survey indicate the policies which define the level of impact and service fees
for utilities in Fort Collins are in the lower tier of those charged by other Weld, Boulder and Larimer
municipalities. The Housing Affordability Policy Study also recommended the City adopt more equitable
plan review, building permit, and capital expansion fees if the fees were proportionally based. The City
has conducted a Land Use Code Audit to identify ways to promote new housing options including
smaller homes.
Various Public Participation forums yielded comments that the perception is the planning and
development review process is challenging for developers. However, in comparing policies, procedures
and requirements with other northern Front Range municipalities, the review process does not appear
to be as onerous as described by community stakeholders. One of the challenges in working a project
through the development review process is that applicants often do not initially provide the full depth of
information and disclosure that allow planners and reviewers to approve or disapprove a development
proposal in a timely manner, and it is often necessary to ask applicants to submit updated information
and complete information on details covered by the regulations. The City has added Development
Review Coordinators assigned to each project to help developers navigate the process. The City has also
worked to streamline processes too.
The City has policies in place that provide certain incentives and regulatory concessions for affordable
housing projects, including density bonuses and additional building height limits, in certain zone areas.
As the development pipeline in the City continues to lengthen, those advantages to affordable housing
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projects will continue to assist affordable developers to keep the transaction and carrying costs of their
projects lower than in some other communities.
Fort Collins has adopted an occupancy regulation that stipulates the number of unrelated persons who
may live in a residential unit. This law is known as the “U Plus 2” Ordinance. The law prescribes that, in
certain areas of the City, a family of any size plus one additional person, or two adults plus their
dependents and one additional person, can occupy a residential dwelling unit. This Ordinance was
adopted by the City Council in order to mitigate some of the negative impacts of overcrowding within
residential neighborhoods. The problem of having large groups of persons living in traditionally single-
family homes in established neighborhoods is more acute in neighborhoods closer to CSU. However, a
recent study found that students are not the only ones needing to double up to afford rent. Extra rental
occupancy permits are available in many zones to allow more residents to occupy homes with adequate
bedrooms and parking for the additional occupants.
The City has also created a policy to allow for higher occupancy rental housing in certain designated
zoning districts. Extra Occupancy Rental Houses are allowed in the LMN, MMN, HMN, NCB, D, RDR, CC,
CCN, CCR, C, CN, NC, CL, E, and I zoning districts. Those districts are outlined in the map below. The
areas in red indicate zones in which different occupancy standards may apply. Some stakeholders in the
Public Participation process indicated they feel the occupancy restrictions have impacted the housing
demand by having fewer occupants per home. That is a difficult proposition to validate. Common sense
says that if the number of people allowed to live in a house is limited, then demand will increase. Once
the limit is reached on an individual dwelling unit, those not included will have to seek another unit that
would allow them to stay under the limit. However, it is difficult to quantify the impact on vacancy or
occupancy statistics because there are other areas of the City which allow for higher occupancy in a
single residential unit. It is also important to acknowledge that the ordinance exempts most family
arrangements from compliance so that larger families, as long as they meet the definitions contained in
the ordinance, are exempt. In the map below, the red highlighted areas indicate the Designated Extra
Occupancy Rental Zones.
In updating City Plan, residents expressed an interest in allowing accessory dwelling units to be more
widely permitted. These are secondary units that add to a primary dwelling unit. Staff continues to
evaluate the pros and cons of this type of housing.
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MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets – 91.215 (f)
Introduction
More current information from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is available for the
Fort Collins/Loveland MSA. In December of 2019, the unemployment rate in the MSA was 2.0% (average
2019 unemployment rate for 2019 is 2.4%). There were 211,381 persons in the labor force, 207,138 of
whom were employed, and 4,243 who were unemployed. The rate is lower than throughout Colorado,
which had a 2.4% unemployment rate in December of 2019 (average 2019 unemployment rate for 2019
is 2.8%). The labor force in Fort Collins grew from 2000–2019 (December to December). Total employed
persons grew by 34,757, or 33.3%, and the unemployed grew by 191, or 9.6%. according to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics. The labor force in Fort Collins grew from 2010–2019 (December to December). Total
employed persons grew by 19,941, or 19.1%, and the unemployed shrunk by 4,547, or -229%. according
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Economic Development Market Analysis
The following table, provided by HUD, shows the number of workers in Fort Collins in 2015 by business
sector, the number of jobs by business sector, the share of total workers, share of total jobs, and the
percentage of jobs less percentage of workers. The table indicates there are nearly 2300 more jobs than
workers, with the greatest gaps in Arts/Entertainment/Accommodations, Education and Health Care
Services, and Professional, Scientific, Management Services. On the other hand, the following fields have
significantly more workers than jobs: Agriculture, Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction, Construction,
Transportation and Warehousing, and Wholesale Trade. The information is provided for 13 business
defined sectors.
Economic Development Market Analysis
Business Activity
Business by Sector Number of
Workers
Number of
Jobs
Share of
Workers
%
Share of Jobs
%
Jobs less
workers
%
Agriculture, Mining, Oil & Gas
Extraction 943 234 2 0 -2
Arts, Entertainment,
Accommodations 9,179 10,395 18 19 1
Construction 3,772 2,299 7 4 -3
Education and Health Care Services 7,714 9,685 15 18 3
Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate 3,236 3,548 6 7 1
Information 1,334 953 3 2 -1
Manufacturing 5,961 6,782 11 13 2
Other Services 2,040 2,151 4 4 0
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Business by Sector Number of
Workers
Number of
Jobs
Share of
Workers
%
Share of Jobs
%
Jobs less
workers
%
Professional, Scientific,
Management Services 6,874 8,279 13 15 2
Public Administration 0 0 0 0 0
Retail Trade 7,514 8,138 14 15 1
Transportation and Warehousing 1,170 482 2 1 -1
Wholesale Trade 2,232 1,301 4 2 -2
Total 51,969 54,247 -- -- --
Table 40 - Business Activity
Data
Source:
2011-2015 ACS (Workers), 2015 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (Jobs)
Labor Force
Total Population in the Civilian Labor Force 88,520
Civilian Employed Population 16 years and over 82,270
Unemployment Rate 7.08
Unemployment Rate for Ages 16-24 25.04
Unemployment Rate for Ages 25-65 4.27
Table 41 - Labor Force
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
Unemployment
The unemployment rate for younger Fort Collins residents is much higher than the rate for those age 25
and older.
Occupations by Sector
HUD also provides the number of people employed in various occupations by sector for 2015. The
largest employment industries in Fort Collins are Management (business and financial) and Sales and
office.
Occupations by Sector Number of People
Management, business and financial 24,565
Farming, fisheries and forestry occupations 2,855
Service 8,489
Sales and office 19,565
Construction, extraction, maintenance and
repair 4,760
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Occupations by Sector Number of People
Production, transportation and material moving 2,895
Table 42 – Occupations by Sector
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
Occupations
The City of Fort Collins Economic Health Office utilizes EMSI data for an analysis of the occupations with
the largest number of employees in Larimer County, the fastest growing occupations, and the median
hourly earnings for these occupations. The following charts come from this data.
Currently, the top four occupations in Larimer County employ over 19,000 persons, and pay no more
than a median hourly earnings of $17.39 per hour.
Fort Collins has a higher percentage of adults with a college education than jobs that need this
education level. As a result, there is a disconnect between the highly educated employment base and
the jobs currently being created.
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Travel Time
Travel Time Number Percentage
< 30 Minutes 61,080 81%
30-59 Minutes 10,860 14%
60 or More Minutes 3,480 5%
Total 75,420 100%
Table 43 - Travel Time
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
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Commuting
Most Fort Collins residents (81%) commute less than 30 minutes to work each day. The City of Fort
Collins analyzed commuting data from 2008-2017. During this time period, out-commuting increased by
21.3% from 29,472 to 35,757 workers living in Fort Collins and leaving to work elsewhere. The number
of in-commuters has increased by 6,000 workers (15.0%), however, relative to the share of total workers
it has remained relatively flat over the 10-year period, with a 0.1% decrease of all workers employed in
Fort Collins and living elsewhere. Of these, 16% commute in from Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, and
Wellington.
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Education and Employment
ACS data from 2015* shows there were over 8,000 persons in the Fort Collins labor force with a high
school degree or less. For those with less than a high school education, the unemployment rate of 11%
was over nearly triple the rate for those with a Bachelor's degree or higher. Residents with the most
education earn the most in Fort Collins. Residents with a Bachelor’s degree or higher earned significantly
more than those with an Associate’s degree or less education. Residents without a high school diploma
may have limited options for jobs that will pay a living wage. Job training programs must target residents
in all age groups. Job training and placement programs for these residents could reduce the
unemployment rate for less educated workers.
*2017 ACS data shows a significant difference in earning by educational attainment than the 2015 data
provided by HUD.
Education:
Educational Attainment by Employment Status (Population 16 and Older)
Educational Attainment In Labor Force
Civilian Employed Unemployed Not in Labor Force
Less than high school graduate 1,580 175 960
High school graduate (includes
equivalency) 6,680 600 2,150
Some college or Associate's degree 16,590 1,110 4,100
Bachelor's degree or higher 33,245 1,280 5,660
Table 44 - Educational Attainment by Employment Status
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
Educational Attainment by Age
Age
18–24 yrs 25–34 yrs 35–44 yrs 45–65 yrs 65+ yrs
Less than 9th grade 295 300 300 319 395
9th to 12th grade, no diploma 1,134 665 410 715 410
High school graduate, GED, or
alternative 5,670 2,920 1,715 4,810 3,280
Some college, no degree 22,025 5,395 2,985 6,370 3,330
Associate's degree 1,425 2,685 1,625 2,795 695
Bachelor's degree 4,340 9,585 6,440 9,230 3,325
Graduate or professional degree 395 3,715 4,375 6,950 2,925
Table 45 - Educational Attainment by Age
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
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Educational Attainment – Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months
Educational Attainment Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months
Less than high school graduate 66,385
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 47,890
Some college or Associate's degree 69,341
Bachelor's degree 114,450
Graduate or professional degree 126,916
Table 46 – Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months
Data Source: 2011-2015 ACS
Alternate data
Based on the Business Activity table above, what are the major employment sectors within
your jurisdiction?
The top sectors by employment are health care & social assistance, educational services,
accommodation & food services, retail trade, and manufacturing. According to the Colorado
Department of Labor and Employment, the top growing occupations of Larimer County include
combined food preparation & serving workers, retail salespersons, cashiers, waiters & waitresses, and
office clerks. These occupations are service-based industries and are often low paying and part-time
employment.
Describe the workforce and infrastructure needs of the business community:
The recently completed Labor Market Profile identified 29 occupations that are currently likely to be
hard to fill, based upon rapidly rising demand and/or higher than expected wages. These are also areas
where there are national shortages in the labor force, and include: sales representatives, IT staff, skilled
trade (i.e. welders), mechanics, and managers. The authors also conducted an analysis of four primary
private sector industries (manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and software development, research and
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development, and engineering), and concluded there could be better alignment between the education
and training infrastructure in Fort Collins and the needs of the region’s employers. Many professional
and technical workers—as well as skilled labor—are being recruited from outside Larimer County. Most
of the Colorado State University students that graduate each year are not choosing fields of study
related to the occupations most critical to the region’s key industries. The study concludes that a better
alignment of the skills of the region’s graduates and the needs of the region’s employers could improve
the staffing environment for the region’s employers and facilitate retention of the region’s graduates.
Fort Collins’ community infrastructure framework operates from a “new development pays its own way”
philosophy. Overarching priority community infrastructure needs (incorporating those of business, as
well) are being addressed into the future through the City’s latest capital program, Community Capital
Improvement Plan (CCIP). No specific business infrastructure needs not being addressed by existing
processes have been brought forth to-date, nor are any anticipated.
Describe any major changes that may have an economic impact, such as planned local or
regional public or private sector investments or initiatives that have affected or may affect
job and business growth opportunities during the planning period. Describe any needs for
workforce development, business support or infrastructure these changes may create.
The City has worked with a broad range of stakeholder groups to update its Economic Health Strategic
Plan. The changes in the new plan reflect changes that have taken place in the Fort Collins economy as
well as change at the national level. The division of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation into two new
operating entities has increased employment between the two large employers. Woodward has placed
its world headquarters in Fort Collins, which is also increasing employment in Larimer County. Other
large national employers will continue to expand their labor forces in Larimer County at modest rates.
The Economic Health Strategic Plan is closely tied with the Social Sustainability Strategic Plan. The
Economic Health Plan emphasizes five major themes, which all will have an impact on job and business
growth, as well as on lower income residents seeking higher paid jobs. Those themes include:
Community Prosperity, Grow Your Own, Place Matters, Climate Change Economy and Thinking
Regionally. The Economic Health Strategic Plan places emphasis on using both local and federal
Resources, including CDBG funds, to expand training and employment opportunities for Fort Collins
residents. The effort will focus on cluster industries that have an anchor in Fort Collins. The industries
are targeted to include: Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Creative Industry sectors.
In order to achieve a vision of community prosperity, the City’s Economic Health Strategic Plan will
emphasize training for all spectrums of skill/income levels, including low-income residents, to qualify for
higher level jobs and then focus on career advancement so those workers will have the necessary tools
to advance in those cluster industries. For instance, a resident may obtain training and employment in
nursing. Once employment is achieved, the worker may continue to receive training and support to
advance to other jobs within the industrial cluster. For a nursing assistant, that might mean obtaining
training and experience in order to qualify for a job as a radiation technologist.
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How do the skills and education of the current workforce correspond to employment
opportunities in the jurisdiction?
The Labor Market Profile report notes the regional workforce is over-qualified for the needs of these
industries. Fort Collins has such a high quality of life that overqualified residents are willing to take jobs
that require low skills to live in the City.
Describe any current workforce training initiatives, including those supported by Workforce
Investment Boards, community colleges and other organizations. Describe how these efforts
will support the jurisdiction's Consolidated Plan.
The Larimer County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) aligns it efforts in the City with the plans and
objectives adopted by the City. A major City priority is to align potential employees with the training
needs demanded by local businesses in order to expand their operations. Community prosperity is the
prime objective of both the Economic Health Strategic Plan and the Social Sustainability Strategic Plan.
The Workforce Investment Board works closely with the City to ensure its programs support increasing
employment and the quality of jobs through targeted training to low-income residents so that residents
can find good employment by having skills and training needed by Fort Collins businesses.
Does your jurisdiction participate in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
(CEDS)?
No
If so, what economic development initiatives are you undertaking that may be coordinated
with the Consolidated Plan? If not, describe other local/regional plans or initiatives that
impact economic growth.
The Northern Colorado Regional Economic Development Initiative (“NoCo REDI”) represents a network
of economic development organizations working to coordinate regional economic development efforts.
We recognize that economic benefits in one community benefit all due to the interconnected nature of
the regional economy. Working together allows for greater impact in the region – “We are one
economy”. The objective of this collaboration is to increase the region’s economic resilience and
improve the business ecosystem.
In August of 2019, the Northern Colorado Regional Economic Development Initiative (NoCo REDI)
embarked on a process to develop a regional industry cluster strategy and playbook that enhances
coordination and collaboration among regional partners to the benefit of the regional economy and the
regional talent pipeline. The goal of aligning the regional economic development efforts around a shared
set of industry clusters is to develop a common language, a unified message, and a laser-focused
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programmatic response that is targeted to the industry clusters that represent the region’s areas of
strength and greatest prospects for growth.
Industry clusters are defined as “geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized
suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions.” The focus on
industry clusters in the face of scarce resources helps improve the odds of success and maximize
positive returns for investments in economic and talent development. This focus is important for the
following reasons:
• It provides a lens for identifying areas of strength and areas of potential growth
• It helps prioritize resources and build expertise
• It provides a focus for economic development programming
• It provides a framework for aligning industry and education to the benefit of the workforce and
education systems
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MA-50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion
Are there areas where households with multiple housing problems are concentrated?
(include a definition of "concentration")
Definition of concentration: 51% or more of residents within a census tract are experiencing multiple
housing problems. While cost burden is pervasive throughout the community, there are no census tracts
in which 51% or more of the residents have more than one housing problem. According to CPD Maps,
there are no areas of Fort Collins where households have concentrations of multiple housing problems.
There is only one tract with up to 16.81% overcrowded households; all others are below 8.22%. There is
one census tract with more than 45.53% substandard housing, one with 12-25% substandard, and 4 at
5.13-12% substandard conditions. However, there are only 7 census tracts where fewer than 48% of
households pay less than 50% of their income for housing. Most tracts have a severe cost burden rate of
over 48%.
Are there any areas in the jurisdiction where racial or ethnic minorities or low-income
families are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration")
Definition of concentration: 51% or more of residents within a census tract are in a racial or ethnic
minority, or are low-income.
There is one census tract in north Fort Collins that has between a concentration of Hispanic households
at 63.91% (tract #08069001304). The same census tract has a median income below $45,000. However,
this tract does not face a disproportionate amount of cost burden.
What are the characteristics of the market in these areas/neighborhoods?
There are a number of tracts in central and east Fort Collins that have lower median incomes and a
concentration of cost burden over 30%. According to CPD Maps, these census tracts have some overlap
with higher renter occupancy tracts and more multifamily housing developments, especially in central
Fort Collins. There is also some overlap of tracts with higher numbers of extremely low-income
households. There is no correlation with higher rates of unemployment, except in the tract that contains
Colorado State University, and in which many full-time students live. There is also no correlation with
increased commute times or less access to public transportation.
Are there any community assets in these areas/neighborhoods?
These areas and neighborhoods benefit from the same vibrant services and infrastructure as other
higher-income neighborhoods. There are large and small grocery stores, retail including Downtown Fort
Collins, neighborhood parks, Natural Areas, libraries, schools, Colorado State University (CSU) campus,
CSU Trial Gardens, the Gardens on Spring Creek, the Foothills Mall, Northside Aztlan Community Center,
the Youth Activity Center, religious centers, nonprofits, and a variety of housing types.
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Are there other strategic opportunities in any of these areas?
The Northeast quadrant of the City contains green field land that is planned for additional housing
including affordable and attainable units. Poudre School District is constructing a new middle and high
school in Wellington, completion expecting in 2022, which will serve the northeast quadrant of Fort
Collins.
Maps
Concentrations of Cost Burdened Households
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MA-60 Broadband Needs of Housing occupied by Low- and Moderate-Income
Households - 91.210(a)(4), 91.310(a)(2)
Describe the need for broadband wiring and connections for households, including low- and
moderate-income households and neighborhoods.
Access to broadband is becoming a necessity, rather than a luxury. People who lack access are
increasingly are at a disadvantage economically and have more difficulty accessing educational
opportunities and resources. According 2018 ACS 5-Year Estimates nearly 20% of households in the
United States lack internet access, making them vulnerable to lower educational attainment and
impeding employment opportunities.
According to 2018 ACS data Fort Collins residents who have lower incomes are less likely to have
internet access where they live. Twenty-four percent of households earning less than $20,000 per year
do not have any type of internet access, while 98.2% of households with income over $75,000 annually
have internet access in their homes. Meanwhile, there are also 2125 households that only have a
smartphone for computer access, and another 1810 with no computer in their homes.
At the direction of voters, the City of Fort Collins is building and implementing a utility-level high-speed
fiber network which will be available to all residents, businesses and organizations in the city. High-
speed broadband is an important resource for residents as more information, education, and
entertainment content is enabled online. The more devices are used in a home, the slower the home
network bandwidth can become. With utility broadband access, customers can use multiple devices
simultaneously without losing speed. As people look to access medical resources, educational materials,
and job applications online, and have more smart devices in their homes (thermostats, voice assistants,
speakers, lighting, security features, televisions), equitable access to high-speed, reliable internet service
becomes more important. Broadband access supports local businesses, job growth, education, energy
technology, health care and other public services. As broadband fiber is installed across the community,
the City is exploring ways to provide reduced rates to lower-income households.
Additionally, the City includes broadband requirements in its underwriting criteria for housing projects
supported with City and federal dollars. Unless the project can demonstrate an undue financial burden
on the project, or that it would fundamentally alter the nature of the program or activity, all new
construction and substantial rehabilitation of housing with more than four rental units must include
installation of broadband infrastructure. For example, Housing Catalyst has included Wi-Fi at no
additional cost to residents at Redtail Ponds permanent supportive housing and most of their Villages
properties, and will provide broadband in their new housing development at Mason Place.
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Describe the need for increased competition by having more than one broadband Internet
service provider serve the jurisdiction.
Based on research and surveys completed through 2016 and 2017, as part of the City of Fort Collins
Broadband Initiative, the City learned that:
• Two incumbent service providers have the vast majority of market share for both internet and
voice services
• Satisfaction for these services ranks low (average for video)
• Top residential market needs are lower prices, increased speed, and improved reliability.
The City has embarked on an effort to provide municipally run fiber to residences. Since launching, this
added competition has already impacted both the price and speed of offerings by the incumbents. FCC
477 data confirms that most customers of the two major incumbents receive 25mbps up/3 down or less.
City-offered broadband will provide 1,000 mpbs up/1,000 mbps down, or more, at competitive prices.
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MA-65 Hazard Mitigation - 91.210(a)(5), 91.310(a)(3)
Describe the jurisdiction’s increased natural hazard risks associated with climate change.
The natural hazards from climate change most likely to impact residents of Fort Collins are extreme
temperatures, wildfire smoke, flood, reduced water availability and quality. The impacts of these
hazards have the potential to negatively impact all residents, but people living in older, non-upgraded
homes and within the floodplain are at greater risk of impacts than others. This is an emerging area of
focus in Fort Collins; additional analysis and mitigation strategies will be identified and implemented in
the future.
Describe the vulnerability to these risks of housing occupied by low- and moderate-income
households based on an analysis of data, findings, and methods.
Housing built before 1980, without upgrades, is typically less efficient than newer homes. According to
2018 ACS 5-Year Estimates, there are approximately 22,000 housing units in Fort Collins constructed
prior to 1980, 57% of which are rental units. Less efficient housing places the occupants at greater risk of
increased heating and cooling costs during extreme temperatures, and provides less protection from
low air quality associated with wildfire smoke and/or pollution. In Fort Collins, the older homes are
generally concentrated in higher income block groups, as shown in the maps below (Average Dwelling
Age by Block Group and Median Household Income by Block Group), though there may be increased
opportunities for rehabilitation in the southeast quadrant of the city.
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Climate Risks
With climate change comes increased risk of wildfire. Wildfire smoke is an impact the entire community
experiences. Most residents elect to shelter in place in the case of smoke, heat, or extreme cold. Making
homes as comfortable and efficient as possible is the best way to protect residents from the negative
health impacts these events may cause. To this end, the City and its partners have implemented
programs to assist with weatherization, utility costs, and energy-efficiency upgrades for lower-income
households. There are a small number of homes in the wildland urban interface that could be at risk
from fire—these neighborhoods are mixed-income and include multifamily developments and single-
family homes.
Because rates are higher during periods of water restrictions, in the case of drought or other causes of
reduced water availability, households with lower incomes may feel the strain of increased water cost.
However, the City also has programs to help households replace less efficient water fixtures in their
homes, free energy and water assessments, free irrigation assessments, and reduced water rates for
income-qualified households.
Parts of Fort Collins are in the 100-year and 500-year floodplain. Also, urban flooding is an issue in the
Old Town area, where stormwater systems are currently undersized. With climate change, Fort Collins
predicts more intense precipitation events, which will increase the risk of floodplain and urban flooding.
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The map below, Floodplain Map with Census Block by Federal Poverty Limit, shows poverty by census
block in Fort Collins, overlaid with the floodplain map. This map shows some areas on the west side of
Fort Collins that are in an area of increased poverty. When many of these areas were built, there was
little thought given to storm drainage. Therefore, many homes were constructed immediately adjacent
to these smaller stream channels and were not elevated or protected. Many of these areas have had
improvements made and the City’s Master Drainage Plan identifies capital projects to reduce risk.
The City of Fort Collins has a comprehensive stormwater and floodplain management program that
focuses on reducing flood risk to the entire community. Fort Collins is one of the highest rated
communities nationwide (Class 2) based on FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) that evaluates
communities based on activities related to public information, mapping and regulations, flood damage
reduction and warning and response.
Capital improvement projects have been built across the City to reduce flood risk. Since 1995, the City
has spent $100 million on stormwater improvement projects. Since 1988, over 2,500 structures are no
longer mapped in the floodplain due to these projects. However, there are still over 1,000 structures
mapped in the 100-year floodplain that are at risk from flooding, with over half of those in the Old Town
Drainage Basin. The homes in the Old Town Drainage Basin are more expensive, but there are students
and families who rent basement apartments in the Old Town area who may have lower incomes and
whose housing is at risk of flooding. Each year a mailer is sent to all property owners and occupants in
the floodplain that shares information related to flood safety, flood warning, property protection, flood
insurance and more. Numerous other outreach efforts such as education in schools, booths at
community events, outreach to Relators, flood awareness videos, and bus bench messaging are also
used to promote flood safety and risk reduction throughout the community.
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Average Dwelling Age by Blockgroup Map
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Median Household Income by Blockgroup Map
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Flood Plain Map
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Strategic Plan
SP-05 Overview
Strategic Plan Overview
The Fort Collins Strategic Plan identifies the priority needs in the City, and describes strategies the City
will undertake to serve the priority needs. The sections of the Strategic Plan include: Geographic
Priorities, Priority Needs, Influence of Market Conditions, Anticipated Resources, Institutional Delivery
System, Goals, Public Housing, Barriers to Affordable Housing, Homeless Strategy, Lead Based Paint
Hazards, and an Anti-Poverty Strategy.
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SP-10 Geographic Priorities – 91.215 (a)(1)
Geographic Area
Table 47 - Geographic Priority Areas
1 Area Name: City-wide
Area Type: Activity is conducted
City-wide
Other Target Area Description: Activity is conducted
City-wide
HUD Approval Date:
% of Low/ Mod:
Revital Type:
Other Revital Description:
Identify the neighborhood boundaries for this target area.
Include specific housing and commercial characteristics of this target area.
How did your consultation and citizen participation process help you to
identify this neighborhood as a target area?
Identify the needs in this target area.
What are the opportunities for improvement in this target area?
Are there barriers to improvement in this target area?
General Allocation Priorities
Describe the basis for allocating investments geographically within the jurisdiction (or within the EMSA
for HOPWA)
The City of Fort Collins does not target funding or programs to specific geographies within the City.
Funds are allocated based upon need priorities and goals.
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SP-25 Priority Needs - 91.215(a)(2)
Priority Needs
Table 48 – Priority Needs Summary
1 Priority Need
Name
Increase affordable housing inventory
Priority Level High
Population Extremely Low
Low
Moderate
Middle
Families with Children
Elderly
Chronic Homelessness
Families with Children
Unaccompanied Youth
Elderly
Persons with Mental Disabilities
Persons with Physical Disabilities
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Geographic
Areas
Affected
Activity is conducted City-wide
Associated
Goals
Increase the supply of affordable housing units
Provide administrative support to federal programs
Description Increase both rental and ownership housing with the following priorities: mixed-
income housing, permanent supportive housing, and/or housing with co-location of
services (case management, childcare, etc.). Prioritize projects serving special
populations including people experiencing homelessness, families, seniors,
unaccompanied youth, people with disabilities, and people with very low incomes.
May include construction, acquisition, change of use, downpayment assistance, etc.
Basis for
Relative
Priority
Based on the market analysis and the needs analysis research and data prepared
for the Consolidated Plan there is a shortage of affordable rental housing for the
populations listed above. The City has conducted a number of surveys and studies
to determine which needs are the most pressing for the low-income population in
the community. The City will always consider special populations a high priority.
2 Priority Need
Name
Affordable housing preservation
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Priority Level High
Population Extremely Low
Low
Families with Children
Elderly
Families with Children
Elderly
Persons with Mental Disabilities
Persons with Physical Disabilities
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Geographic
Areas
Affected
Activity is conducted City-wide
Associated
Goals
Preserve existing affordable housing
Provide administrative support to federal programs
Description Includes rehabilitation of existing units, acquisition to prevent conversion to market
rate, mobile home preservation, and ownership supports such as emergency
repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility modifications.
Basis for
Relative
Priority
It is more cost effective to preserve existing housing than to replace it with new
housing that is substantially more expensive to construct.
3 Priority Need
Name
Housing and services for persons who are homeless
Priority Level High
Population Extremely Low
Families with Children
Chronic Homelessness
Victims of Domestic Violence
Geographic
Areas
Affected
Activity is conducted City-wide
Associated
Goals
Provide emergency sheltering and services
Provide administrative support to federal programs
Description Support projects that provide overnight shelter and/or residency programs for
individuals and families experiencing homelessness, including comprehensive case
management for long-term stabilization.
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Basis for
Relative
Priority
Individuals and families experiencing homelessness represent the highest housing
needs in the City. The negative effects of homelessness make it imperative that the
community address those needs in a comprehensive and collaborative manner.
4 Priority Need
Name
Prevent homelessness
Priority Level High
Population Extremely Low
Low
Families with Children
Elderly
Elderly
Persons with Mental Disabilities
Persons with Physical Disabilities
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Geographic
Areas
Affected
Activity is conducted City-wide
Associated
Goals
Provide housing stabilization services
Provide administrative support to federal programs
Description Includes eviction and homelessness prevention services such as diversion,
reunification, housing counseling, short- and long-term financial assistance (rent,
utilities, etc.), comprehensive case management, service coordination, and
supportive services.
Basis for
Relative
Priority
Assisting community members in maintaining housing is more cost effective than
addressing the emergency needs of an individual or family that has become
homeless. Health, safety, and emotional wellbeing are inextricably tied to safe,
secure housing.
5 Priority Need
Name
Services for low- and moderate-income populations
Priority Level High
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Population Extremely Low
Low
Moderate
Families with Children
Elderly
Public Housing Residents
Chronic Homelessness
Individuals
Families with Children
Mentally Ill
Chronic Substance Abuse
veterans
Unaccompanied Youth
Elderly
Persons with Mental Disabilities
Persons with Physical Disabilities
Persons with Developmental Disabilities
Persons with Alcohol or Other Addictions
Persons with HIV/AIDS and their Families
Victims of Domestic Violence
Non-housing Community Development
Geographic
Areas
Affected
Activity is conducted City-wide
Associated
Goals
Increase access to services
Provide administrative support to federal programs
Description Prioritize special populations such as seniors, people with disabilities,
unaccompanied youth, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+, people of
color, and other historically underrepresented or under-resourced populations.
Priority services include senior and disability services, mental health care, case
management, and transportation.
Basis for
Relative
Priority
Comprehensive household stabilization strategies prevent the high costs associated
with emergency services and provide long-term improved outcomes for health,
safety, and wellbeing. Additional City resources will support this priority need
through the Competitive Process.
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Narrative (Optional)
The high priority needs include both housing, non-housing community development, and special
population needs. The City of Fort Collins has developed and managed a robust Citizen Participation
process to solicit resident input on priority needs. The City has integrated that Citizen Participation
process with several substantial research efforts to acquire data on the scope of those needs. The
Economic Health Strategic Plan, the Social Sustainability Strategic Plan, the Social Sustainability Gaps
Analysis, and the Housing Affordability Policy Study all provide data and recommendations for City
actions to address the needs of both affordable housing and non-housing community development
needs. These various findings have been incorporated into the analysis in both the Needs Analysis and
Market Assessment sections of the Consolidated Plan. This compilation has been used to frame the
various responses and proposed priorities and actions in the Strategic Plan Section and is used to
structure the Annual Action Plans.
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SP-30 Influence of Market Conditions – 91.215 (b)
Influence of Market Conditions
Affordable
Housing Type
Market Characteristics that will influence
the use of funds available for housing type
Tenant Based
Rental Assistance
(TBRA)
Currently, Housing Catalyst is providing on Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
with alternate funding sources; however, the City may spend HOME funds on
TBRA as part of a strategy to serve low-income renter households. Low vacancy
rates, rising rents, and closed waitlists for subsidized housing all point to the need
for more affordable rental opportunities, especially for the lowest income
households. There are few transitional housing options and TBRA programs can
also help households transition from homelessness to permanent housing.
TBRA for Non-
Homeless Special
Needs
According to providers interviewed as part of the consultation process, there is a
lack of rental assistance available for their low-income clients, especially longer-
term assistance. Market pressures on the private rental market have raised rents
and reduced inventory, making it more difficult for these households to find
rental units that they can afford. TBRA could be used to help clients of these
agencies find affordable, decent, and accessible housing while on the waitlist for
existing Section 8 and other rental assistance programs.
New Unit
Production
As noted in the Housing Needs Assessment there is a gap of 7265 rental units for
households at 0–30% AMI in Fort Collins. New construction of affordable rental
units can help reduce these gaps. The stock of affordable units for sale is very low.
Households at 50–80% AMI may benefit from program such as Habitat for
Humanity, or through construction of units priced at $368,000 or less.
Rehabilitation Thirty-six percent of owner-occupied units in Fort Collins were built in 1980 or
before, while 46% of rentals were built in 1980 or after. Units constructed before
1980 may be in need of rehabilitation and upgrades, and are more likely to
contain lead-based paint. Housing providers indicate that there are a significant
number of rental and ownership units that would benefit from repairs, upgrades,
improved energy efficiency and accessibility modifications. Older units occupied
by low- and moderate-income homeowners may benefit from the Larimer County
Home Improvement housing rehabilitation program.
Acquisition,
including
preservation
Opportunities may develop for affordable housing providers to acquire market-
rate properties and convert them to housing for low- and moderate-income
households. This is a cost-effective approach for providing more affordable,
decent rental units. However, there are no known acquisition projects in the
pipeline of projects anticipated by local affordable housing providers.
Table 49 – Influence of Market Conditions
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SP-35 Anticipated Resources - 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2)
Introduction
The City’s goal in allocating funding is to enhance the community's sustainability by addressing needs among our citizens who are income-
challenged. Stabilized households increase neighborhood quality. That, in turn, leads to a healthier, more vibrant Fort Collins. Each spring,
through the Competitive Process, the City of Fort Collins allocates federal and local funds to eligible affordable housing, community
development, human services, and related activities. The provision for an optional fall Competitive Process accommodates any unspent or
recycled funds.
The two general activity categories used to move forward successful funding proposals are:
• Housing: Acquisition and construction of affordable housing projects, including land purchase, housing rehabilitation, certain soft costs
related to affordable housing development, and homebuyer assistance programs are priorities. Properties must be located in Fort
Collins.
• Public Service: Nonprofit agencies serving a majority of people (51% or more) whose income is 80% or below the Area Median Income
(AMI) and living in the City of Fort Collins.
Funds are allocated to nonprofit agencies, affordable housing providers, and other entities serving Fort Collins residents, a majority of which are
low-and moderate-income households. Federal dollars leverage additional funds in many of the projects completed as part of the Consolidated
Plan. Since these funds are limited, they are often only a portion of the funds our partners utilize to complete a project. By requiring partners to
leverage these funds with other resources, the City of Fort Collins can maximize the impact of these funds in meeting its priority goals.
Additionally, the City contributes Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) and Human Services Program (HSP) monies from the City’s General Fund and
Keep Fort Collins Great tax (KFCG) to further the goals of the Consolidated Plan and provide required match to the HOME program. Available
amounts vary with budget cycles and economic conditions. Only federally-funded projects are reported in the Annual Action Plan.
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Anticipated Resources
Program Source
of
Funds
Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected
Amount
Available
Remainder
of ConPlan
$
Narrative Description
Annual
Allocation:
$
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources:
$
Total:
$
CDBG public -
federal
Acquisition
Admin and
Planning
Economic
Development
Housing
Public
Improvements
Public Services 1,103,585 139,790 241,692 1,485,067 4,414,340
For CDBG, proposals must meet one of the
three national objectives: 1) benefit low-
and moderate-income persons, 2) aid in the
prevention or elimination of slums or
blight, and/or 3) meet community
development needs having a particular
urgency. Fort Collins funds public service,
housing, and public facilities activities with
CDBG.
HOME public -
federal
Acquisition
Homebuyer
assistance
Homeowner
rehab
Multifamily
rental new
construction
Multifamily
rental rehab
New
construction for
ownership
TBRA 755,635 116,305 74,872 946,812 3,022,540
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Program Source
of
Funds
Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected
Amount
Available
Remainder
of ConPlan
$
Narrative Description
Annual
Allocation:
$
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources:
$
Total:
$
Other public -
local
Acquisition
Homebuyer
assistance
Homeowner
rehab
Housing
Multifamily
rental new
construction
Multifamily
rental rehab
New
construction for
ownership 8,751 0 0 8,751 750,000
The Fort Collins Affordable Housing Fund
(AHF) is a set-aside of general fund monies
that can be used for affordable housing
programs and projects within the City of
Fort Collins. AHF dollars reported here are
those used in conjunction with federal
dollars to support CDBG and HOME
projects/activities. Additional AHF funds are
available for City-only funded projects.
Other public -
local
Public Services 56,148 0 0 56,148 80,000
The Human Services Program (HSP) funds
are used to support priority human services
needs in Fort Collins. HSP funds reported
here are those used in conjunction with or
to supplement CDBG funds in support of
specific human service activities. Additional
HSP funds are available for City-only funded
activities through the annual Competitive
Process.
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Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how
matching requirements will be satisfied
HOME and CDBG funds are leveraged in Fort Collins with the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) and the Human Services Program (HSP) monies.
Recipients also leverage City-allocated funds with many other local, state, and federal sources. Sources of leverage include debt, Low Income
Housing Tax Credits, State of Colorado HOME funds and State Housing Development Grant funds, Federal Home Loan Bank Board funding
(FHLBB) grants, United Way funding, and other foundation and donation funding. By encouraging applicants to leverage CDBG and HOME funds
with as many other sources as possible, the City is able to provide funding to projects serving more residents of Fort Collins. Social Sustainability
Department staff track all HOME eligible match funds to ensure the 25% match requirement is met.
If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that may be used to address the needs
identified in the plan
The City of Fort Collins has a land bank program that currently holds four parcels totaling 42 acres for the future development of affordable
housing. One land bank parcel was sold and developed during the 2014-2019 Consolidated Plan. Staff is working on acquisition options to add
more land to the Land Bank. The Social Sustainability Department staff regularly reviews the need for public land that can be used to develop
affordable housing and the potential of using City-owned land for housing development.
Discussion
Staff, the CDBG Commission, and the Affordable Housing Board (housing applications) review all funding proposals. Housing applicants are
invited to make presentations about their projects to the CDBG Commission. Funding recommendations are made and provided to City Council,
which holds a public hearing to make final funding allocation decisions. Staff then works with grantees on additional due diligence items and
contract execution.
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SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure – 91.215(k)
Explain the institutional structure through which the jurisdiction will carry out its consolidated plan
including private industry, non-profit organizations, and public institutions.
Responsible Entity Responsible Entity
Type
Role Geographic Area Served
Housing Catalyst PHA Public Housing
Rental
Jurisdiction
CARE HOUSING, INC Non-profit
organizations
Non-homeless special
needs
Rental
public services
Jurisdiction
NEIGHBOR TO
NEIGHBOR
Non-profit
organizations
Rental
public services
Jurisdiction
FORT COLLINS HABITAT
FOR HUMANITY
CHDO Ownership
public services
Jurisdiction
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
AND COMMUNITY
SERVICES ARCHDIOCESE
OF DENVER
Community/Faith-
based organization
Homelessness
public services
Region
CROSSROADS SAFE
HOUSE
Non-profit
organizations
Homelessness
public services
Region
Disabled Resource
Services
Non-profit
organizations
Non-homeless special
needs
public services
Jurisdiction
Elderhaus Adult Day
Program, Inc.
Non-profit
organizations
Non-homeless special
needs
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service delivery structure to meet the needs of underserved populations. In addition to the list above,
the City supports a variety of other nonprofit service providers with local funds and collaborates across
organizations for provision of comprehensive, coordinated services for people experiencing
homelessness. This collaborative service delivery model has been effective at delivering services to the
underserved populations.
Due to increased cost of living and stagnation of incomes, there is an increasing need for affordable
housing and supportive services, particularly for lower income households and people experiencing
homelessness. The primary gap in the delivery system is financial resources to deliver housing and/or
services to all who need it.
Availability of services targeted to homeless persons and persons with HIV and mainstream
services
Homelessness Prevention
Services
Available in the
Community
Targeted to
Homeless
Targeted to People
with HIV
Homelessness Prevention Services
Counseling/Advocacy X X X
Legal Assistance X X X
Mortgage Assistance X
Rental Assistance X X X
Utilities Assistance X X X
Street Outreach Services
Law Enforcement X X
Mobile Clinics X X
Other Street Outreach Services X X
Supportive Services
Alcohol & Drug Abuse X X X
Child Care X
Education X X
Employment and Employment
Training X X
Healthcare X X X
HIV/AIDS X X X
Life Skills X X X
Mental Health Counseling X X X
Transportation X X X
Other
Nutrition X X X
Table 52 - Homeless Prevention Services Summary
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Describe how the service delivery system including, but not limited to, the services listed
above meet the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and
families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth)
The service delivery system provides multi-point and collaborative outreach and intake for the array of
housing and supportive services available in the community. The City maintains strong partnerships,
through funding and/or collaboration, with homeless service providers including Homeward Alliance,
Homeward 2020, Housing First Initiative, Outreach Fort Collins, Catholic Charities, Fort Collins Rescue
Mission, and Housing Catalyst, as well as City of Fort Collins Police and Natural Areas Rangers. Colorado
Health Network serves any HIV-positive person living in their designated service area, which includes
Larimer County, regardless of housing status.
The types of facilities and services available in Fort Collins include diversion and prevention, emergency
shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing. Fort Collins is a part of the Northern
Colorado Continuum of Care (NoCO CoC; CO-505). Homeward 2020 is a consortium initiative developed
to make homelessness rare, short-lived, and non-recurring. This effort encompasses leadership from the
business, government, and non-profit sectors in the community, and counts the City of Fort Collins
among its supporters and partners.
In addition to the agencies listed above, the Murphy Center also serves as a single point of access where
those in need may connect with agency representatives from a range of local service providers. The
Murphy Center provides access to a variety of State programs including SNAP, TANF, Medicaid and
Elderly Assistance programs. The targeted population groups at the Murphy Cent include people
experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including individuals, families, veterans, and unaccompanied
youth. Diversion, reunification, and housing first efforts have lowered the number of veterans and
families experiencing homelessness.
Homelessness needs, facilities and services are discussed more in sections NA-40 and MA-30. Special
needs facilities and services are covered in MA-35. Homeless strategy is covered in SP-60.
Describe the strengths and gaps of the service delivery system for special needs population
and persons experiencing homelessness, including, but not limited to, the services listed
above
Fort Collins has a strong network of providers offering support, services, and care to people experiencing
homelessness. Outreach Fort Collins provides street outreach; SummitStone Health Partners provides
behavioral health care; Murphy Center provides day shelter and access to service providers including
housing counseling, employment assistance, and supports for day-to-day living; Catholic Charities, Fort
Collins Rescue Mission, Crossroads Safehouse, and Family Housing Network provide emergency shelter
and supportive programming; Volunteers of America provides rapid rehousing to veterans; and Housing
Catalyst provides long-term housing and administers vouchers; among others. The identified gaps in the
service delivery system for people experiencing homelessness include landlord engagement for
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increased acceptance of vouchers, medical respite beds, affordable housing units, and additional
options for permanent supportive housing.
Provide a summary of the strategy for overcoming gaps in the institutional structure and
service delivery system for carrying out a strategy to address priority needs
The Continuum of Care and Homeward 2020 provide guidance for the institutional structure. All
organizations providing services work in coordination with each other. To address the specific gaps
above, Housing Catalyst is developing a second PSH, Mason Place, which will provide 60 additional units
for people experiencing homelessness; other housing providers are planning additional affordable
housing developments that will be supported with City and federal funds; and UCHealth is exploring
options for medical respite so that people recovering from medical procedures are not released to the
streets or shelters that are not equipped to provide this level of care. Concerted and cooperative
landlord outreach remains a gap in the system as no providers have a specific program to address this
issue. Organizations currently provide this service on an ad hoc basis.
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SP-45 Goals Summary – 91.215(a)(4)
Goals Summary Information
Sort
Order
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year
Category Geographic
Area
Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
1 Increase the supply
of affordable housing
units
2020 2024 Affordable Housing City-wide Increase affordable
housing inventory
CDBG:
$1,934,407
HOME:
$3,000,000
Affordable
Housing Fund:
$500,000
Rental units constructed:
239 Household Housing
Unit
Homeowner Housing
Added:
30 Household Housing
Unit
2 Preserve existing
affordable housing
2020 2024 Affordable Housing City-wide Affordable housing
preservation
CDBG:
$3,000,000
HOME:
$969,352
Affordable
Housing Fund:
$258,751
Rental units rehabilitated:
223 Household Housing
Unit
Homeowner Housing
Rehabilitated:
75 Household Housing
Unit
3 Provide emergency
sheltering and
services
2020 2024 Homeless City-wide Housing and services
for persons who are
homeless
CDBG:
$400,000
Human Service
Program:
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Sort
Order
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year
Category Geographic
Area
Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
4 Provide housing
stabilization services
2020 2024 Non-Housing
Community
Development
City-wide Prevent
homelessness
CDBG:
$295,000
Human Service
Program:
$50,000
Homelessness Prevention:
500 Persons Assisted
5 Increase access to
services
2020 2024 Non-Housing
Community
Development
City-wide Services for low- and
moderate-income
populations
CDBG:
$270,000
Human Service
Program:
$36,148
Public service activities
other than Low/Moderate
Income Housing Benefit:
1100 Persons Assisted
6 Provide
administrative
support to federal
programs
2020 2024 Administration City-wide Increase affordable
housing inventory
Affordable housing
preservation
Housing and services
for persons who are
homeless
Prevent
homelessness
Services for low- and
moderate-income
populations
CDBG:
$1,100,000
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Goal Descriptions
1 Goal Name Increase the supply of affordable housing units
Goal
Description
Increase both rental and ownership housing with the following priorities: mixed-income housing, permanent supportive
housing, and/or housing with co-location of services (case management, childcare, etc.). Prioritize projects serving special
populations including people experiencing homelessness, families, seniors, unaccompanied youth, people with disabilities,
and people with very low incomes. May include construction, acquisition, change of use, downpayment assistance, etc.
2 Goal Name Preserve existing affordable housing
Goal
Description
Includes rehabilitation of existing units, acquisition to prevent conversion to market rate, mobile home preservation, and
ownership supports such as emergency repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility modifications.
3 Goal Name Provide emergency sheltering and services
Goal
Description
Support projects that provide services or shelter and/or residency programs for individuals and families experiencing
homelessness, including comprehensive case management for long-term stabilization.
4 Goal Name Provide housing stabilization services
Goal
Description
Includes eviction and homelessness prevention services such as diversion, reunification, housing counseling, short- and long-
term financial assistance (rent, utilities, etc.), comprehensive case management, service coordination, and supportive
services.
5 Goal Name Increase access to services
Goal
Description
Prioritize special populations such as seniors, people with disabilities, unaccompanied youth, people experiencing
homelessness, LGBTQIA+, people of color, and other historically underrepresented or under-resourced populations. Priority
services include senior and disability services, mental health care, case management, and transportation.
6 Goal Name Provide administrative support to federal programs
Goal
Description
Provide administrative support to CDBG and HOME Programs.
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Estimate the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income families to whom the jurisdiction will provide
affordable housing as defined by HOME 91.315(b)(2)
The City plans to fund affordable housing development projects that will serve the following numbers of households through the following
activities:
• Rental Units Constructed: 216-239 Household Housing Unit
• Homeowner Housing Added: 30 Household Housing Unit
• Housing for Homeless Added: unknown Household Housing Unit (no projects in pipeline)
• Rental Units Rehabilitated: 223 Household Housing Unit
• Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated: 75 Household Housing Unit
Each year the City supplements federal housing program dollars with over $500,000 in local funds (COVID-19 response may impact the City's
ability to continue this funding). The Affordable Housing Fund is used both in conjunction with, and separate from, CDBG an HOME funds to
complete affordable housing projects in Fort Collins.
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SP-50 Public Housing Accessibility and Involvement – 91.215(c)
Need to Increase the Number of Accessible Units (if Required by a Section 504 Voluntary
Compliance Agreement)
Housing Catalyst is under a Voluntary Compliance Agreement related to lease form and reasonable
accommodation requests and is in compliance. The VCA does not include a need to increase the number
of accessible units.
Activities to Increase Resident Involvements
Housing Catalyst provides more than a place to live. Its goal is to support residents of all ages for long-
term stability. Through Resident Services Programs, it provides direct services and connections to local
resources that are vital in supporting residents. It works with dozens of nonprofits, service providers and
initiatives in the community to expand residents’ opportunities and help them reach their educational,
employment and economic goals.
Housing Catalyst has completed the following initiatives over the past year:
• Created a Resident Services program devoted to providing resident services focusing on housing
retention and stabilization
• Provided training to staff members on trauma informed care, mental health first aid, housing
first, harm reduction and Motivational interviewing
• Working toward fully integrated teams with property management and resident services
focusing efforts to assisting residents toward success using formalized processes
• Completing Community Scans of properties to understand residents needs and interests. Using
this information to establish measurable goals and strategies with an implementation plan.
• Several Community resources have been invited on site to create awareness and connect
residents to the resources in the area including: Health Van, Police, City mediation program,
school district, public library, Head Start, and the Foodbank Kids Café.
• JumpStart, the HUD Family Self Sufficiency Program serves an average of 180 households each
year supporting families with employment and education goals.
Is the public housing agency designated as troubled under 24 CFR part 902?
No
Plan to remove the ‘troubled’ designation
Housing Catalyst has been designated a “High Performer” by HUD for the last two decades.
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SP-55 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.215(h)
Barriers to Affordable Housing
The City of Fort Collins continues to see population growth that outpaces housing availability. Fort
Collins is also home to Colorado State University, which has a population of over 26,000 undergraduate
students studying on campus. The demand for student housing contributes to the lack of availability of
rental housing for the community at large.
Fort Collins has implemented a number of policies and practices to encourage the development of
affordable housing. Some of those policies include expedited processing of affordable housing
development review applications; residential density bonuses in certain zone districts; reduced
landscape sizing requirements; fee waivers and deferrals for targeted affordable housing projects; and a
City-funded Affordable Housing Fund, which can assist with financial support to offset various fees and
exactions that new development must pay under existing City laws and regulations relating to new
development. Because of the Tax Payer Bill of Rights Amendment (TABOR), the City operates its utility
service departments as enterprises, which means that if new water or sewer services are requested, the
cost of those services—including plant investment fees and other capital expenditures—must be
covered by revenues earned by the enterprise fund. In July of 2014, Duncan and Associates produced an
Impact Fee Survey for the City of Greeley that included fees from several communities in Larimer
County. Those communities were Fort Collins, Loveland and the unincorporated areas of Larimer
County. The findings of the survey indicate the policies which define the level of impact and service fees
for utilities in Fort Collins are in the lower tier of those charged by other Weld, Boulder and Larimer
municipalities. The Housing Affordability Policy Study also recommended the City adopt more equitable
plan review, building permit, and capital expansion fees if the fees were proportionally based. The City
has conducted a Land Use Code Audit to identify ways to promote new housing options including
smaller homes.
Various Public Participation forums yielded comments that the perception is the planning and
development review process is challenging for developers. However, in comparing policies, procedures
and requirements with other northern Front Range municipalities, the review process does not appear
to be as onerous as described by community stakeholders. One of the challenges in working a project
through the development review process is that applicants often do not initially provide the full depth of
information and disclosure that allow planners and reviewers to approve or disapprove a development
proposal in a timely manner, and it is often necessary to ask applicants to submit updated information
and complete information on details covered by the regulations. The City has added Development
Review Coordinators assigned to each project to help developers navigate the process. The City has also
worked to streamline processes too.
Strategy to Remove or Ameliorate the Barriers to Affordable Housing
To mitigate the high cost of development, the strategies the City will pursue include the following:
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• Continue to provide both federal and City funds to affordable housing developers willing to
produce new affordable units. Local incentives enable developers to produce rent-restricted
units at rates affordable to low-income households.
• Refine development incentives and expand funding sources. A City dedicated sales tax was
passed, providing $4 million over 10 years to be used for affordable housing construction and/or
preservation.
• Increase partnerships with local employers to provide workforce housing in the community.
• Focus on housing in City planning efforts. The new City Plan is more housing-focused than
earlier iterations because the lack of housing inventory at all price points is causing stress and
price escalation.
• Identify additional ways to remove barriers to the construction of housing. The City conducted a
Land Use Code audit and is examining how to provide additional incentives and land use code
modifications to promote the production of affordable housing. These include:
o Examine the feasibility of restructuring the permit, plan check, and capital expansion fee
structures to ensure equitability and appropriateness as related to the proportionate
impact on the construction of smaller units. This policy would incentivize developers to
build smaller units and new housing types.
o Explore the pros and cons of reducing the minimum standards for lot sizes (minimum
house size has already been reduced).
o Consider other regulatory policies that could promote the provision of rental housing for
those with low- and very-low-incomes. This strategy may include ways to reduce
barriers to the use of accessory dwelling units.
• Strategies for addressing fair housing concerns including providing education and hosting
training events.
• Explore additional housing policies, such as whether an affordable housing impact fee should be
pursued as part of the scheduled development fee update in 2021.
• Strategically releasing the City’s Land Bank properties for development of affordable rental and
ownership housing. Proceeds from the sale of existing parcels is reinvested into new land
holdings.
• Continue the Internal Housing Task Force which identifies potential enterprise-wide efforts to
promote and incentivize affordable housing. The City has an Affordable Housing Executive team
and has created a new Housing Manager position.
• Maintain a Housing Strategic Plan. The Affordable Housing Strategic Plan will be updated
periodically, and may add an assessment of the housing spectrum, as more moderate-income
earners are now experiencing housing cost burdens as well.
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SP-60 Homelessness Strategy – 91.215(d)
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their
individual needs
The City has made homelessness a central in its Social Sustainability Department (SSD) Strategic Plan.
The plan reflects a coordinated effort between City agencies, local service providers, and community
organizations to address homelessness. Network providers are trained to implement best practices,
such as permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and Housing First principles. The City provides
financial and coordination support to agencies that provide outreach, shelter, and service provision.
Strategies for reaching and serving people experiencing homelessness include:
• Homeward 2020 developed Fort Collins’ Plan to Make Homelessness Rare, Short-Lived, and
Non-Recurring. Members implement solutions informed by local data from the annual Point in
Time (PIT) count and Housing First Initiative (HFI). The PIT gathers critical data on persons
experiencing homelessness and is spearheaded by the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care.
• HFI tracks long-term homeless individuals and coordinates with the regional Coordinated
Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS) to assess individuals, find housing options,
ensure supportive services, and provide supports for housing retention. Agencies in Larimer and
Weld counties participate in weekly CAHPS case conference calls.
• Over 40 agencies, including Housing Catalyst, use a vulnerability index (VI-SPDAT) to assess who
is at highest risk if they remain homeless, prioritize individuals for housing placement when
units become available, and is used by CAHPS.
• Homeward Alliance operates the Murphy Center, a point of entry location for people
experiencing homelessness that provides disabled, veteran, and senior services; housing
assistance; financial counseling; employment assistance; behavioral health; mobile clinic;
computer, phone, and mail access; bus passes; lockers; showers; laundry; food; career clothes;
cold weather gear; veterinary care; and bike repair. With City funding, the Murphy Center offers
expanded evening hours in the winter, allowing clients access to services outside of regular
business hours and providing a warming shelter until overnight shelters open.
• Homeward Alliance conducts limited night-time outreach to unsheltered persons in our
community, providing clothing, tents, survival gear, food and personal care items.
• The City helps fund Outreach Fort Collins (OFC) and the SSD Director is co-chair of the Board.
OFC is an on-the-street team that builds relationships with community members experiencing
homelessness, service providers, businesses and City services to address and de-escalate
disruptive behaviors downtown. OFC works closely with the downtown police and provides
coordination with service providers and emergency medical services, as necessary. OFC is an
active participant in CAHPS and is leading the effort for a Care Card system which will enhance
services and streamline intakes.
• The Police Department collaborates with UCHealth and SummitStone to provide a co-responder
who provides mental/behavioral health crisis intervention on scene as appropriate.
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• OFC and Murphy Center maintain a Homeless Resource Guide, which lists information and bus
routes for 40+ organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness, and is
distributed via OFC, Police Services, Poudre Fire Authority, Natural Areas Rangers, Department
of Human Services, Colorado State University, churches, service providers, and shelters.
• The City’s Special Agency Sessions (SAS) addresses quality of life violations (Camping, Trespass,
or Open Container, etc.) by people experiencing homelessness. Defendants are referred to SAS
for case management and alternative sentencing in lieu of a fine or jail time. The program
partners with Municipal Court, City Attorney’s Office, Police Services, Murphy Center,
Homeward 2020, and SummitStone.
Addressing the emergency and transitional housing needs of homeless persons
The City of Fort Collins actively provides financial and resource support to area housing and homeless
service providers and works in collaboration with the network of providers to ensure that emergency
shelter and transitional housing opportunities are available to residents of Fort Collins experiencing
homelessness. Through a multifaceted approach to addressing homelessness in Fort Collins, several
types of housing have been established and more are under development to help those in need. The
types of facilities and services available in Fort Collins include emergency shelters, overflow shelters,
transitional housing, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing.
Shelter
• Catholic Charities’ Mission Shelter offers emergency overnight shelter and
residential/transitional program beds for men, women, families, and veterans. In 2015 Catholic
Charities increased year-round capacity for women.
• The Fort Collins Rescue Mission (FCRM) provides year-round emergency shelter and
residential/transitional program beds for men and women.
• Family Housing Network (FHN) program provides overnight shelter and meals to families
experiencing homelessness through a network of faith-based congregational partners. FHN
provides day shelter for families which includes access to computers, showers, laundry, kitchen,
resting rooms for naps and illness recovery, and play, reading, and work areas.
• Crossroads Safehouse secure shelter, advocacy, legal assistance, rapid rehousing, and education
for victims of domestic violence.
• The City has a systematic winter overflow shelter plan. In 2017 two new permitted uses were
added to the Land Use Code to allow Seasonal Overflow Shelters (SOS) to be run at remote
locations. SOS is operated by Catholic Charities, which also provides year-round shelter services.
In this plan, Catholic Charities and Fort Collins Rescue Mission add capacity at their community
shelters during the winter months.
• The City has an Emergency Weather Shelter Activation Plan to improve communications and
processes for helping people find shelter during extreme winter weather events.
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• The City is collaborating with partners to develop a more permanent solutions for an overflow
shelter framework and implement a separate youth shelter for ages 18-24.
Transitional Housing
• The City finalized its partnership with Family Housing Network (FHN) to develop transitional
housing for seven families in a City-owned building. The City has leased the building at a
significantly reduced rate, with an option to purchase well below market rate.
Permanent Housing
• The Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan (SSDSP) and the Affordable Housing Strategic
Plan (AHSP) focus on increasing the supply of affordable housing.
• Fort Collins is a part of HUD’s current program to end homelessness among veterans, with its
Mayor having signed the national challenge. The City and its partners are also involved in
veterans’ homelessness intervention initiatives at the State level and by using a Coordinated
Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS) in the northern Colorado region.
• The City supports networks for Permanent Supportive Housing and supportive services, which
are integrally connected to emergency shelter and transitional housing along the housing and
community development continuum.
• Housing Catalyst was awarded tax credits and Competitive Process funds for a second
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) development called Mason Place, which is adding 60 units
to Fort Collins’ PSH inventory in 2020.
• SummitStone Health Partners get grant funding from the State Division of Housing to provide
scattered site Permanent Supportive Housing in Fort Collins.
Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families
with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to
permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that
individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals
and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were
recently homeless from becoming homeless again.
There are significant challenges to decreasing the length of time homeless for households in Fort Collins,
primarily due to the cost of housing and shortage of available affordable units. However, the City
supports a variety of initiatives aimed at limiting the amount of time people experience homelessness.
• The City provides operating funds to agencies helping people experiencing homelessness make
the transition to permanent housing and independent living. Agencies, including Housing
Catalyst, Neighbor to Neighbor, SummitStone Health Partners, and Crossroads Safehouse
provide and permanent housing (including rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing).
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• Housing Catalyst developed and manages Redtail Ponds, a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
project that provides supportive services, life skills, case management and counseling to its
residents. Forty units target formerly homeless individuals and twenty units are available for
those who fall within the 30-50% Area Median Income (AMI) range. Development of a second
60-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community, Mason Place, is currently underway.
• The City provides funding for the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund to support landlords who accept
renters referred through the Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS).
The program offers participating landlords reimbursement for short-term vacancies and minor
repairs. The program also provides short-term assistance to CAHPS renters to cover move-in
expenses. The effort helps preserve the investment of participating landlords while ensuring
safe, affordable housing for Fort Collins neighbors in need. The goal of the Landlord and Tenant
Mitigation Program is to reduce barriers for landlords and residents in achieving stable rental
housing.
• Volunteers of America (VOA) serves veterans and their families with homelessness prevention
and rapid re-housing services through a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program
called Back Home. This program serves over 100 clients annually with rapid rehousing and
homeless prevention services.
Help low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely
low-income individuals and families who are likely to become homeless after being
discharged from a publicly funded institution or system of care, or who are receiving
assistance from public and private agencies that address housing, health, social services,
employment, education or youth needs
The SSD Strategic Plan and the Consolidated Plan emphasize the need to support organizations that
provide homelessness prevention services, cost of living reductions, and expand the supply of
permanent supportive and affordable housing units.
• The SSD Director is a board member of the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care which works
with healthcare providers, homeless services providers, and other care institutions to establish
coordinated discharge planning processes. Partners include the Larimer County Detention
Center, UCHealth, the Larimer County Foster Care System, SummitStone Health Partners,
Housing Catalyst, and others. Increased focus on preventing homelessness post-discharge at the
State and federal levels has helped increase awareness of this issue.
• Housing Catalyst (HC), with Homeward Alliance and Division of Housing (DOH), has 20 DOH
vouchers for the Frequent User Systems Engagement (FUSE) program. FUSE identifies frequent
users of jails, shelters, hospitals and/or other crisis services and provides them supportive
housing.
• Housing Catalyst created a resident services program for Villages housing. Resident service
coordinators assist families in achieving stability and avoiding eviction.
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• The City provides funding to CAHPS which works with HFI to provide assessment, navigation,
case management and services to house and retain housing for people on the by-name list.
• Redtail Ponds, Fort Collins’ first permanent supportive housing (PSH), serves individuals who
were chronically homeless and have a disability (including many veterans), by providing onsite
supportive services and 24/7 staffing. Housing Catalyst has begun construction on Mason Place
(60 PSH units) in central Fort Collins, next to a transit station. All units will have project-based
vouchers. Primarily, residents will be selected through CAHPS from an assessed list of homeless
persons most in need of PSH. Housing Catalyst will provide onsite services for all residents
though partnerships with service providers.
• HC administers Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) vouchers; Five-Year Mainstream vouchers for
families whose head, spouse, or sole member is disabled; Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing
(VASH) vouchers; and Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers. Preferences for project-based
voucher programs include: 5 project-based vouchers for families participating in Project Self
Sufficiency, 5 project-based vouchers for families working with One Village One Family, and 40
project-based vouchers for homeless individuals referred through CAHPS. HC works with
Catholic Charities and the Larimer County Criminal Justice Division to house individuals
experiencing homelessness at Single Room Occupancy properties.
• The City’s Utilities department provides a reduced rate for those with medically necessary
equipment, partners with Energy Outreach Colorado to provide energy bill assistance and
weatherization, and offers a reduced rate to customers who receive LEAP. The program
connects low-income customers with efficiency programs and education to help them save
money and increase comfort in their homes.
• SSD maintains a webpage “Looking for Housing and/or Help?” where community members can
find information on resources and service providers, including contact information for
emergency assistance and affordable housing providers.
• The City funds a variety of human service programs with City dollars that aid in homelessness
prevention. These include, but are not limited to:
• The Matthews House Empowering Youth Program, supporting youth transitioning out of
foster care and/or the juvenile justice system
• MC, where community members experiencing or at risk of homelessness can access
assistance
• Neighbor to Neighbor’s housing and financial counseling and rent assistance
• Catholic Charities Senior Services, which offers case management and financial assistance
for at-risk seniors
• Northern Colorado AIDS Project (NCAP) provides clients with utilities and rent assistance
• Disabled Resource Services (DRS) provides clients housing navigation and utilities and rent
assistance
• Crossroads Safehouse provides comprehensive case management, legal support, and self-
sufficiency programming for victims of domestic violence
• Project-Self-Sufficiency provides self-sufficiency programming and supports
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SP-65 Lead based paint Hazards – 91.215(i)
Actions to address LBP hazards and increase access to housing without LBP hazards
The City adheres to requirements that all buildings built prior to January 1, 1978 have a lead hazards
assessment when federal funds will be used to purchase or rehabilitate the property. As a condition of
assistance, the property must have lead screening and if lead is detected, the project must include lead
hazard containment or abatement in accordance with HUD’s Lead Rule Compliance Advisor. In addition,
the City follows the EPA regulations which require that any federally funded organization doing an
activity which causes disruption of lead while doing work, use only EPA-certified workers and follow
procedures to minimize the spread of lead. Lead hazards in public housing units and other units of
Housing Catalyst (Fort Collins’ PHA) have been stabilized and/or removed in previous years during
rehabilitations of these units. All applicants acquiring housing built prior to 1978 receive the EPA booklet
at application.
How are the actions listed above related to the extent of lead poisoning and hazards?
As housing providers purchase, rehabilitate, and lease housing units located in Fort Collins, they are
required to assess and mitigate lead hazards according to the guidelines provided in the Lead Safe
Housing Rule.
How are the actions listed above integrated into housing policies and procedures?
All CDBG and HOME sub-grantees are required to follow the HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule and rule
requirements based on the activity that they are undertaking. Grantees involved in leasing, acquiring,
rehabilitating, or maintaining housing units must keep files that provide compliance with these rules and
regulations. Sub-grantees must provide clients with the “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home”
pamphlet. Verification of this notification must be maintained in client files.
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SP-70 Anti-Poverty Strategy – 91.215(j)
Jurisdiction Goals, Programs and Policies for reducing the number of Poverty-Level Families
The City has a comprehensive set of plans, from the overarching City Plan to department-specific plans,
which include measures to address poverty.
City Plan is the comprehensive plan for the City of Fort Collins which illustrates the vision of the future of
Fort Collins over a 20-25 year time period. The City recently completed an update to City Plan, including
the Transportation Master Plan. In this update, City Plan utilized a health and equity lens to develop new
policies and implementation actions that can help ensure that actions and decisions do not
disproportionately burden one group over another.
The Social Sustainability Department’s Strategic Plan (SSDSP) includes goals and strategies aimed at
supporting community members in achieving self-sufficiency, alleviating the negative impacts of
poverty, and providing adequate, affordable housing. Social Sustainability also has a sub-plan for
affordable housing, called the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (AHSP). The Plan proposes strategies to
achieve the short-term goal of 6% of all housing units to be affordable units built utilizing affordable
housing programs, with a long-term goal of 10% total affordable housing stock at build-out. These
strategies work in conjunction with other plans and policies, including the Consolidated Plan.
Additionally, the Social Sustainability Department and the Economic Health Office collaborate to achieve
common goals. The Economic Health Office Strategic Plan (EHOSP) contains a variety of complementary
poverty-related goals and strategies related to workforce and business development and land use.
As the community becomes more diverse, the City strives to understand the barriers facing certain
groups or neighborhoods (whether they be related to race, income, health, employment, educational
attainment, age, ability, etc.) so that all residents have access to the services, resources, infrastructure
and opportunities they need.
The specific policies, principles, goals and strategies of these plans are included below.
How are the Jurisdiction poverty reducing goals, programs, and policies coordinated with this
affordable housing plan
Projects applying for CDBG, HOME and City dollars through the annual Competitive Process are
evaluated on their ability to further the goals of the Consolidated Plan, the Social Sustainability Strategic
Plan, and the City’s Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, all of which align with the principles and policies
of City Plan. These plans work together to provide a vision for a sustainable social system in which all
community members can thrive.
Goals and Actions to Reduce Poverty:
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Over the course of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, the City will take the following actions to reduce
the number of poverty-level families in Fort Collins.
The Social Sustainability Department will:
• Increase access to quality, affordable childcare and dependent care through
scholarships/funding; explore options to address City policies that intersect with childcare.
Collaborate with EHO to support workforce and educational training for the childcare industry.
• Partner on Home2Health, a collaborative, two-year project led by the Planning and Social
Sustainability Departments, as well as community partners, with the objective of implementing
updates to policies, codes and regulations to improve housing affordability with a specific
emphasis on health equity. The project is funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health
and Environment’s Health Disparities Grant Program.
• Support programs that help working families preserve, support, and stabilize their families, with
the goal of self-sufficiency.
• Invest grant funding into community programs that support vocational training.
• Fund programs that mitigate the impacts of poverty and improve quality of life for low-income
persons, including daycare, food, affordable housing, behavioral and physical health services,
youth programming and education, etc.
• Continue to fund permanent supportive housing projects, supportive services, and other
prioritized programs/projects identified by the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care that will
stabilize the lives of people experiencing homelessness in Fort Collins.
• Continue to fund Habitat for Humanity to construct homeownerships units for low income
families, lowering their housing costs and contributing to their economic stability.
• Continue participation on the County’s Workforce Development Board, focusing on key industry
data and business application; local barriers to employment including childcare, affordable
housing, and living wages; regional and local plans; and career pathways.
• Explore causes behind race-based disparities within lending practices to identify and help
mitigate any identified barriers to homeownership.
• Pursue planning and engagement efforts to develop the City’s first Human Services Prioritization
Platform, with completion anticipated in 2021 and implementation in 2022. This document will
work in conjunction with the Consolidated Plan to guide funding of nonprofit human service
providers through the annual Competitive Process.
• Increase access and opportunity to Citywide processes for marginalized and/or
underrepresented residents (including low-income) in order to better inform practices,
programs and policies.
• Continue to collaborate with the Utility on implementation of income-qualified assistance
programs as the municipal broadband utility is completed.
• Continue to collaborate across City departments to increase access to income-eligible discounts
and rebates offered through Transfort, Recreation, Finance, Utilities and Cultural Services.
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• Continue to ensure equity is addressed in City planning. Last year the Transportation Equity
Team advised on the Transportation Master Plan update to address barriers and improve access
to transportation.
• Work with hired consultant in 2020 to provide baseline equity data and metrics as well as begin
implementation process of utilizing an equity lens on all planning and other processes.
The Economic Health Office will:
• Facilitate alignment between employers, workforce center and educational institutions to
ensure that training and assessment reflect future workforce needs.
• Increase employment opportunities for a greater number of residents through targeted business
retention and expansion.
• Continue holding business listening sessions focused on minority- and women-owned
businesses to understand barriers, develop relationships and connect resources.
Human Resources will:
• Continue its partnerships with Larimer County Workforce Center and Senior Employment
Resources to place interns in City positions, with the goal of improving employment
opportunities through on-the-job training.
City Plan Principles and Policies
Neighborhood Livability and Social Health
Principle LIV 6: Improve access to housing that meets the needs of residents regardless of their race,
ethnicity, income, age, ability or background.
• Policy LIV 6.2 - SPECIALIZED HOUSING NEEDS: Plan for populations who have specialized housing
needs. Integrate residential-care and treatment facilities, shelters, permanent supportive
housing, group homes and senior housing throughout the GMA in areas that are well served by
amenities and public transportation.
• Policy LIV 6.4 - PERMANENT SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Create and maintain an up-to-
date inventory of affordable housing in the community. Pursue policy and regulatory changes
that will encourage the rehabilitation and retention of affordable housing in perpetuity.
• Policy LIV 6.5 - AGING IN PLACE: Retain attainable housing options in existing neighborhoods so
residents can “age in place.”
• Policy LIV 6.6 - AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS: Support the development and provision of
affordable housing in the community by maintaining and expanding dedicated sources of
funding for affordable housing services and programs, including management of a competitive
process for federal and local funding, development incentives, homebuyer assistance and the
Land Bank Program.
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Principle LIV 8: Develop an equitable, comprehensive, coordinated and efficient system of health and
human services that is accessible to all residents in need of assistance.
• Policy LIV 1.1 - Growth Management Area: Continue to utilize the GMA surrounding Fort Collins
as a tool to guide and manage growth outside of the City limits and delineate the extent of
urban development in Fort Collins.
• Policy LIV 1.2 - Amendments to the Growth Management Area: Maintain the GMA generally as
currently configured. Evaluate limited amendments in accordance with the following criteria to
determine whether proposed amendments: Are consistent with community goals, principles
and policies as expressed in City Plan; Would have positive net fiscal benefit to the community;
Are necessary to accommodate an activity that cannot be reasonably accommodated on lands
within the GMA; Would allow for the logical, incremental extension of urban services; Would
offer a desirable new “edge” to the community; Are contiguous to existing developed areas of
the city; and Contribute to the compact urban form of the city.
• Policy LIV 1.4 - Intergovernmental Agreements: Work with Larimer County and other
jurisdictions to revise Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) as needed. Take the following
objectives into consideration when revising IGAs: Institute a consistent and coordinated system
of fees and standards for development located inside and outside the GMA; Encourage Larimer
County to adopt development standards for projects within the GMA to be in conformance with
City Plan and the Land Use Code.
• Policy LIV 8.2 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS: Rely upon Larimer County to provide
community health and human services in partnership with local service providers. Focus on
improving communication, education, accessibility and collaboration in order to enhance overall
physical and mental health, safety and wellness of the community.
• Policy LIV 8.3 - PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS: Partner, fund and collaborate with local service
providers to ensure adequate levels of assistance for human-services needs, including
affordable childcare; homelessness services; mental illness and substance use disorders; food
access; workforce development; and education.
• Policy LIV 8.6 – HOMELESSNESS: Continue to collaborate with partner organizations on the
implementation of Fort Collins’ plan to make homelessness rare, short-lived and nonrecurring.
SSDSP Goals
Equity and Inclusion
B4.1 Support programs that enable all residents to have equal access and opportunities to meet their
basic needs.
Strategy: Support programs that ensure access for all residents to employment, food, housing, clothing,
education, recreational activities, a safe and healthy environment, and social services.
• Continue to allocate appropriate City dollars through a funding allocation process to service
providers.
• Support programs that ensure all residents have equal access to services.
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• Support programs that address basic human rights and needs, and that equally grant residents
access to tools and resources to develop their capacity.
• Research existing programs to see how culturally disadvantaged youth are being served in the
mental health arena, with particular emphasis on using evidence-based and culturally sensitive
practices to promote success both at home and in school.
Community Prosperity
C.1. Close skills gap and increase career pathways in the community.
Strategy: Create alignment between employers, workforce assistance and development entities, and
educational institutions regarding workforce needs through the following City actions: Continue to
allocate appropriate City dollars through a funding allocation process to workforce development and
education; Support education providers in offering vocational training.
C.2. Support early and secondary education to improve opportunities for life success.
Strategy: Continuing support of childcare and early childhood education through the following City
actions: Continue to allocate appropriate City dollars through a funding allocation process to agencies
supporting childcare and early childhood education.
C.3. Support programs and initiatives providing residents with affordable, quality caregiving services.
Strategy: Support supplemental educational programs for children and youth through the following City
actions: Continue to allocate appropriate City dollars through funding allocation process to child and
youth services.
C.4. Support area financial literacy initiatives.
Strategy: Support efforts in various sectors to provide financial literacy tools in order to increase
personal and household financial stability and self-sufficiency through the following City actions:
Continue to allocate appropriate City dollars through a funding allocation process to agencies providing
financial literacy initiatives.
C.5. Balance land uses to support a healthy economy.
Strategy: Maintain a mix of land uses supporting the retention and expansion of businesses while
encouraging a broad mix of residential housing options through the following City actions: Work with
City departments to prioritize redevelopment projects that include a mix of compatible land uses, and,
when appropriate, include affordable housing options and transit options for all; Work with the City’s
Planning, Development, and Transportation Service Area to develop and maintain an inventory of
available sites for affordable housing developments; Work with City departments to assess land use
policies and regulations to ensure support of desired development patterns.
AHSP Strategies:
• Increase the inventory of affordable rental units
• Preserve the long-term affordability and physical condition of the existing stock of housing
• Increase housing and associated supportive services for people with special needs
• Support opportunities to obtain and sustain affordable homeownership
• Refine development incentives and expand funding sources and partnerships
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EHOSP Goals
A.1. Close skills gap and increase career pathways in the community: Create alignment between
employers, the Workforce Center, and educational institutions regarding future workforce needs.
Strategy: Expand access to training programs, including short-term skill building programs that build
career pathways and allow individuals to secure a job or advance in high-demand industries and
occupations
Strategy: Support existing workplace education and training opportunities and identify funding sources
to support on-the-job training for new and existing workers
B.2. Increase the number of new start-ups and entrepreneurs: Retain, develop, and recruit
entrepreneurs and cutting-edge companies.
Strategy: Leverage funding to target new business formation by underserved populations (e.g., veterans,
individuals with disabilities, minorities and women)
C.3. Balance land uses to support a healthy economy: Maintain a mix of land uses that supports the
retention and expansion of businesses while encouraging a broad mix of residential housing options
With these goals in mind, the Economic Health Office is working on the following priorities:
1. Partnering with the Chamber of Commerce on Talent 2.0, a regional workforce strategy that
works to address barrier to employment including transportation and childcare.
2. Redeveloping the urban core, with particular attention to areas with aging infrastructure and
unsafe conditions. The Fort Collins Urban Renewal Authority (URA) utilizes financial incentives
and strategic partnerships to remedy blight, including clearing of vacant structures, improving
drainage, intersection improvements, and improved pedestrian, bike and vehicular safety
features.
3. Business Engagement
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SP-80 Monitoring – 91.230
Describe the standards and procedures that the jurisdiction will use to monitor activities
carried out in furtherance of the plan and will use to ensure long-term compliance with
requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the
comprehensive planning requirements
Fort Collins has a well-established procurement and contracting process that ensures subrecipients
meet the established goals and outcomes for the project, program, or services funded by the City. All
RFPs soliciting proposals for funding contain minority business outreach language. In addition, contracts
for funding awardees contain provisions emphasizing the importance of MBE-WBE outreach and
inclusion. The City’s Economic Health Office also works in more generalized minority business outreach
and support.
Each subrecipient is monitored to ensure subrecipient files contain the necessary documentation to
validate that program funds have been expended on appropriate expenses that produce the outcomes
specified in contract documents. Public Service projects are monitored quarterly as reimbursement
requests are processed and receive and annual onsite monitoring to ensure compliance with beneficiary
tracking, employment practices, and other requirements of their contracts. The City’s Affordable
Housing Administrator performs monitoring of housing projects receiving federal funds through the
review of quarterly reports submitted for active projects, desk reviews of annual rent and occupancy
reports, and site visits in accordance with established federal schedules and guidelines for CDBG and
HOME. The Administrator monitors subrecipient documentation to ensure the subrecipient meets the
requirements contained in HOME and CDBG regulations, including Section 3, National Environmental
Protection Agency (NEPA) requirements, procurement and Fair Housing Marketing and Outreach. The
Administrator also works with other entities (example: Colorado Division of Housing) in staying current
on projects where multiple financial subsidy layers exist.
The City partners with subrecipients to ensure their activities are tracked and documented for use in
other City plans and strategies that measure how well the City is meeting the milestones and outcome
indicators contained in other strategic plans. Annually, the City updates the CAPER to reflect progress
and deficiencies within the stated Goal Outcome Indicators included in the Strategic Plan and Annual
Action Plan.
The City stays abreast of all HUD bulletins, technical assistance, and other guidance tools to ensure
compliance with comprehensive planning requirements.
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Expected Resources
AP-15 Expected Resources – 91.220(c)(1,2)
Introduction
The City’s goal in allocating funding is to enhance the community's sustainability by addressing needs among our citizens who are income-
challenged. Stabilized households increase neighborhood quality. That, in turn, leads to a healthier, more vibrant Fort Collins. Each spring,
through the Competitive Process, the City of Fort Collins allocates federal and local funds to eligible affordable housing, community
development, human services, and related activities. The provision for an optional fall Competitive Process accommodates any unspent or
recycled funds.
The two general activity categories used to move forward successful funding proposals are:
• Housing: Acquisition and construction of affordable housing projects, including land purchase, housing rehabilitation, certain soft costs
related to affordable housing development, and homebuyer assistance programs are priorities. Properties must be located in Fort
Collins.
• Public Service: Nonprofit agencies serving a majority of people (51% or more) whose income is 80% or below the Area Median Income
(AMI) and living in the City of Fort Collins.
Funds are allocated to nonprofit agencies, affordable housing providers, and other entities serving Fort Collins residents, a majority of which are
low-and moderate-income households. Federal dollars leverage additional funds in many of the projects completed as part of the Consolidated
Plan. Since these funds are limited, they are often only a portion of the funds our partners utilize to complete a project. By requiring partners to
leverage these funds with other resources, the City of Fort Collins can maximize the impact of these funds in meeting its priority goals.
Additionally, the City contributes Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) and Human Services Program (HSP) monies from the City’s General Fund and
Keep Fort Collins Great tax (KFCG) to further the goals of the Consolidated Plan and provide required match to the HOME program. Available
amounts vary with budget cycles and economic conditions. Only federally-funded projects are reported in the Annual Action Plan.
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Anticipated Resources
Program Source
of
Funds
Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected
Amount
Available
Remainder
of ConPlan
$
Narrative Description
Annual
Allocation:
$
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources:
$
Total:
$
CDBG public -
federal
Acquisition
Admin and
Planning
Economic
Development
Housing
Public
Improvements
Public Services 1,103,585 139,790 241,692 1,485,067 4,414,340
For CDBG, proposals must meet one of the
three national objectives: 1) benefit low-
and moderate-income persons, 2) aid in the
prevention or elimination of slums or
blight, and/or 3) meet community
development needs having a particular
urgency. Fort Collins funds public service,
housing, and public facilities activities with
CDBG.
HOME public -
federal
Acquisition
Homebuyer
assistance
Homeowner
rehab
Multifamily
rental new
construction
Multifamily
rental rehab
New
construction for
ownership
TBRA 755,635 116,305 74,872 946,812 3,022,540
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Program Source
of
Funds
Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Expected
Amount
Available
Remainder
of ConPlan
$
Narrative Description
Annual
Allocation:
$
Program
Income:
$
Prior Year
Resources:
$
Total:
$
Other public -
local
Acquisition
Homebuyer
assistance
Homeowner
rehab
Housing
Multifamily
rental new
construction
Multifamily
rental rehab
New
construction for
ownership 8,751 0 0 8,751 750,000
The Fort Collins Affordable Housing Fund
(AHF) is a set-aside of general fund monies
that can be used for affordable housing
programs and projects within the City of
Fort Collins. AHF dollars reported here are
those used in conjunction with federal
dollars to support CDBG and HOME
projects/activities. Additional AHF funds are
available for City-only funded projects.
Other public -
local
Public Services
56,148 0 0 56,148 80,000
The Human Services Program (HSP) funds
are used to support priority human services
needs in Fort Collins. HSP funds reported
here are those used in conjunction with or
to supplement CDBG funds in support of
specific human service activities. Additional
HSP funds are available for City-only funded
activities through the annual Competitive
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Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how
matching requirements will be satisfied
HOME and CDBG funds are leveraged in Fort Collins with the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) and the Human Services Program (HSP) monies.
Recipients also leverage City-allocated funds with many other local, state, and federal sources. Sources of leverage include debt, Low Income
Housing Tax Credits, State of Colorado HOME funds and State Housing Development Grant funds, Federal Home Loan Bank Board funding
(FHLBB) grants, United Way funding, and other foundation and donation funding. By encouraging applicants to leverage CDBG and HOME funds
with as many other sources as possible, the City is able to provide funding to projects serving more residents of Fort Collins. Social Sustainability
Department staff track all HOME eligible match funds to ensure the 25% match requirement is met.
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If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that
may be used to address the needs identified in the plan
The City of Fort Collins has a land bank program that currently holds four parcels totaling 42 acres for
the future development of affordable housing. One land bank parcel was sold and developed during the
2014-2019 Consolidated Plan. Staff is working on acquisition options to add more land to the Land Bank.
The Social Sustainability Department staff regularly reviews the need for public land that can be used to
develop affordable housing and the potential of using City-owned land for housing development.
Discussion
Staff, the CDBG Commission, and the Affordable Housing Board (housing applications) review all funding
proposals. Housing applicants are invited to make presentations about their projects to the CDBG
Commission. Funding recommendations are made and provided to City Council, which holds a public
hearing to make final funding allocation decisions. Staff then works with grantees on additional due
diligence items and contract execution.
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Annual Goals and Objectives
AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives
Goals Summary Information
Sort
Order
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year
Category Geographic
Area
Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
1 Increase the supply
of affordable
housing units
2020 2024 Affordable Housing City-wide Increase affordable
housing inventory
HOME:
$871,249
Affordable
Housing Fund:
$8,751
Rental units constructed: 139
Household Housing Unit
Homeowner Housing Added:
1 Household Housing Unit
2 Preserve existing
affordable housing
2020 2024 Affordable Housing City-wide Affordable housing
preservation
CDBG:
$1,000,000
Rental units rehabilitated: 84
Household Housing Unit
3 Provide emergency
sheltering and
services
2020 2024 Homeless City-wide Housing and services
for persons who are
homeless
CDBG:
$115,000
Public service activities other
than Low/Moderate Income
Housing Benefit: 530 Persons
Assisted
Homeless Person Overnight
Shelter: 1600 Persons
Assisted
4 Provide housing
stabilization services
2020 2024 Non-Housing
Community
Development
City-wide Prevent
homelessness
CDBG: $79,350
Human Service
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Sort
Order
Goal Name Start
Year
End
Year
Category Geographic
Area
Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
5 Increase access to
services
2020 2024 Non-Housing
Community
Development
City-wide Services for low- and
moderate-income
populations
CDBG: $70,000 Public service activities other
than Low/Moderate Income
Housing Benefit: 220 Persons
Assisted
6 Provide
administrative
support to federal
programs
2020 2024 Administration City-wide Increase affordable
housing inventory
Affordable housing
preservation
Housing and services
for persons who are
homeless
Prevent
homelessness
Services for low- and
moderate-income
populations
CDBG:
$220,717
HOME:
$75,563
Other: 2 Other
Table 55 – Goals Summary
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Goal Descriptions
1 Goal Name Increase the supply of affordable housing units
Goal
Description
Increase both rental and ownership housing with the following priorities: mixed-income housing, permanent supportive
housing, and/or housing with co-location of services (case management, childcare, etc.). Prioritize projects serving special
populations including people experiencing homelessness, families, seniors, unaccompanied youth, people with disabilities,
and people with very low incomes. May include construction, acquisition, change of use, downpayment assistance, etc.
2 Goal Name Preserve existing affordable housing
Goal
Description
Includes rehabilitation of existing units, acquisition to prevent conversion to market rate, mobile home preservation, and
ownership supports such as emergency repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and accessibility modifications.
3 Goal Name Provide emergency sheltering and services
Goal
Description
Support projects that provide services or shelter and/or residency programs for individuals and families experiencing
homelessness, including comprehensive case management for long-term stabilization.
4 Goal Name Provide housing stabilization services
Goal
Description
Includes eviction and homelessness prevention services such as diversion, reunification, housing counseling, short- and long-
term financial assistance (rent, utilities, etc.), comprehensive case management, service coordination, and supportive
services.
5 Goal Name Increase access to services
Goal
Description
Prioritize special populations such as seniors, people with disabilities, unaccompanied youth, people experiencing
homelessness, LGBTQIA+, people of color, and other historically underrepresented or under-resourced populations. Priority
services include senior and disability services, mental health care, case management, and transportation.
6 Goal Name Provide administrative support to federal programs
Goal
Description
Provide administrative support to CDBG and HOME Programs.
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Projects
AP-35 Projects – 91.220(d)
Introduction
In spring 2020, the City of Fort Collins held a competitive application process to allocate HUD resources,
and City of Fort Collins Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) dollars and Human Service Program (HSP) monies
for the 2020 Program Year. Available federal funding included the 2020 allocation of CDBG and HOME
funds from HUD, CDBG and HOME Program Income, and unspent CDBG and HOME funds from prior
years. Funding was allocated to housing and public service projects serving a broad range of Fort Collins
residents.
Projects
# Project Name
1 FY20 CDBG Program Administration
2 FY20 HOME Program Administration
3 CARE Housing: Swallow Road Rehabilitation
4 Habitat for Humanity: Poudre Build #7
5 Mercy Housing: Northfield
6 Volunteers of America: Senior Residences
7 Catholic Charities: Shelter
8 Disabled Resource Services: Access to Independence
9 Elderhaus: Community Based Therapeutic Care
10 Neighbor to Neighbor: Homelessness Prevention Programs
11 SummitStone: Community Behavioral Health Treatment Program
12 SummitStone: Essential Mental Health Services at Murphy Center
13 Family Housing Network: Case Management Program
Table 56 – Project Information
Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved
needs
The City of Fort Collins made the FY20 annual allocations based upon a review of the Housing Needs and
Market Analysis sections of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan; alignment with other local planning
documents such as City Plan, the Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (AHSP), and the Social Sustainability
Department Strategic Plan (SSDSP); and a review of funding applications submitted in the spring of 2020.
Funding applications were reviewed to determine how well they met Consolidated Plan priority needs
and goals, their thoroughness and ability to meet proposed outcomes, and timeliness. A summary of the
goals of these plans is included as an attachment.
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AP-38 Project Summary
Project Summary Information
1 Project Name FY20 CDBG Program Administration
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Provide administrative support to federal programs
Needs Addressed Increase affordable housing inventory
Affordable housing preservation
Housing and services for persons who are homeless
Prevent homelessness
Services for low- and moderate-income populations
Funding CDBG: $220,717
Description CDBG FY20 EN (20%) $220,717
The City of Fort Collins will use FY20 CDBG and 20% of any CDBG PI
received during the FY20 Program Year to administer the CDBG
program. Eligible Activity [CDBG]: CFR 570.206. CDBG Matrix Code: 21A.
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
N/A
Location Description 222 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80522
Planned Activities Program administration
2 Project Name FY20 HOME Program Administration
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Provide administrative support to federal programs
Needs Addressed Increase affordable housing inventory
Affordable housing preservation
Housing and services for persons who are homeless
Prevent homelessness
Services for low- and moderate-income populations
Funding HOME: $75,563
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Description HOME FY20 EN (10%) $75,563
The City of Fort Collins will use 10% of FY20 HOME funds, plus 10% of
any HOME PI received during the FY20 Program Year to administer the
HOME program.
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
N/A
Location Description 222 Laporte Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80522
Planned Activities Program administration
3 Project Name CARE Housing: Swallow Road Rehabilitation
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Preserve existing affordable housing
Needs Addressed Affordable housing preservation
Funding CDBG: $1,000,000
Description $635,093 CDBG FY20; $123,215 CDBG PI FY19; $241,692 CDBG Prior
Year funds
84 units rehabilitated. CARE Housing and Housing Catalyst are
partnering to rehabilitate and combine their adjoining properties
through a new syndication of Low Income Housing Tax Credits. CARE
Swallow is a 40-unit multifamily affordable housing community, which
includes 10 residential buildings, common laundry area, a community
clubhouse, office space, a playground and community garden. VOS is a
44-unit multifamily affordable housing community that includes 11
residential buildings. National Objective [CDBG]: LMH. Eligible Activity
[CDBG]: 24 CFR 570.202(b)(9). Matrix Code [CDBG]: 14G
Target Date
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
84 low-income households
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Location Description 1303 West Swallow Road, Fort Collins, CO. 80526
Parcel number: 9727177001
Census tract: 001107
Legal Description: Lot 1, West Swallow PUD, Lot E, FTC
1403 West Swallow Road, Fort Collins, CO. 80526
Parcel number: 9721777902
Census tract: 001107
Legal Description: Lot 2, West Swallow PUD, Lot E, FTC
Planned Activities Acquisition and rehabilitation
4 Project Name Habitat for Humanity: Poudre Build #7
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Increase the supply of affordable housing units
Needs Addressed Increase affordable housing inventory
Funding HOME: $71,249
Affordable Housing Fund: $8,751
Description $8751 AHF; $71,249 HOME FY20
Construction of 1 new ownership single family home. Habitat partners
with the Geometry in Construction program at Poudre High School to
have students build a Habitat home as a real-world application for math.
National Objective [HOME]: 24 CFR 92.206 (a) (1)
Target Date
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
1 low-income household
Location Description 2845 Conquest; Lot 8 Block 12, East Ridge 2nd Filing
Planned Activities Construction and related project costs
5 Project Name Mercy Housing: Northfield
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Increase the supply of affordable housing units
Needs Addressed Increase affordable housing inventory
Funding HOME: $550,000
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Description $550,000 HOME FY20
84-unit affordable multi-family community within a larger development.
The property will include a large outdoor play area and community club
house. The units will be two story walk-ups with balconies spread over 7
buildings and will incorporate architecturally with the market rate for
sale product. Mercy Housing will offer voluntary family services for after
school care, financial literacy and vocational training, as well as service
referrals to local agency partners. National Objective [HOME]: 24 CFR
92.206 (a) (1)
Target Date
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
84 low-income households
Location Description Southwest corner of Larimer County Assessor Parcel # 9701400002.
Address to be TBD is east of current Redwood Drive and south of Suniga
St.
Planned Activities Construction and related project costs
6 Project Name Volunteers of America: Senior Residences
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Increase the supply of affordable housing units
Needs Addressed Increase affordable housing inventory
Funding HOME: $250,000
Description $58,823 HOME FY20; $116,305 HOME PI; $72,872 HOME FY19
55-unit affordable housing community to serve seniors with lower
incomes. Project residents will have a direct connection to volunteering
opportunities, in-home and group meals, grocery delivery, unit
modifications, and caregiver respite services coordinated and offered by
VOA. National Objective [HOME]: 24 CFR 92.206 (a) (1)
Target Date
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
55 low-income seniors
Location Description Northwest of the intersection of Timberline and Drake Roads, census
tract 16.05, parcel number 8719423002. Address yet to be assigned.
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Planned Activities Acquisition of land and construction
7 Project Name Catholic Charities: Shelter
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Provide emergency sheltering and services
Needs Addressed Housing and services for persons who are homeless
Funding CDBG: $65,000
Description $65,000 CDBG FY20
Catholic Charities Shelter provides shelter, food, case management,
resource navigation, benefits application assistance, and transitional
housing help in support of persons experiencing homelessness. Funding
will partially cover the salaries and benefits for direct service staff.
National Objective: LMC. Eligible Activity: 24 CFR 570.201(e) Public
Services. Matrix Code: 03T Operating Costs of Homeless Programs.
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
1600 individuals and families experiencing homelessness
Location Description 460 Linden Center Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Planned Activities Emergency evening and overnight shelter, meals, and supportive
services.
8 Project Name Disabled Resource Services: Access to Independence
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Increase access to services
Needs Addressed Services for low- and moderate-income populations
Funding CDBG: $20,000
Description $20,000 CDBG FY20
The Access to Independence Program provides supportive case
management and community assistance to increase the independence
of adults with severe disabilities. Funding will assist with salaries and
benefits for direct service staff. National Objective: LMC. Eligible
Activity: 24 CFR 570.201(e) Public Service. Matrix Code: 05B, Public
Service, Handicapped Services.
Target Date 9/30/2021
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Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
105 adults with disabilities
Location Description 1017 Robertson Street, Unit B, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Planned Activities Supportive Case Management and Community Assistance to increase
the independence of adults with disabilities.
9 Project Name Elderhaus: Community Based Therapeutic Care
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Increase access to services
Needs Addressed Services for low- and moderate-income populations
Funding CDBG: $30,000
Description $30,000 CDBG FY20
Elderhaus Community Based Therapeutic Care program provides at-risk
elderly and adults with disabilities daytime activities to enhance their
ability to function independently. Funding will assist with salaries and
benefits for direct service staff. National Objective: LMC. Eligible
Activity: 24 CRF 570.201(e) Public Service. Matrix Code: 05B, Public
Service, Handicapped Services.
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
72 severely disabled adults
Location Description 6813 S. College Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525
Planned Activities Daytime activities for low-income Fort Collins adults and seniors with
disabilities, enhancing their ability to function independently.
10 Project Name Neighbor to Neighbor: Homelessness Prevention Programs
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Provide housing stabilization services
Needs Addressed Prevent homelessness
Funding CDBG: $79,350
Human Service Program: $56,148
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Description $62,775 CDBG FY20; $16,575 CDBG PI FY19; $56,148 HSP
N2N's Homelessness Prevention Programming provides housing search
assistance, budget education, housing counseling, and rent assistance to
low-income households. Funding will assist with direct assistance and
salaries and benefits for direct service staff. National Objective: LMC.
Eligible Activity: 24 CFR 570.201(e) Public Services. Matrix Code: 05Q
Subsistence Payments
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
100 low-income households
Location Description 1550 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Planned Activities Housing stabilization and homelessness prevention services including
emergency rent assistance.
11 Project Name SummitStone: Community Behavioral Health Treatment Program
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Increase access to services
Needs Addressed Services for low- and moderate-income populations
Funding CDBG: $20,000
Description $20,000 CDBG FY20
The CBHT program, a collaboration of SummitStone Health Partners, the
Health District of Northern Larimer County, and Housing Catalyst,
combines intensive case management and therapeutic services with
housing assistance for low-income persons, who have been disabled by
severe mental illness and are diagnosed with severe substance abuse
disorders. Funding will assist with salaries and benefits for therapists.
National Objective: LMC. Eligible Activity: 24 CRF 570.201(e) Public
Service. Matrix Code: 05O, Public Service, Mental Health Services.
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
43 adults with disabilities
Location Description 4856 Innovation Drive, Suite B, Fort Collins, CO 80525
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Planned Activities Therapy and supportive services to improve independence and quality
of life for low-income persons who are dually diagnosed.
12 Project Name SummitStone: Essential Mental Health Services at Murphy Center
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Provide emergency sheltering and services
Needs Addressed Housing and services for persons who are homeless
Funding CDBG: $20,000
Description $20,000 CDBG FY20
Funding will assist with salaries and benefits of Mental Health Specialists
at the Murphy Center, who conduct initial mental health assessments,
provide short-term therapy sessions, collaborate for a spectrum of care
with other community health providers, and perform crisis intervention.
National Objective: LMC. Eligible Activity: 24 CFR 570.201(e) Public
Service. Matrix Code: 05O, Public Service, Mental Health Services.
Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
300 individuals experiencing homelessness
Location Description 242 Conifer St, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Planned Activities The program provides crisis intervention, mental health assessments,
short-term therapy sessions, and collaboration with community
partners for persons experiencing homelessness.
13 Project Name Family Housing Network: Case Management Program
Target Area City-wide
Goals Supported Provide emergency sheltering and services
Needs Addressed Housing and services for persons who are homeless
Funding CDBG: $30,000
Description $30,000 CDBG FY20
FHN provides overnight shelter at host faith congregations, meals, day
shelter, and case management to families experiencing homelessness.
Funding will assist with salaries and benefits for direct service staff.
National Objective: LMC. Eligible Activity: 24 CFR 570.201(e) Public
Services. Matrix Code: 03T Operating Costs of Homeless Programs.
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Target Date 9/30/2021
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed activities
230 households experiencing homelessness
Location Description 1606 S. Lemay Ave. Suite 103, Fort Collins, CO 80525
Planned Activities Emergency day and overnight shelter, meals, supportive services, and
case management.
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AP-50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f)
Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low-income and
minority concentration) where assistance will be directed
The City of Fort Collins does not target funds to specific geographies within the City. Funds are allocated
based upon need, priorities, and goals.
Geographic Distribution
Target Area Percentage of Funds
City-wide 100
Table 57 - Geographic Distribution
Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically
N/A—no geographic priority areas.
Discussion
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Affordable Housing
AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g)
Introduction
The City of Fort Collins has developed the following annual goals for supporting low- and moderate-
income households with housing, based upon the Housing Needs and Market Analysis sections of the
Consolidated Plan, the proposed projects from local housing providers, and the capacity of local
agencies and programs to serve Fort Collins households.
One Year Goals for the Number of Households to be Supported
Homeless 0
Non-Homeless 169
Special-Needs 55
Total 224
Table 58 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Requirement
One Year Goals for the Number of Households Supported Through
Rental Assistance 0
The Production of New Units 140
Rehab of Existing Units 84
Acquisition of Existing Units 0
Total 224
Table 59 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Type
Discussion
Homeless: There are no housing projects specifically for people experiencing homelessness this fiscal
year. Mason Place, Fort Collins’ second Permanent Supportive Housing development, was funded in
FY18 and is currently under construction.
Non-Homeless: 84 affordable rental units are to be acquired and rehabilitated at CARE Housing on
Swallow Road; 84 new units of affordable rental housing construction at Mercy Housing Northfield are
being funded in FY20 with completion anticipated in 2022; and 1 new affordable ownership unit being
constructed by Habitat for Humanity is being funded in FY20 with completion anticipated in 2022.
Special-Needs: 55 new affordable rental units for low-income seniors at Volunteers of America Senior
Residences are being funded in FY20 with completion anticipated in 2022.
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AP-60 Public Housing – 91.220(h)
Introduction
Housing Catalyst owns 70 scattered public housing units. Housing Catalyst continues to reposition its
Public Housing portfolio through RAD and Section 18 programs. Housing Catalyst has already
repositioned more than half of its portfolio.
Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing
Housing Catalyst continues this process and plans to sell 44 properties to Elevations Community Land
Trust which will then be permanently affordable homeownership opportunities in the community.
Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and
participate in homeownership
Housing Catalyst has completed and will continue the following initiatives over the next year:
• As per Colorado statute and Federal regulation, the Housing Catalyst Board of Commissioners
includes one current program participant who is a full voting member of the board
• Created a Resident Services program devoted to providing resident services focusing on housing
retention and stabilization
• Provided training to staff members on trauma informed care, mental health first aid, housing
first, harm reduction and Motivational interviewing
• Working toward fully integrated teams with property management and resident services
focusing efforts to assisting residents toward success using formalized processes
• Completing Community Scans of properties to understand residents needs and interests. Using
this information to establish measurable goals and strategies with an implementation plan.
• Several Community resources have been invited on site to create awareness and connect
residents to the resources in the area including: Health Van, Police, City mediation program,
school district, public library, Head Start, and the Foodbank Kids Café.
• JumpStart, the HUD Family Self Sufficiency Program serves an average of 180 households each
year supporting families with employment and education goals.
If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be
provided or other assistance
Housing Catalyst has been designated a “High Performer” by HUD for the last two decades.
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AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i)
Introduction
The City has made homelessness a central in its Social Sustainability Department (SSD) Strategic Plan.
The plan reflects a coordinated effort between City agencies, local service providers, and community
organizations to address homelessness. Network providers are trained to implement best practices,
such as permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and Housing First principles.
Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness
including
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their
individual needs
The City provides financial and coordination support to agencies that provide outreach, shelter, and
service provision. Strategies for reaching and serving people experiencing homelessness include:
• Conduct the annual PIT to gather critical data on persons experiencing homelessness,
spearheaded by the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care.
• HFI will continue to track long-term homeless individuals and coordinate with the regional
Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS) to assess individuals, find
housing options, ensure supportive services, and provide supports for housing retention.
• Homelessness service providers will continue to use the VI-SPDAT to assess who is at highest risk
if they remain homeless and prioritize individuals for housing placement.
• The City will continue to support Homeward Alliance and the Murphy Center, the one-top-shop
for service access for people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.
• Homeward Alliance will continue to conduct night-time outreach, providing clothing, tents,
survival gear, food and personal care items.
• The City will continue to support Outreach Fort Collins (OFC), an on-the-street team that builds
relationships with community members experiencing homelessness, service providers,
businesses and City services to address and de-escalate disruptive behaviors downtown.
• The Police Department will continue to collaborate with UCHealth and SummitStone to provide
a co-responder who provides mental/behavioral health crisis intervention on scene as
appropriate.
• OFC and Murphy Center will continue to maintain and distribute the Homeless Resource Guide,
which lists information and bus routes for 40+ organizations that provide services to people
experiencing homelessness.
• The City’s Special Agency Sessions (SAS) will continue to support people experiencing
homelessness who have a received a quality of life violations (Camping, Trespass, or Open
Container, etc.). Defendants can receive case management and alternative sentencing in lieu of
a fine or jail time.
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Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons
The City of Fort Collins provides financial and resource support to housing and homeless service
providers and collaborates with the network of providers to ensure that emergency shelter and
transitional housing opportunities are available to residents experiencing homelessness. Several types of
housing have been established and more are under development to help those in need. The types of
facilities and services available in Fort Collins include emergency shelters, overflow shelters, transitional
housing, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing.
Shelter
• Catholic Charities’ Mission Shelter offers year-round emergency overnight shelter and
residential/transitional program beds for men, women, families, and veterans.
• The Fort Collins Rescue Mission (FCRM) provides year-round emergency shelter and
residential/transitional program beds for men and women.
• Family Housing Network (FHN) provides overnight- and day- shelter and meals to families
experiencing homelessness through a network of faith-based partners.
• Crossroads Safehouse provides secure shelter, advocacy, legal assistance, rapid rehousing, and
education for victims of domestic violence.
• The City has a winter overflow shelter plan including Seasonal Overflow Shelters (SOS) at remote
locations. SOS is operated by Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities and Fort Collins Rescue
Mission also add capacity at their community shelters during the winter months.
• The City has an Emergency Weather Shelter Activation Plan to help people find shelter during
extreme winter weather events.
• The City continues to work with partners to address additional sheltering needs as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transitional Housing
• The City finalized its partnership with Family Housing Network (FHN) to develop transitional
housing for seven families in a City-owned building. The City has leased the building at a
significantly reduced rate, with an option to purchase well below market rate.
Permanent Housing
• The Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan (SSDSP), the Affordable Housing Strategic
Plan (AHSP), and the Consolidated Plan all have goals related to increasing the supply of
affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing.
• The City and its partners are involved in veterans’ homelessness intervention initiatives at the
State level and use a Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS) in the
northern Colorado region.
• The City supports Permanent Supportive Housing projects through local and federal funding, fee
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waivers, and other incentives.
• Housing Catalyst is developing a called Mason Place, 60 new units of Permanent Supportive
Housing (PSH).
• SummitStone Health Partners provides scattered site Permanent Supportive Housing.
Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families
with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to
permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that
individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals
and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were
recently homeless from becoming homeless again
There are significant challenges to decreasing the length of time homeless for households in Fort Collins,
primarily due to the cost of housing and shortage of available affordable units. However, the City
supports a variety of initiatives aimed at limiting the amount of time people experience homelessness.
• The City provides operating funds to agencies helping people experiencing homelessness make
the transition to permanent housing and independent living. Agencies, including Housing
Catalyst, Neighbor to Neighbor, SummitStone Health Partners, and Crossroads Safehouse
provide and permanent housing (including rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing).
• Housing Catalyst developed and manages Redtail Ponds, a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
project that provides supportive services, life skills, case management and counseling to its
residents. Forty units target formerly homeless individuals and twenty units are available for
those who fall within the 30-50% Area Median Income (AMI) range. Development of a second
60-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community, Mason Place, is currently underway.
• The City provides funding for the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund to support landlords who accept
renters referred through the Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS).
The program offers participating landlords reimbursement for short-term vacancies and minor
repairs. The program also provides short-term assistance to CAHPS renters to cover move-in
expenses. The effort helps preserve the investment of participating landlords while ensuring
safe, affordable housing for Fort Collins neighbors in need. The goal of the Landlord and Tenant
Mitigation Program is to reduce barriers for landlords and residents in achieving stable rental
housing.
• Volunteers of America (VOA) serves veterans and their families with homelessness prevention
and rapid re-housing services through a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program
called Back Home. This program serves over 100 clients annually with rapid rehousing and
homeless prevention services.
Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely
low-income individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly
funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities,
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foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving
assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services,
employment, education, or youth needs
There are significant challenges to decreasing the length of time homeless for households in Fort Collins,
primarily due to the cost of housing and shortage of available affordable units. However, the City
supports a variety of initiatives aimed at limiting the amount of time people experience homelessness.
• The City provides operating funds to agencies helping people experiencing homelessness make
the transition to permanent housing and independent living. Agencies, including Housing
Catalyst, Neighbor to Neighbor, SummitStone Health Partners, and Crossroads Safehouse
provide and permanent housing (including rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing).
• Housing Catalyst developed and manages Redtail Ponds, a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
project that provides supportive services, life skills, case management and counseling to its
residents. Forty units target formerly homeless individuals and twenty units are available for
those who fall within the 30-50% Area Median Income (AMI) range. Development of a second
60-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community, Mason Place, is currently underway.
• The City provides funding for the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund to support landlords who accept
renters referred through the Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS).
The program offers participating landlords reimbursement for short-term vacancies and minor
repairs. The program also provides short-term assistance to CAHPS renters to cover move-in
expenses. The effort helps preserve the investment of participating landlords while ensuring
safe, affordable housing for Fort Collins neighbors in need. The goal of the Landlord and Tenant
Mitigation Program is to reduce barriers for landlords and residents in achieving stable rental
housing.
• Volunteers of America (VOA) serves veterans and their families with homelessness prevention
and rapid re-housing services through a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program
called Back Home. This program serves over 100 clients annually with rapid rehousing and
homeless prevention services.
Discussion
There are significant challenges to decreasing the length of time homeless for households in Fort Collins,
primarily due to the cost of housing and shortage of available affordable units. However, the City
supports a variety of initiatives aimed at limiting the amount of time people experience homelessness.
• The City provides operating funds to agencies helping people experiencing homelessness make
the transition to permanent housing and independent living. Agencies, including Housing
Catalyst, Neighbor to Neighbor, SummitStone Health Partners, and Crossroads Safehouse
provide and permanent housing (including rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing).
• Housing Catalyst developed and manages Redtail Ponds, a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
project that provides supportive services, life skills, case management and counseling to its
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residents. Forty units target formerly homeless individuals and twenty units are available for
those who fall within the 30-50% Area Median Income (AMI) range. Development of a second
60-unit Permanent Supportive Housing community, Mason Place, is currently underway.
• The City provides funding for the Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund to support landlords who accept
renters referred through the Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement System (CAHPS).
The program offers participating landlords reimbursement for short-term vacancies and minor
repairs. The program also provides short-term assistance to CAHPS renters to cover move-in
expenses. The effort helps preserve the investment of participating landlords while ensuring
safe, affordable housing for Fort Collins neighbors in need. The goal of the Landlord and Tenant
Mitigation Program is to reduce barriers for landlords and residents in achieving stable rental
housing.
• Volunteers of America (VOA) serves veterans and their families with homelessness prevention
and rapid re-housing services through a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program
called Back Home. This program serves over 100 clients annually with rapid rehousing and
homeless prevention services.
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AP-75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j)
Introduction:
The City approved a 2015-2019 Affordable Housing Strategic Plan (AHSP) aimed at retaining and growing
the City’s affordable housing inventory. It includes multiple strategies and avenues for addressing the
ongoing affordable housing shortage in our community. While the update of this plan is underway, the
City continues to work under the guidance of the goals and strategies included in the AHSP.
Actions it planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve
as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning
ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the
return on residential investment
To mitigate the high cost of development, the strategies the City will pursue include the following:
• Continue to provide both federal and City funds to affordable housing developers willing to
produce new affordable units. Local incentives enable developers to produce rent-restricted
units at rates affordable to low-income households. The City has also allocated federal funding
sources, including CDBG and HOME, to ensure more funds are directed toward priority housing
needs.
• Refine development incentives and expand funding sources. A City dedicated sales tax was
passed, providing $4 million over 10 years to be used for affordable housing construction and/or
preservation. Some of this funding has been committed to the city’s second permanent
supportive housing project, currently under construction.
• The City is looking to increase partnerships with local employers to provide workforce housing in
the community. The City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Elevation
Community Land Trust, a state-wide philanthropy-funded land trust, with the mission of
providing permanently affordable homeownership opportunities.
• Strategically releasing the City’s Land Bank properties for development of affordable rental and
ownership housing. Partnerships with developers aim to maximize the resource of the Land
Bank parcels for affordable housing development and reinvest proceeds from the sale of existing
parcels into new land holdings. The City is currently negotiating with a developer to build 60
townhomes for sale to families making no more than 80% AMI, in partnership with Elevation
Community Land Trust.
• The City created an Internal Housing Task Force to seek enterprise-wide efforts to promote and
incentivize affordable housing. The City also added an Affordable Housing Executive
team. Conditions are likely to get worse due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Political
pressure will push working with multiple levels of government to have a coordinated approach
to response and recovery.
• The City is gearing up for the next Housing Strategic Plan. Data updating and gathering is
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underway. The Plan may be similar to the prior Affordable Housing Strategic Plan, or may
include an assessment of the housing spectrum, as more moderate-income earners are now
experiencing housing cost burdens as well.
Discussion:
The City has finished a major rework of its comprehensive plan, City Plan. City Plan is more housing-
focused than earlier iterations because the lack of housing inventory at all price points is causing stress
and price escalation. The City conducted a Land Use Code audit to identify ways to remove barriers to
the construction of housing options. The City is looking at ways to provide additional incentives and land
use code modifications to promote the production of affordable housing. These include:
• Examine the feasibility of restructuring its permit, plan check, and capital expansion fee
structures to ensure equitability and appropriateness as related to the proportionate impact on
the construction of smaller units. This policy would incentivize developers to build smaller units
and new housing types.
• Explore the pros and cons of reducing the minimum standards for lot sizes (minimum house size
has already been reduced).
• Consider other regulatory policies that could promote the provision of rental housing for those
with low- and very-low-incomes. This strategy may include ways to reduce barriers to the use of
accessory dwelling units.
• Strategies for addressing fair housing concerns including providing education and hosting
training events.
• Explore additional housing policies, such as whether an affordable housing impact fee should be
pursued as part of the scheduled development fee update in 2021.
The City plans to use the policy tools above to lessen regulatory and policy impacts on affordable
housing development, while expanding the resource base needed to increase the production and
preservation of the affordable housing inventory in the City.
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AP-85 Other Actions – 91.220(k)
Introduction:
The City of Fort Collins implements a variety of actions that address challenges faced by lower-income
people. The City invests time and resources in developing plans and strategies for the most efficient use
of its limited resources. The Social Sustainability Department uses a holistic approach to address the
housing, employment, and supportive service needs of low-income and underserved populations.
The City, in its Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan (SSDSP) and Economic Health Strategic
Plan (EHSP), has developed a robust set of goals, strategies and actions to address the problems faced
by community members living in poverty. Both plans share a major theme area—Community Prosperity.
This theme area acknowledges the potential, contributions, and value of all Fort Collins’ residents, and
presupposes that when we each do better, we all do better—and our community is more sustainable as
a result. Foundationally, the way to reduce poverty is to increase prosperity.
The EHSP Community Prosperity section contains four overarching goals: 1) Close the skills gap and
increase career pathways, 2) Diversify employment opportunities for residents, 3) Provide resources
that enhance the ability of existing business to succeed in the city, and 4) Increase youth engagement in
workforce and talent development. Strategies within the goals emphasize strong partnerships with
educational institutions, businesses, and other collaborators such as the Larimer County Workforce
Center. Several strategies include focus on underserved and disadvantaged populations. In response to
these goals, the Economic Health Department has partnered regionally to develop a regional workforce
analysis and strategy called Talent 2.0. The plan works to: 1) Increase Access—actively support
employers in finding, attracting and retaining the talent that employers need; 2) Improve Alignment—
align education and workforce resources within the business community and the local talent pool; and
3) Remove Barriers— collectively address structural issues that serve as barriers to a secure talent
pipeline, such as affordable housing and childcare. Additionally, the Economic Health Department has a
Business Specialist focused on supporting existing small, local, and minority-owned businesses in Fort
Collins. In FY19 the Economic Health Department will also roll out a revolving loan fund to support
existing small business needs and success.
The SSDSP goals for Community Prosperity include: 1) Close skills gap and increase career pathways in
the community; 2) Support early and secondary education to improve opportunities for life success; 3)
Support programs and initiatives providing residents with affordable, quality, caregiving services; 4)
Support area financial literacy initiatives, and 5) Balance land uses to support a healthy economy.
Strategies include collaboration with other City departments (such as Economic Health) and community
partners, supporting community initiatives, and funding human service organizations that support
achievement of these goals. Financial support includes CDBG, HOME, and City funds.
In addition to Community Prosperity, the Social Sustainability Department’s Strategic Plan includes
sections on Housing, Community Wellness, and Equity and Inclusion. Strategies in the Plan address the
broad spectrum of barriers faced by persons and households in poverty, and work to build resources
and/or address barriers. Examples include priority areas such as early childhood education/school
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readiness, workforce development, accessible healthcare, equitable transportation provision, and
affordable childcare. By leveraging City-owned assets and investing in community partner programming,
the Social Sustainability Department is leading efforts for the City to expand access, affordability and
workforce capacity in the early childhood education and childcare sector.
Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs
The City will continue to provide technical support and financial resources to the agencies and
organizations focusing their missions on addressing the underserved needs of Fort Collins residents. It
will increase the supply of affordable rental housing. It will increase opportunities for those residents
experiencing homelessness by providing support to emergency housing agencies, domestic violence
shelters, and supportive services agencies. It will act to preserve the existing affordable housing
inventory through both rehabilitation and homebuyer opportunities. Through both CDBG and the City’s
Human Services Program funding, the City will support an array of supportive services contributing in
various ways to improving the living conditions of those community members who have fewer resources
and opportunities for stability and self-sufficiency.
In 2016, the City and its partners implemented Outreach Fort Collins, a local initiative to get outreach
workers on the streets to connect at-risk persons to resources. OFC is seeing over 700 unduplicated
people experiencing homelessness annually. They provide community engagement contacts, service
provider contacts, and service coordination as needed. Additionally, the City assisted the Murphy Center
in expanding their hours and services over the winter, which had a ripple effect of positive impacts
throughout the community.
The City has partnered with UCHealth and SummitStone Health Partners to implement co-responders in
the Police Department to provide crisis intervention as appropriate on police calls. The City is actively
supporting the County in its work to expand much needed behavioral health services in Fort Collins.
Recently, the City deployed responsive funding to increase community capacity for affordable,
accessible and quality childcare. This included partnerships to increase infant and toddler classrooms,
reduce tuition costs for families needing childcare, and strengthen retention strategies for the childcare
workforce.
The City will continue to be an engaged partner in many local conversations and initiatives focusing on
the needs of underserved populations. This commitment includes sponsoring and facilitating regional
conversations on homelessness and affordable housing, and participating in the national and statewide
efforts to end veteran homelessness.
Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing
The City will continue to provide both technical and financial support to preserve affordable housing and
will take a number of actions to encourage and incentivize the development of more affordable housing
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and affordable homeownership opportunities. From a policy perspective, the City will engage the
community in policy level discussions of what tools could be added to prime the production of more
units on an annual basis, in order to more quickly close the gap between the number of households who
are cost-burdened and the number of affordable units available. As available land with suitable
infrastructure continues to decrease due to high development pressures, the City continues to activate
Land Bank properties in order to increase the supply of affordable rental and ownership units.
Larimer County has published a 5-year strategic plan including a goal that focuses on reducing housing
overburden by 2023. The City serves on the working group for that goal.
In 2019, City Council made preservation of affordable housing and mobile home parks a City priority and
initiated a moratorium on redevelopment. In 2020 the City began offering mobile home park
neighborhood improvement and community building mini grants to support projects such as tree-
trimming, sewer scoping, safety lighting, and more. The Affordable Housing Strategic Plan is being
updated (anticipated completion late 2020/early 2021), which will address issues such as fees,
homeownership challenges, and mobile home parks. The update is working in collaboration with the
Internal Housing Task Force and the Home 2 Health grant initiatives funded by the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment.
Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards
The City adheres to requirements that all buildings built prior to January 1, 1978 have a lead hazards
assessment when federal funds will be used to purchase or rehabilitate the property. As a condition of
assistance, the property must have lead screening and if lead is detected, the project must include lead
hazard containment or abatement in accordance with HUD’s Lead Rule Compliance Advisor. n addition,
the City follows the EPA regulations which require that any federally funded organization doing an
activity which causes disruption of lead while doing work, use only EPA-certified workers and follow
procedures to minimize the spread of lead. Lead hazards in public housing units and other units of
Housing Catalyst (Fort Collins’ PHA) have been stabilized and/or removed in previous years during
rehabilitations of these units. All applicants acquiring housing built prior to 1978 receive the EPA booklet
at application.
Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families
Actions planned for FY20 to reduce the number of families in poverty include financial support and
collaboration to increase community capacity. Some of the target strategies include:
• Utilize budgeted funds to provide additional capacity and availability of quality affordable
childcare.
• Identify policy changes recommended through the Home2Health project.
• Provide Human Service funding to non-profit partners in the community to help working families
preserve, support, and stabilize their families.
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• Participate on the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care Governing Board, and assist with
prioritization and funding of permanent supportive housing projects, supportive services, and
other prioritized programs/projects identified by the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care that
will stabilize the lives of people experiencing homelessness in Fort Collins.
• Identify and recommend potential policies to enhance the City’s ability to incentivize Affordable
Housing projects as well as homeownership programs and support.
• Work with hired consultant in 2020 to provide baseline equity data and metrics as well as begin
implementation process of utilizing an equity lens on all planning and other processes.
Actions planned to develop institutional structure
In acting as an individual organization, and in collaboration with other community partners, the City of
Fort Collins takes its community leadership role seriously in addressing community challenges and
meeting needs. The City serves as funder, collaborator, and convener for a variety of frameworks and
initiatives. Those roles include everything from board representation on Homeward 2020 to leadership
for Outreach Fort Collins, and the Coordinated Assessment & Housing Placement System (CAHPS). The
City will continue to participate as a convener and partner in community-wide efforts to form plans
addressing both ongoing and emerging challenges low-income community members face (e.g.,
homelessness, stable housing, health and behavioral health care, and affordable childcare).
More specifically, the Social Sustainability Department was created to build formal institutional
structure around addressing community needs. Additionally, low-income and vulnerable residents
benefit from the services provided by a number of high performing public and nonprofit agencies
supported financially and operationally by the City. Those entities deliver a variety of housing and non-
housing community development activities. The City will continue to take a proactive approach in
bringing community-based organizations together to ensure excellent service, thoughtful coordination
and innovative, evidence-based approaches in delivering housing and support services to low-income
community members.
The City will provide ongoing technical assistance and financial resources, ensuring that community
organizations have the capacity and the necessary human and physical assets to execute their mission in
the most effective way. The City will continue to use a robust investment decision process to ensure
there is no service duplication and that providers work together cooperatively to develop service plans
addressing identified needs.
The City will continue to update its Social Sustainability Department Strategic Plan to provide an ongoing
blueprint for the community to follow in both assessing performance and understanding the actions the
City will take in addressing identified needs. Through its monitoring and risk assessment processes, the
City will gather data and information on expenditures, outcomes and numbers served, so that it can
continue to make effective and strategic use of its limited funding and resources.
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Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social
service agencies
The City has structured its Social Sustainability Department’s mission and role to serve as the convener
and navigator for collective plans and actions to ensure that the efforts and resources directed at
underserved populations and housing needs are utilized in the most efficient manner possible. Staff
members of the Department participate in a number of community-wide committees and initiatives
which enhance coordination between service and housing providers. In terms of federal framework and
funding, the North Front Range Continuum of Care (NFRCC) is the vehicle used for addressing the
various needs and challenges of persons experiencing homelessness and at-risk populations. The City
also works with Homeward 2020, a local initiative addressing concerns and collaborative strategies
regarding overall homelessness issues in the Fort Collins community. The City convenes coordinating
meetings between housing providers, including Housing Catalyst and other nonprofit housing agencies,
to ensure those receiving housing benefits can also access needed social services, and to advance efforts
toward greater self-sufficiency for community members who are low-income. The Social Sustainability
Department oversees two citizen advisory committees within the City’s Boards and Commissions. The
CDBG Commission and the Affordable Housing Board work, in part, to monitor community issues and
provide an additional avenue for soliciting citizen and agency input. They help the City better coordinate
housing activities with public service efforts to ensure that gaps for underserved populations are being
addressed.
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Program Specific Requirements
AP-90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4)
Introduction:
Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the
Projects Table. The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in
projects to be carried out.
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)
Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the
Projects Table. The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in
projects to be carried out.
1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next
program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed 0
2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to
address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan. 0
3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements 0
4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not
been included in a prior statement or plan 0
5. The amount of income from float-funded activities 0
Total Program Income: 0
Other CDBG Requirements
1. The amount of urgent need activities 0
2. The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that benefit
persons of low and moderate income.Overall Benefit - A consecutive period of one,
two or three years may be used to determine that a minimum overall benefit of 70%
of CDBG funds is used to benefit persons of low and moderate income. Specify the
years covered that include this Annual Action Plan. 100.00%
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HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(2)
1. A description of other forms of investment being used beyond those identified in Section 92.205 is
as follows:
The City does not intend to use any other forms of HOME investment beyond those identified in
Section 92.205.
2. A description of the guidelines that will be used for resale or recapture of HOME funds when used
for homebuyer activities as required in 92.254, is as follows:
The City’s complete resale/recapture guidelines and policy are included as an attachment. The City
uses the Recapture guidelines, as outlined in 92.254. For the development of homebuyer units, the
City has implemented the Resale guidelines, as outlined in 92.254.
3. A description of the guidelines for resale or recapture that ensures the affordability of units acquired
with HOME funds? See 24 CFR 92.254(a)(4) are as follows:
Homeownership Resale Guidelines: The HOME Resale Guidelines have been implemented for
housing developed with HOME funds. This method is used for the homes developed by Habitat for
Humanity to keep them affordable to low-income households for twenty years. At the time the
home is developed, the developer signs a 20-year Affordable Restrictive Covenant with the City. The
Covenant requires the home remain owner-occupied for the affordability period, be sold to an
income eligible household, and that the maximum purchase price not exceed certain limits based on
a calculation of the number of bedrooms and the maximum amount an eligible household could
borrow with current FHA loans. The City of Fort Collins utilizes a Promissory Note and Deed of Trust
to enforce the resale requirement. The City implements the Fair Return obligation by calculating the
repayment of the City loan to be the net proceeds from the sale of the property less the costs of any
improvements the homeowner has made to the property. If there are no net proceeds from the
sale, no repayment is required. Net proceeds is defined as the sales price minus the superior loan
repayment and any closing costs incurred by the buyer.
4. Plans for using HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing that is
rehabilitated with HOME funds along with a description of the refinancing guidelines required that
will be used under 24 CFR 92.206(b), are as follows:
The City does not plan to use HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing
that is rehabilitated with HOME funding this year.
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Appendixx - Alternate/Local Data Sources
1 Data Source Name
American Community Survey
List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set.
National Dataset from the Census Bureau
Provide a brief summary of the data set.
National Census - annual survey that takes in all of Fort Collins
What was the purpose for developing this data set?
Annual census
Provide the year (and optionally month, or month and day) for when the data was collected.
The data is collected annually - 2013 is the latest date
Briefly describe the methodology for the data collection.
national paper survey
Describe the total population from which the sample was taken.
all of Fort Collins
Describe the demographics of the respondents or characteristics of the unit of measure, and the number of
respondents or units surveyed.
statistically relevant sample
2 Data Source Name
Annual Point in Time Count
List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set.
The City of Fort Collins, and local homeless service providers
Provide a brief summary of the data set.
This is an annual count of homeless persons in Fort Collins. Local agencies and volunteers attempt
to count all homeless persons in the City on one night in January.
What was the purpose for developing this data set?
The purpose is to estimate the number of homeless persons living in Fort Collins.
Provide the year (and optionally month, or month and day) for when the data was collected.
January, 2014. A summer survey was also conducted in 2014.
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Briefly describe the methodology for the data collection.
Surveys of persons accessing homeless services are conducted on the day of the count, and
volunteers attempt to find as many homeless persons on the streets and within the community as
possible, and survey these persons as well.
Describe the total population from which the sample was taken.
All persons experiencing homelessness who were identified the day of the count.
Describe the demographics of the respondents or characteristics of the unit of measure, and the number of
respondents or units surveyed.
All persons surveyed must be experiencing homelessness, or be at risk of becoming homeless.
3 Data Source Name
North Front Range Continuum of Care
List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set.
North Front Range Continuum of Care, part of the Colorado Balance of State Continuum of Care
Provide a brief summary of the data set.
Tabulation of facilities targeting homeless persons created for CoC activities and funding
What was the purpose for developing this data set?
Coc reporting and funding
Provide the year (and optionally month, or month and day) for when the data was collected.
December 2014
Briefly describe the methodology for the data collection.
tabulation by homeless providers
Describe the total population from which the sample was taken.
this is a sample of beds and units from providers
Describe the demographics of the respondents or characteristics of the unit of measure, and the number of
respondents or units surveyed.
NA - not a survey but a tabulation
4 Data Source Name
Housing Catalyst Data
List the name of the organization or individual who originated the data set.
Housing Catalyst
Provide a brief summary of the data set.
Number of vouchers in use.
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What was the purpose for developing this data set?
To accurately describe the number of vouchers currently in use by the local public housing authority.
How comprehensive is the coverage of this administrative data? Is data collection concentrated in one
geographic area or among a certain population?
The data set covers the total number of vouchers administered by Housing Catalyst.
What time period (provide the year, and optionally month, or month and day) is covered by this data set?
Data was provided in February 2020.
What is the status of the data set (complete, in progress, or planned)?
To-date
Attachments
1. Consultation List
2. NA-45 Data Charts
3. Community Questionnaire Results Summary
4. Draft Goals Survey Summary
5. Resale & Recapture Policy
Organization Workshop Focus Group Interviews
Direct input
on text/data Presentation
Affordable Housing Board X
BASE Camp X X
CARE Housing X
CASA/Harmony House X
Catholic Charities X X
CDBG Commission X X X
Center for Family Outreach X X
City of Fort Collins X
Colorado State University Off-Campus Life X X
Columbine Health X
Crossroads X X
Department of Corrections, Adult Parole/Re-Entry
Program X
Disabled Resource Services X X
Downtown Development Authority X
Economic Health Department X
Elderhaus X X
Environmental Services Department X
Family Housing Network X X X
First Presbyterian Church X
Food Bank X X
Foothills Gateway X
Fort Collins Community Action Network (FCCAN),
Homeless Coalition X X
Fort Collins Connexion (broadband utility) X
Fort Collins Utilities X
Growing Project X
Health Department X
Health District X
Homeward 2020 X X
Homeward Alliance X X X
Housing Catalyst X X
La Familia/The Family Center X X X
Larimer County Department of Human Services X
Larimer County Office on Aging X X X
Neighbor to Neighbor X X
New Eyes Village/Healthy Larimer Committee X X
Northern Colorado Continuum of Care X X
Northern Colorado Health Network X X
Outreach Fort Collins X X
PAFC/A Little Help X
Partners Mentoring Youth X
Partnership for Age-Friendly Community in Larimer
County X
Planning Development and Transportation Department X
Poudre River Public Library X
Poudre School District McKinney Vento Program X X X
Project Self-Sufficiency X X
Realities for Children X X
Root Policy X
Senior Advisory Board X
Special Agency Session – City Staff X
Studio 222 - City Staff X
SummitStone X
Teaching Tree X X X
The Colorado Trust X
United Way of Larimer County X X
Volunteers of America X X
Youth Advisory Board X
Totals 30 16 31 9 4
The City of Fort Collins has a Board and Commission network in place to advise Council on projects and programs. Boards and
Commissions related to special populations, as well as those that influence the annual Competitive Process in which HUD funds are
allocated, were offered presentations. Input of members was collected and used to develop priority needs and refine goals.
Presentations
Direct input on text/data
Interviews
Focus Groups
Workshop
A broad-reaching workshop was conducted to gain insights from stakeholders into community needs.
Three focus groups were held as follow-up to the workshop. Topic areas were homelessness, housing, and human services. Attendees
Interviews were conducted with a variety of service providers, funders, employers, advocacy groups, and City and County staff to gain
additional information on community needs, gaps and barriers.
Select organizations and City departments were consulted for data and information directly related to specific sections of the
Consolidated Plan.
NA-45 Non-Homeless Special Needs Assessment Attachment
Population of Seniors and Near Seniors, Fort Collins and Larimer County, 2018
Source: 2018 ACS and Root Policy Research
Projected Growth in Seniors, Larimer County, 2018 to 2040
Source: Colorado Department of Local Affairs and Root Policy Research
Labor Force Status of Seniors, Fort Collins, 2018
Source: 2018 ACS and Root Policy Research
Total Population 167,823 100% 350,518 100%
Under 55 133,801 80% 251,754 72%
Near Seniors (55 to 64 years) 16,011 10% 43,762 12%
Seniors 18,011 11% 55,002 16%
65 to 74 years 11,759 7% 34,255 10%
75 to 84 years 4,382 3% 15,220 4%
85 years and over 1,870 1% 5,527 2%
Fort Collins Larimer County
Number Percent Number Percent
Total Population 350,362 100% 422,441 100% 480,126 100% 21% 14%
Under 55 250,854 72% 297,870 71% 331,580 69% 19% 11%
Near Seniors (55 to 64) 44,598 13% 43,833 10% 54,940 11% -2% 25%
Seniors 54,910 16% 80,738 19% 93,606 19% 47% 16%
65 to 74 33,298 10% 41,613 10% 41,989 9% 25% 1%
75 to 84 15,200 4% 29,050 7% 33,805 7% 91% 16%
85 and over 6,412 2% 10,075 2% 17,812 4% 57% 77%
Growth in Number of Seniors 25,828 12,868
Number Number
% of
Population
2018 2030
% of
Population
2040
Number
% of
Population
Percent Growth
2018 -
2030
2018 -
2040
65 to 74 years 3,539 30.1% 67 0.6% 8,220 69.9%
75 and older 338 5.4% 158 2.5% 5,914 94.6%
Not in Labor Force
Number Percent Number Percent
Unemployed
Number Percent
In Labor Force
Living Arrangements for Seniors, Fort Collins, 2018
Source: 2018 ACS and Root Policy Research
Prevalence of Mental Illness, Fort Collins, 2018
Note: Adolescents defined as children ages 12 to 17
Source: National Institute of Mental Health, 2018 ACS
Suicide Mortality Rate (per 100,000 population), Colorado and Larimer County, 2004-2018
Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset and Root Policy Research
Living alone 211,903 26%
Living with others 595,952 74%
Living with a family member 546,475 68%
Living with other than family member 49,477 6%
Number Percent
Adults
Any mental illness 18.9% 24,435
Serious mental illness 4.5% 5,818
Adolescents
Any mental illness 49.5% 5,879
Serious mental illness 11.0% 1,305
Prevalence
Individuals in
Fort Collins
12.1
22.8
17.2
21.9
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Lar imer County Colorado
Estimates of Fort Collins Residents with Alcohol and Substance Use Abuse and Dependence in the Past
Year, Fort Collins, 2018
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2017 National Survey on
Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Table 5.1B, 2018 ACS, and Root Policy Research
Disability Status for the Population 5 Years and Older, Fort Collins, 2018
Source: 2018 ACS and Root Policy Research
Disability Type by Age Cohort, Fort Collins, 2018
Source: 2018 ACS and Root Policy Research
Alcohol Use Disorder 5.4% 7,623
Dependence 2.9% 4,094
Abuse 2.5% 3,529
Drug Use Disorder 2.8% 3,952
Dependence 2.1% 2,964
Abuse 0.07% 99
Prevalence
Individuals in
Fort Collins
Population 5 years or older 14,530 158,786 9%
5 to 17 years 903 23,496 4%
18 to 34 years 4,077 67,126 6%
35 to 64 years 4,194 50,651 8%
65 to 74 years 2,623 11,748 22%
75 years and over 2,733 5,765 47%
With a
Disability
Percent with
TotalDisability a
Hearing difficulty 216 0.7% 1,401 1.2% 2,412 13.8%
Vision difficulty 73 0.2% 824 0.7% 1,010 5.8%
Cognitive difficulty 642 2.1% 1,455 1.2% 1,455 8.3%
Ambulatory difficulty 45 0.1% 2,572 2.2% 2,572 14.7%
Self-care difficulty 181 0.6% 545 0.5% 545 3.1%
Independent living difficulty 1,466 1.2% 1,466 8.4%
Ages 65+
# with a
Disability
% of Age
Cohort
Ages < 18 Ages 18 to 64
# with a
Disability
% of Age
Cohort
# with a
Disability
% of Age
Cohort
Estimates of Children with Developmental Disabilities, Fort Collins, 2018
Source: “Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in US Children, 2009-2017” Boyle, et. al., PEDIATRICS, Volume 144, September 2019, 2018 ACS,
and Root Policy Research
Any developmental disability 10.55% 17.35% 19.73% 902 1,660 2,343
ADHD 2.13% 9.26% 12.30% 182 886 1,461
Autism 1.68% 1.75% 1.75% 144 167 208
Blind 0.10% 0.19% 0.16% 9 18 19
Cerebral palsy 0.28% 0.28% 0.35% 24 27 42
Moderate to profound hearing loss 0.45% 0.73% 0.62% 38 70 74
Learning disabilities 3.30% 8.02% 9.71% 282 767 1,153
Intellectual disabilities 0.63% 1.03% 1.41% 54 99 167
Seizures in past 12 months 1.07% 0.68% 0.71% 91 65 84
Stuttered or stammered in past 12 months 2.73% 2.26% 1.43% 233 216 170
Other developmental delay 4.67% 4.70% 3.92% 399 450 466
Total children in Fort Collins 8,546 9,567 11,876
6 - 11
years
6 - 11
years
Prevalence in the U.S. Children in Fort Collins
3 - 5
years
12 - 17
years
3 - 5
years
12 - 17
years
FORT COLLINS CONSOLIDATED PLAN
COMMUNITY QUESTIONNAIRE SUMMARY
The City of Fort Collins Social Sustainability Department created a questionnaire to collect opinions from
all members of the community about existing needs. The electronic questionnaire was widely marketing
and distributed by the City to residents throughout Fort Collins with options to complete the survey in
either English or Spanish. Paper versions of the questionnaire were also made available by the City and
the non-profit community to obtain as many opinions as possible. Those results were hand collected and
then tabulated electronically by staff.
A total of 442 individuals responded to the survey. Most respondents (61.7%) identified themselves as a
community member. Twenty-four percent stated they are non-profit service providers and six percent
identified themselves as government employees. Each respondent did not answer all questions.
Therefore, the following tables and charts have different total response to each.
Household Profile
The majority of people who responded have lived in Fort Collins for more than 20 years (30.5%).
Eighteen percent of respondents indicated that they live in Council District 1, although a higher
percentage (28.1%) declined to specify their geographic location. This may indicate that they either reside
in a different community or were unsure of their geographic location.
Table 1: Length of Residence in Fort Collins
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
1–5 years 24.2% 72
6–10 years 15.8% 47
11–15 years 10.1% 30
16–20 years 10.7% 32
More than 20 years 30.5% 91
Live outside of Fort Collins 6.0% 18
Decline to specify 2.7% 8
Total Responses 100% 298
Table 2: Geographic Location
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
Council District 1 18.2% 52
Council District 2 12.3% 35
Council District 3 7.7% 22
Council District 4 10.9% 31
Council District 5 10.9% 31
Council District 6 11.9% 34
Decline to specify 28.1% 80
Total Responses 100% 285
Map 1: City of Fort Collins District-Precinct Map
Table 3: Affiliation / Profession
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
Community member 61.7% 187
Housing agency staff person 0.7% 2
Housing developer 0.0% 0
Nonprofit service provider 24.1% 73
Service provider primarily for persons
experiencing homelessness
1.7% 5
Economic development entity
representative/employee
0.7% 2
Local or state official 0.0% 0
Government employee 6.3% 19
Funder 0.3% 1
Other Responses (see write-in
responses on next page):
4.6% 14
Total Responses 100% 303
Other affiliation / profession responses (write-in):
Citizen and taxpayer
Educator
Eco toxicologist
Local Business Owner and Community Member
Local teacher
Member of PAFC
PSD elementary school counselor
PSD Employee who helps
Teacher
That is personal
Non-profit housing person
Parent of a young adult with intellectual disabilities and
long-time teacher
Self-employed resident
Household Income
Respondents were asked to provide household income ranges. Not all respondents provided this
information, but the following table and chart show the percentage of respondents by income range. The
questionnaire received responses for households in all income ranges. The majority of respondents, a
combined 47.5% indicated that they have an annual household income between $35,000 - $99,9999.
Table 4: Household Income
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
Less than $10,000 6.4% 19
$10,000–$14,999 3.7% 11
$15,000–$24,999 4.7% 14
$25,000–$34,999 5.4% 16
$35,000–$49,999 14.5% 43
$50,000–$74,999 19.2% 57
$75,000–$99,999 13.8% 41
$100,000–$149,999 10.8% 32
$150,000–$199,999 5.7% 17
$200,000 or more 2.4% 7
Decline to specify 13.5% 40
Total Responses 100% 297
Figure 1: Household Income
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Age & Gender
The age of respondents was diverse, with majority (24.1%) reporting to be between the ages of 30-39
years, 18.1% respondents were between 40-49 years, and 17.4% were 20-29 years of age. Two hundred
and seventeen (72.6%) respondents reported their gender as female, where 58 respondents reported
being male (19.4%).
Table 5: Age of respondents
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
20–29 yrs 17.4% 52
30–39 yrs 24.1% 72
40–49 yrs 18.1% 54
50–59 yrs 14.0% 42
60–69 yrs 14.0% 42
70 yrs or older 7.4% 22
Decline to specify 5.0% 15
Total Responses 100% 299
Figure 2: Age of respondents
Table 6: Respondents Gender
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
Female 72.6% 217
Male 19.4% 58
Transgender Female 0.3% 1
Transgender Male 0.3% 1
Gender non-conforming 0.7% 2
Decline to specify 2.7% 8
Prefer to self-identify: 4.0% 12
Total Responses 100.0% 299
20–29 yrs ,
17.4%
30–39 yrs ,
24.1%
40–49 yrs ,
18.1%
50–59 yrs ,
14.0%
60–69 yrs ,
14.0%
70 yrs or older
, 7.4%
Decline to
specify , 5.0%
Ethnicity and Race
Hispanic or Latinx respondents encompassed 5.9% of those who completed the questionnaire. Most
respondents (75.9%) identified their race as Non-Hispanic or Latinx. There were 290 responses to the
question regarding race. Of those, 243 identified themselves as White, 28 declined to specify, and 12
identified as two or more races.
Table 7: Ethnicity
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
Hispanic/Latinx 5.9% 20
Non-Hispanic/Latinx 75.9% 206
Prefer to self-identify: 3.3% 9
Decline to specify 15.6% 42
Total Responses 100% 277
Table 8: Race
Answer Options
Response
Percent
Response
Count
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.4% 4
Asian 1.7% 5
Black/African American 0.7% 2
White 84.3% 243
Two or more races 4.2% 12
Decline to specify 9.1% 28
Total Responses 100% 290
Community Needs
Respondents were asked to prioritize broad categories of community needs. These areas include
affordable housing, facilities and services for persons experiencing homelessness, supportive services,
economic development, and community development. The highest identified need by questionnaire
respondents was affordable housing (housing specifically for people with low and moderate incomes).
The second highest need was identified as supportive services (childcare, job training, transportation
assistance, mental and physical health, etc.). The lowest ranked priority was economic development
(employment and business support).
Table 9: Respondents Rankings of Broad Community Priorities
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Affordable Housing: Housing specifically for
people with low and moderate incomes.
321 57 18 4 1 401
Homelessness: Facilities and services for people
experiencing homelessness.
210 141 33 5 8 397
Supportive Services: Childcare, job training,
transportation assistance, mental and physical
health care, etc.
Figure 3: Respondents Rankings of Broad Community Priorities – Number of Highest (1) Rankings
Respondents were given the opportunity to provide their own responses on their perception of broad
community priorities. The following table is a listing of these comments. Issue categories with multiple
responses included attention to bike trails, housing affordability, preservation of open spaces, and
transportation.
Table 10: Write-in responses on broad community priorities.
Issue category Ranking Individual responses
Affordable housing
High Added needs to HUD housing properties
High Supportive and affordable housing
Bike trails
Low Bicycle paths and scooters?
Medium Bike trails
High Designated bike lanes and pedestrian sidewalks/underpasses.
High
Trails - People move here to enjoy the mountains, just like our roads -
the trail infrastructure has not kept up with residential growth & demand.
People, residents & top tier talent will go elsewhere.
Business support
High Collaborative, affordable, workspace for nonprofit organizations
High Local business support
Childcare High Low income support for childcare
Green energy
High Green energy
High Green energy
Family services
High Facilities and services for FAMILIES with children
High Foster and adoptive family support.
High Youth and families in crisis assistance
Food insecurity High Food support services for people with low incomes
Government
assistance
High Revaluation on income requirements for food stamps and medical
Homelessness
support
No need Homeless by choice-build it they will come
High Homelessness
High Shelter for Families
High
Homeless housing, a simple room with sink & bathroom, common area
for group setting with laundry
Housing
affordability
High Affordable housing that's actually affordable
High
Anything to keep low and moderate income people in the community,
not living 30 to 50 miles east or north
High
Housing that is actually affordable as opposed to the so-called
"affordable housing" currently available.
High Rent control
High Senior affordable housing
High
Control on rising housing costs leaving low income and elderly
homeowners at risk of losing their housing. (35%+ rise in property taxes
and utilities)
High Affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities.
Housing density
High
Less high ruse apartment buildings taking over the whole town if Ft
Immigration
support
High Legal Advocacy for undocumented population
Increase law
enforcement
High Crime prevention, security and law enforcement presence
High Enforce vagrancy laws
Mental health High Mental health
Misc
Low Other stuff
High Very high
Mobile home
protection
High Mobile home parks services and rights
Preserve open
spaces
High
Don't sacrifice our last open spaces for the guise of affordable/attainable
housing. Build in the Center of town, not near the foothills.
High Environmental preservation and habitat restoration, limit growth of city
High
High quality, quiet spaces for people to take a break from urban noise
and congestion.
High More open spaces
High
Preservation of open space, trail maintenance, park maintenance and
development
High Protect open space
High Preservation of open/park space
Recreation
High Community Pool for Southeast Fort Collins
High East side rec center
Medium Outdoor recreation development
School
improvement
High Schools, teacher salary, school safety
Senior services
Medium Programs to help seniors age in place.
Medium
Affordable services for seniors. Not all of us have tons of money to live
on
High Older adult services
Substance rehab High Drug rehab
Supportive services
High
Supportive Services: I do not believe all are high priority. Affordable
childcare is a top priority. Not sure about the others
Transportation
High Transportation
Medium Alternative transportation
High
Improved transportation services like more frequent bus times, cleaner
buses and incentives for riding.
High
Increased public transit, affordable senior housing, and traffic control to
keep it moving.
High Public transportation
High Safety relating traffic and pedestrians, bicycles, and Other vehicles.
High Traffic and roads
High Traffic congestion
Housing Concerns
Respondents were asked to rank their perception of the need to address housing issues faced by Fort
Collins residents. The need for affordable rental housing and affordable homeownership were the top two
highest ranked priorities. Residents ranked unsafe/poor neighborhood conditions as the lowest priority.
Table 11: Need to address housing issues faced by Fort Collins residents
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Homelessness 227 134 25 4 6 396
Unsafe/poor neighborhood conditions 65 145 165 13 7 395
Unsafe/poor housing conditions 81 149 138 10 18 396
Overcrowded conditions 81 121 143 25 23 393
Affordable rental housing 312 66 17 2 1 398
Affordable homeownership 290 77 24 8 1 400
Affordable housing not near services 134 109 73 18 56 390
Figure 4: Respondents Rankings of Perception of Housing Issues – Number of Highest (1) Rankings
Respondents were given the opportunity to provide their own responses on their perception of housing
issues faced by Fort Collins residents. The following table is a listing of these comments.
Table 12: Write-in responses on housing concerns.
Issue Category Ranking Individual Responses
Affordable housing
High Affordable housing
High Affordable housing near jobs and transit
Affordable services
High Affordable healthcare
High Really affordable services for low income seniors
Medium Supporting workers, childcare
Business services High Corrupt management company practices
Homelessness
support
High Not sticking all the homeless in N. Fort Collins
Medium 2 types of homelessness-choice, unfortunate circumstances
Housing /
transportation
High Housing and transportation
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Unsafe/poor neighborhood conditions
Unsafe/poor housing conditions
Overcrowded conditions
Affordable housing not near services
Homelessness
Affordable homeownership
Affordable rental housing
Housing
affordability
High
"Affordable" is becoming a "non-relevant" term for rental & housing in Ft.
Collins
High High rent
High
Let the market regulate itself, high housing costs address unsustainable
demand and limit noco growth
High Lower rent
High Non-government affordable housing
High Teachers not able to purchase a home/rent without a second income
High Affordable and safe housing for the elderly
High
Control on rising housing costs leaving low income and elderly homeowners
at risk of losing their housing. (35%+ rise in property taxes and utilities)
Housing density
High Build smaller homes
High Housing density near transport hubs
High
Neighborhood character and serenity declines as density and congestion
encroaches into all corners of Fort Collins.
High Not putting a lot of affordable housing in one area
High High density of housing
Housing for special
populations
High Affordable senior housing
High Affordable housing for Aging/Older population
High Housing for LGBTQ people
High Low income family rentals
Immigration
support
High
Resources and services for families who have just immigrated here from
outside the ry, especially Spanish speaking
Increase housing
options
High More affordable housing with HUD
High More housing options
High Rental options
High Spread low income housing into southern Fort Collins
High Tiny houses for the homeless
Increase law
enforcement
High
The waste, needles and trash homeless people leave around. People are
not mad they are homeless they are mad because of them unsafe
conditions they leave behind.
Misc. High Other stuff
Mobile home
protection
High
Potential displacement of people living in manufactured/mobile home
communities.
Parking options
Medium Parking at housing?
High Sensible parking
Preserve open
spaces
High
construction (67.2%) and down payment assistance (70.3%) as needed to support low- and moderate-
income households purchase a home. Forty-five percent of respondents ranked the need to help low- and
moderate-income households maintain a home as a medium priority but ranked the need for emergency
repairs (water heater, furnace, etc.) as the highest priority.
Table 13: Need to address affordable housing
Answer Options High Medium Low
No
Need
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Develop and preserve affordable
rental housing
291 83 15 1 1 391
Help low- and moderate-income
households purchase a home
194 143 37 8 6 388
Help low- and moderate-income
households maintain a home
124 176 61 7 21 389
Homeless prevention support (such as
emergency rent assistance, financial
counseling)
248 106 20 3 9 386
Increase the supply of permanent
rental housing with supportive services
for persons who are experiencing
homelessness
231 109 30 4 12 386
Respondents prioritized the following groups as most needing to develop and preserve affordable
rental housing.
Figure 5: Group of people who need affordable rental housing.
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Other special populations
Single persons
Seniors
Persons w/ disabilities
Families
Respondents were given the opportunity to provide their own responses on their perception of other
special groups who need affordable rental housing. The following table is a listing of these comments.
Table 14: Write-in responses on housing concerns.
Issue Category
Response
Count
Individual Responses
All groups 6
• Essentially everyone needs this
• A large majority of people
• All groups stated. It is not wise to compartmentalize the
need for dignified housing.
• All of the above
• All of the above equally
• You can't qualify who needs housing most, all are at
risk
First time homebuyers 1 • First time homebuyers
Homeless 5
• Homeless
• Homeless
• Homeless
• Homeless
• Working homeless
Homeless youth 2
• Homeless youth
• Homeless youth/students
Immigrant families 1 • Families who just immigrated from outside the ry
Low- and moderate-income
persons
5
• All individuals need this that are grouped in the Lower-
Middle class
• Low and medium income people
• Low income
• low income people
• Other low income folks
Mental health and
substance rehab
1 • mental illness, substance dependence
Non-college students 1 • Non-college students
Re-entry populations 1 • Re-entering community
Single parents 4
• Single parents
• Single parent families
• Single parent income families
• Single parents
Special populations 6
• Lgbtq
• LGBTQ people
• Any marginalized groups (Racial minorities, single
parents, low income families, etc.)
• Minorities, students
• Special needs
Students 6
• Students
• Students
• Students
• Students
• Students
• Students
Figure 6: Assistance most needed to help low- and moderate-income households purchase a home.
Figure 7: Maintenance most needed to help low- and moderate-income households maintain a home.
Housing for Persons with Special Needs
Respondents were asked to rank their perception of the biggest needs for providing affordable
housing for special populations in Fort Collins. Of the options listed below, respondents ranked
persons experiencing homelessness as the biggest need for providing affordable housing. Second
ranked was providing affordable housing for victims of domestic violence, followed by persons with
mental illness. Lowest ranked need was providing affordable housing for persons with HIV/AIDS.
Table 15: Housing for persons with special needs
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Victims of domestic violence 174 101 21 3 29 328
Veterans 150 109 34 7 25 325
Persons experiencing homelessness 189 103 23 3 6 324
Youth experiencing homelessness
(age 25 and under)
170 100 34 6 15 325
Persons with HIV/AIDS 47 117 77 17 64 322
Persons with mental illness 173 111 14 4 27 329
Persons with developmental
disabilities
140 130 21 4 31 326
Persons with mobility issues 128 130 27 6 35 326
Persons who need assisted living 136 113 36 7 35 327
Write-in responses (see individual
responses below)
23 5 0 0 1 29
0
50
100
150
200
250
Affordable new construction Down payment assistance
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Lead-based paint abatement
Modifications for persons with disabilities
Energy efficiency improvements
Emergency repairs (water heater, furnace, etc.)
Figure 8: Respondents ranking for housing for persons with special needs – Number of Highest (1)
Rankings
Respondents were given the opportunity to provide their own responses on their perception of the biggest
needs for providing affordable housing for special populations in Fort Collins. The following table is a
listing of these comments.
Table 16: Write-in responses for biggest needs for special populations
Ranked high priority
• Again, one group needs is as important as the next here. More importantly, where will funding come
from, who will oversee fund distribution & programs
• Enforcement of U plus 2 laws
• Families getting harassed for sleeping
• Families with dual income who still cannot afford to buy a home.
• Foster and adoptive families
• Immigrant populations, especially those who do not speak English
• Lgbtq
• Low income working families
• Mental illness, where's the facility we voted for?
• older adults
• parent and children!
• Persons exiting incarceration
• Post prison
• Seniors
• Seniors on a limited fixed income.
• single middle-aged women
• Single parent families needing housing assistance
• Single Parents
• Supportive housing
• The elderly
• Young families
• Families
Ranked medium priority
• Drug and alcohol dependent
• Other people
• Persons re-entering society from jail/prison - if they truly show signs of change/trying. It's hard to
survive/find work/housing - especially if you have a record.
• Reentry after incarceration
• Retired
Ranked no need priority
• Persons who are Transgender
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Write-in responses (see individual responses below)
Persons with HIV/AIDS
Persons with mobility issues
Persons who need assisted living
Persons with developmental disabilities
Veterans
Youth experiencing homelessness (age 25 and under)
Persons with mental illness
Victims of domestic violence
Persons experiencing homelessness
Supportive Services
Three-hundred thirty-one respondents ranked their perception of the need for the supportive services. Of
the services listed below, the highest ranked service was the need for mental health services. Second
highest ranked need is services for people experiencing homelessness, followed by childcare services.
Respondents ranked recreation enrichment as the lowest ranked need for supportive services.
Table 17: Supportive services
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Services for seniors 126 135 39 4 20 324
Services for persons with disabilities 148 130 22 3 22 325
Services for victims of domestic violence 166 109 25 4 22 326
Services for people experiencing homelessness 213 82 23 4 4 326
Services for veterans 142 119 35 3 27 326
Childcare facilities 188 95 26 6 11 326
Childcare services 199 84 22 5 14 324
Afterschool programs (including school-out and
summer programs)
159 112 36 3 16 326
Support to diverse groups (cultural, minorities,
subpopulations)
138 103 50 11 22 324
Employment training 86 151 59 5 25 326
Physical health care 106 140 53 4 22 325
Mental health care 236 66 10 3 11 326
Substance use disorder care (treatment and
recovery)
188 95 23 4 14 324
Access to healthy foods 118 138 59 4 8 327
Recreation and enrichment 70 124 109 16 8 327
Financial counseling 93 145 59 4 25 326
Financial assistance (rent, utilities, groceries, etc.) 166 122 28 4 10 330
Crime prevention (such as better street lighting,
prevention programs)
86 118 90 15 13 322
Write-in responses (see responses below) 14 2 2 0 0 18
Figure 9: Respondents rankings for supportive services – number of highest (1) rankings
0 50 100 150 200 250
Write-in responses (see comments below)
Recreation and enrichment
Employment training
Crime prevention (such as better street lighting, prevention programs)
Financial counseling
Physical health care
Access to healthy foods
Services for seniors
Support to diverse groups (cultural, minorities, subpopulations)
Services for veterans
Services for persons with disabilities
Afterschool programs (including school-out and summer programs)
Table 18: Write-in responses for need of supportive services in Fort Collins
Ranked high priority
• Additional bus routes for a growing town.
• Change to TANF to help people who get some financial assistance to still be able to get TANF to be
able to live.
• Enforcement of U plus 2 laws
• Healthcare
• Help for non-profit organizations struggling with crime/theft
• Improved transportation services such as more frequent bus times, cleaner buses and incentives for
riding.
• Keeping our parks clean and safe for kids to play
• More free or extremely affordable housing for recovering addicts
• More plant-based restaurants! Climate change is largely due to animal agriculture
• Multi-lingual support services
• Other financial help with non-food needs like soap product
• Other stuff
• Safe walking and biking routes to and from services.
• Summer camp buses for kids
• By having affordable housing, you eliminate the need for more costly programs to shelter the
homeless
Ranked medium priority
• Ask these populations what they need
• Services for single parent households
Ranked low priority
• Community acupuncture
Homelessness
Respondents were asked to rank their perception of the biggest needs for providing assistance to people
experiencing homelessness in Fort Collins. Of the needs listed below, the highest ranked was the need
for mental health care. Second highest ranked need is additional cold weather shelter, followed by
substance use disorder treatment. Respondents ranked job training as the lowest ranked need for
providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness.
Table 19: Biggest needs for providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No
Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Additional emergency shelter 189 81 26 8 18 322
Additional cold weather shelter 220 58 21 9 15 323
Operations/maintenance for existing
shelters
139 112 27 4 39 321
Job training 133 137 38 4 12 324
Rent/deposit/utility assistance 165 109 30 6 12 322
Supportive services, case management 192 92 23 4 14 325
Shower and laundry access 152 112 33 5 19 321
Substance use disorder treatment 215 70 20 6 12 323
Mental health care 251 51 7 2 10 321
Physical health care 164 102 34 4 16 320
Write-in responses (see comments below) 20 0 1 0 0 21
Figure 10: Respondents rankings of biggest needs for providing assistance to people experiencing
homelessness– Number of Highest (1) Rankings
Table 20: Write-in responses for biggest needs for providing assistance to people experiencing homelessness
Ranked high priority
• A bed for everyone i we read there is a shortage here per number of homeless
• Ask the homeless what they need. I don't know their experience.
• Emergency shelter for families with children
• Family Shelters-emergency and long-term
• Help for support persons to identify differences between local homeless population and transient/lifelong
homeless (ones who do not wish to get out of homelessness.
• Homeless kids allowed to sleep!!!
• Homeless willing to attend treatment for drug/alcohol addiction/ mental health counseling as well as
train/maintain a job should be given all the resources to help them succeed permanently!
• Housing first
• Housing placement
• Improved transportation services such as more frequent bus times, cleaner buses and incentives for riding.
• Lockers where they can stow stuff n public toilets for all
• Mental health
• Police leaving sleeping families alone
• Single occupancy residences
• Stop panhandling?
• all these homeless people off the street can help out on the roads or anything for the communities
• community acupuncture
• housing
• longer term housing solutions for homeless
• subsidized housing
Ranked low priority
• Other stuff
0 50 100 150 200 250
Write-in responses (see comments below)
Job training
Operations/maintenance for existing shelters
Shower and laundry access
Physical health care
Rent/deposit/utility assistance
Additional emergency shelter
Supportive services, case management
Substance use disorder treatment
Additional cold weather shelter
Mental health care
Economic Development
Respondents were asked to rank their perception of the need for economic development activities in Fort
Collins. Of the needs listed below, the highest ranked was the need to provide support to small, minority,
and locally owned businesses. Second highest ranked need is encouraging redevelopment to provide
additional housing and office space, followed by coordinating training programs between employers and
educational institutions. Respondents ranked summer youth employment (through age 18) as the lowest
ranked need for economic development activities in Fort Collins.
Table 21: Need for economic development activities
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Job creation 85 140 69 9 15 318
Use of incentives (such as tax
rebates) to encourage job creation
by employers
88 106 89 19 18 320
Providing support to small,
minority, and locally owned
businesses
150 110 47 8 11 326
Job training and job placement
services
103 151 52 4 15 325
Summer youth employment
(through age 18)
82 129 80 9 26 326
Coordinating training programs
between employers and
educational institutions
116 125 55 5 25 326
Encouraging redevelopment to
provide additional housing and
office space
120 110 54 13 26 323
Write-in responses (see comments
below)
16 2 0 1 0 19
Figure 11: Respondents rankings of need for economic development activities – Number of Highest
(1) Rankings
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Write-in responses (see comments below)
Summer youth employment (through age 18)
Job creation
Use of incentives (such as tax rebates) to encourage job
creation by employers
Job training and job placement services
Coordinating training programs between employers and
educational institutions
Encouraging redevelopment to provide additional housing and
office space
Table 22: Write-in responses for need for economic development activities
Ranked high priority
• Affordable housing. Business can't hire because no one can afford to live here.
• Affordable tiny house communities for the homeless
• Collaborative & Affordable Office Space for Nonprofit Organizations
• Employers or others provide affordable housing for non- profit workers
• Enforcement of U plus 2 laws
• Focus on higher paying job creation (wages not keeping up with cost of living)
• Improved transportation services such as more frequent bus times, cleaner buses and incentives for riding.
• Jobs that pay enough to live comfortably
• Mansions in the middle of town that only house one family is ridiculous. Affordable housing and locations for
all
• Support small, local businesses - not corporations, so this place doesn't turn into Boulder (i.e. Pearl St. over
the last 10 years). Help preserve our charm.
• Universal Income
• Vocational training for real jobs
• constructing homes in the < $200,000 price range
• incentives for people to create day care centers that are for low income families.
• provide financial support to new farming and Animal Production business.
• self-employment tax incentive
Ranked medium priority
• Affordable rental spaces for a business.
• Internships for all ages?
Ranked low priority
• Other stuff
Community Development
Respondents were asked to rank their perception of the importance of community development needs for
low- and moderate- income households or neighborhoods. Of the needs listed below, the highest ranked
was the need to make improvements to the transit system (buses). Second highest ranked need is
energy conservation, followed by the addition of bike lanes. Respondents ranked public parks and
playground equipment as the lowest ranked need for community development for low- and moderate-
income households or neighborhoods.
Table 23: Community development needs for low- and moderate-income households or neighborhoods
Answer Options
High
(1)
Medium
(2)
Low
(3)
No Need
(4)
Don't
Know
Response
Count
Street Improvements 65 140 91 10 19 325
Public parks and playground
improvements
56 136 104 16 14 326
Water and sewer line repair 81 115 69 7 52 324
Sidewalk construction or repair 81 116 88 10 27 322
Energy conservation 125 112 60 9 19 325
Improvement to transit system (buses) 165 94 42 11 13 325
Addition of bike lanes 100 100 82 29 13 324
Figure 12: Respondents ranking for community development needs for low- and moderate-income
households or neighborhoods – Number of Highest (1) Rankings
Open-ended feedback on questionnaire
Respondents were given the opportunity to share their own input to issues/needs not addressed in the
questionnaire. There were open-ended questions and the following three tables reflect their responses to
concerns not already addressed, their input on top community needs that should be addressed over the
next five years, and other comments on community needs.
Table 24: Concerns or suggestions not already addressed on questionnaire
The answer to homelessness is mental health care and affordable housing.
Creation of a youth homeless shelter for Northern Colorado.
Substance use and mental health treatment are one and the same many times. Chronic Substance Use
is often the result of underlying trauma. Co-occurring disorder programming should be a priority.
Homeless camps
Don't use Police Services on busses but hire security people to check tickets and insure safety. Provide
better screening upon admission of those entering our shelters (i.e. check for active warrants, failure to
register a s sex offender).
Control on rising housing costs leaving low income and elderly homeowners at serious risk of losing their
housing. (35%+ rise in property taxes and utilities). These costs are leaving those on fixed incomes
vulnerable to no longer being able to afford the homes they currently have. A teacher's salary (for
example, or someone on a fixed income, or retired) does not increase 35% because the home they live
in goes up in value. Our water/electric bill has increased at least $50/every month since this time last
year. That is not a sustainable increase in living expenses. These are issues that can immediately be
addressed by the city in order to ensure our residents don't lose housing due to unrealistic increases in
their everyday expenses. It effects EVERY member of our community and is putting EVERYONE at risk.
Concern nots addressed in questionnaire
I don't think we need another shelter or transitional housing. As a community this undermines the hard
work of all providers who work within HUD Guidelines of Housing First philosophy and also undermines
the hard work of city working to end homelessness by placing people in permanent housing. shelters and
transitional housing programs will not help us get to zero on ending homelessness. We are close to
ending chronic Veteran Homelessness and working to ensure that homelessness is rare, short- lived and
non-recurring. Providing additional shelter will prevent this from happening. Our goal is to house before
people are presented with having to go into a shelter (first day homeless). It does not help with best
practice (well researched) philosophies on housing. The city leaders and rest of the community would
benefit from learning about housing first philosophies, rapid resolution, harm reduction and trauma
informed care.
Making sure parks have no paraphernalia where children play (spoons, needles, etc.)
Under McKinney Vento law, safe homeless kids in cars and campers have to be allowed to sleep just like
every other kid and they must stop police from harassing them!
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Public parks and playground improvements
Street Improvements
Water and sewer line repair
Sidewalk construction or repair
Addition of bike lanes
Energy conservation
Improvement to transit system (buses)
As with anything like this often the answer is it depends.... Additional shelters That do t care or help
maintain the safety and integrity of the neighborhood are not helpful. You need to provide services that
can be supported and don't have a negative impacts on the people that are your community.
Adding storage space like a shed or garage to affordable housing units. I think that more affordable
housing (on a sliding scale basis) is needed, along with huge repairs to the buildings that they already
have.
The city shouldn't try to be all things to all people. City workers don't need to replicate the work of existing
programs.
The most important thing is to help families access housing--some of these things, like more bike lanes,
and really fluff in comparison
When/how long trains are blocking major intersections
Lighting problems in and around the Poudre Valley Mobile Home Park
I do not know yet
Recreational centers accessible to those minorities, opportunity to have libraries and childcare centers in
North Fort Collins.
Table 25: Respondents ranked the following write-in responses as top community needs to be addressed over
the next five years.
Priority #1 – 268 responses
Categories
Response
Count Individual responses
Housing 150 • A larger supply of affordable housing to buy
• A variety of affordable housing options - including zoning
changes and removal of U+2.
• access to affordable housing
• Access to housing
• Address the speculation in real estate (the flipping)
• Affordable Family Housing
• affordable home ownership
• Affordable Housing (15 responses)
• Affordable Housing (2 responses)
• Affordable housing (23 responses)
• Affordable housing (5 responses)
• affordable housing (6 responses)
• Affordable Housing both rentals and purchases
• Affordable Housing building
• Affordable housing esp. for vulnerable populations
• affordable housing for all high-needs groups
• Affordable housing for everyone
• Affordable Housing for families
• Affordable housing for families
• affordable housing for families
• affordable housing for low income families
• Affordable housing for low income families (2 responses)
• Affordable Housing for low-medium income
• affordable housing for older adults
• Affordable housing for renters
• affordable housing-low income/seniors
• Affordable housing, Fort Collins centers it's housing
focus on CSU student housing, leaving housing for
families , especially single income and persons on SSI
little to no affordable housing options. If assisted rent is
as low as $750-$900 per month and a disabled person
receives $771 in benefits, they remain unable to obtain
housing as do single parent households earning
minimum wage. The median rent is too high for the
average worker.
• Affordable housing, not development
• Affordable Housing; all areas
• Affordable housing. In a decent location
• affordable rentals
• Affordable Senior Housing
• Affordable single family homes under $200,000
• affordable housing
• All Senior affordable housing property tax to be lower.
• Better housing and jobs for veterans
• Cost of rent/housing is
• Creating more affordable housing
• Decent housing for up to 200k city residents.
• Down payment assistance
• high cost of housing
• Home ownership assistance for low-moderate income
families
• House ownership more affordable
• Housing
• housing
• Housing (8 responses)
• Housing & rental prices
• Housing affordability
• Housing affordability
• Housing density must be increased. Allow accessory
dwelling and multi until dwelling on single family zones
lots
• Housing for families
• Housing for homeless
• housing for homeless
• Housing for low income families
• Housing for low-income families
• Housing for Mentally Disabled
• housing for people experiencing homelessness
• Housing for people with special needs
• Housing for the homeless!
• Housing home ownership
• Housing-First Initiatives
• low income housing
• Low income housing (3 responses)
• low income housing, waitlists are enormous
• Low Income/Affordable Housing
• Low- to Medium Income rental housing
• More affordable Housing
• More affordable housing
• More affordable housing and improvements on the
buildings that already exist.
• New affordable buildings for first time buyers.
• new affordable housing units
• new AH units
• Protection of mobile home parks
• Senior Affordable Housing
• simple housing for homeless
• single family housing
• subsidized housing
• Supportive Housing
• Supportive housing for homeless w/brain illness
• Tenant Advocacy
• The house (that the payments are lower)
• transitional housing to help get people out of homeless
cycle
• True affordable housing
Homelessness 48 • Addressing homeless rate
• Facilities for homelessness
• Homelessness prevention
• Homelessness Services
• Homelessness supportive services
• Homelessness
• homelessness
• Keeping people from becoming homeless
• More shelters
• Preventing Homelessness--help before disaster strikes
• Providing decent temporary shelter with good food and
hygiene facilities for the homeless
• Question #13
• Resources for homelessness
Physical & mental health 11 • affordable/available health care
• Mental Health
• Mental health
• mental health care
• Mental Health Services
• Mental health services
• Mental health services for homeless.
• Mental Health/Substance Use Disorders
• Physical and mental health services
• Mental health (2 responses)
Transportation 11 • Encouraging and developing infrastructure for bicycles
as transportation
• Improved Transportation Services
• public transportation - system expansion, incentives
• Roads
• Traffic flow
• transit system
• Transit systems
• Transportation (3 responses)
• transportation regionally
Childcare 9 • affordable child care
• affordable quality childcare
• affordable, competent childcare
• Childcare (3 responses)
• Childcare - access and affordability
• Childcare services
• Reliable childcare services/access
Supportive services 6 • Supportive services
• supportive services
• Supportive Services (2 responses)
• Supportive services for older adults
Affordable living 4 • Affordability to live here
• Affordable accessible for people with disabilities
• Affordable assisted living for seniors
• Overall affordability
Environmental services 4 • Energy Conservation
• Energy conservation
• energy conservation
• Energy Efficiency
Job creation 3 • Creation of better paying jobs
• Job Creation
• Jobs at living wage rate.
Open lands and trails 3 • CONSERVE OPEN LANDS AND SPACE
• Parks
• Soft Surface Trail Development - in all local open
space/parks
Climate change 2 • Climate change
• Climate crisis and Fracking
Business support
1 • Providing support to small, minority, and locally owned
businesses specially farming and animal production
Substance abuse
assistance
1 • Drug abuse
Economic development 1 • Economic development
Poverty 1 • Poverty
Veterans 1 • Veterans
Priority #2 – 244 responses
Categories
Response
Count Individual responses
Housing 80 • Affordable housing (21 responses)
• Incentives to develop affordable duplexes and
fourplexes for sale
• 6 month housing for homeless
• Access to Affordable Housing
• Affordable Homeownership
• Affordable Housing for Moderate income families
• Affordable Housing to own
• Affordable Rental Housing
• Affordable construction and down payment assistance
for low to moderate income up to 100% AMI
• Affordable home buying
• Affordable home ownership
• Affordable home ownership options
• Affordable housing/subsidized rentals
• Affordable housing/tiny homes
• Affordable rent
• Affordable rental housing
• Affordable rental housing units for seniors and young
people
• Affordable rents, incentives for landlords to charge less
• Affordable/attainable purchase inventory for middle
income
• Allowing redevelopment of ugly/small houses
• Better housing for seniors.
• Creation of affordable rental housing
• Easily accessible rental and utility service
• Home-ownership
• Housing
• Housing Costs
• Housing and supportive services for the homeless
• Housing assistance accross the city so that low income
and homeless are not segregated to just on area like
North Fort Collins
• Housing first to address homelessness
• Housing for People with Special Needs
• Housing for low income families
• Housing for people with special needs
• Housing for the homeless
• Increase funding for organizations who provide
supportive services to help vulnerable community
members maintain their housing
• Low income senior housing..
• Low-income housing assistance
• More Affordable Housing
• More affordable housing for low income households
• Providing permanent single-occupancy housing
• affordable housing for working class
• affordable rent
• ongoing rent and mortgage payment assistance
• quality homes for all incomes
• quality, affordable housing
• rent assistance
• rent subsidies for homeless and low income
• subsidized housing for families
• transitional housing
• Homes accessible for mothers to single parents.
Homelessness 40 • Homelessness
• Emergency assistance to prevent homelessness
• Funding to help existing providers do the important work
with homeless people
• Homeless assistance
• Homeless prevention support
• Homelessness
• Homelessness and education on homelessness
• Homelessness assistance
• Homelessness prevention
• Homelessness prevention/mitigation
• Homelessness services
• Hosing for the homeless
• Low / No cost housing provided to Homeless
• Panhandling
• Police and CPS helping homeless families stay together!
• Services for Homeless - don't pay their rent, but help
them find work and provide low income services
• Services for homeless individuals & veterans
• Services for those experiencing homelessness
• Shelters for families
• Supporting people experiencing homelessness
• Supportive Services - front line prevention for
homelessness, substance use, domestic violence, family
violence, etc.
• Unaccompanied youth shelter
• emergency funds to prevent homelessness- evictions
• homeless KIDS
• homeless shelters
• homelessness
• reduction of homelessness and increase in safety of the
City
• shelter of unaccompanied youth
• Additional shelter for cold weather
Physical and mental
health
30 • Mental Health Services (3 responses)
• Mental Health Care (2 responses)
• Mental health (2 responses)
• Mental health (2 responses)
• Mental health support (2 responses)
• mental illness (2 responses)
• Access to quality mental health services
• Health care
• Health care
• Increase in mental health services
• Mental Health Facilities
• Mental Health Resources
• Mental Health awareness/issues
• Mental Health support
• Affordable childcare
• childcare
• Affordable Child Care
• Affordable Childcare
• Affordable and convenient child care
• Affordable child care
• Child Care Access and Affordability
• Child care
• Child care
• Childcare (and paid maternity leave)
• Childcare costs
• Foster children care
• access to affordable child care
• affordable after school/summer programs
• high cost of child care
Transportation 16 • Better public transportation
• Better transport for non car owners
• Bike Park - so many benefits, unlike that waste of a
white water park (will be used by few for a month year,
excludes most residents
• Bike lanes
• More bike ways
• Pedestrian and bike transportation
• Public transit routes and times increased
• Public transportation in ALL AREAS OF CITY
• Remove bike lane posts that are ugly and obstacles.
• Street maintenance/safety
• Street repairs lighting
• Street widening and adding stoplight at Elizabeth &
Overland Trail.
• Trails
• Walkability and bikability of lower income neighborhoods
• bike lanes
• transit systems that enhance alternate mechanism of
transit
Supportive services 14 • Supportive Services (3 responses)
• #12
• Prevention Education Services
• Seniors
• Support for diverse groups
• Supportive services
• Supportive services for homeless
• Supportive services for homeless households
• Tools to help people in need improve themselves and
therefore their lives and the lives of those around them.
Not freebies. Guidance and skills.
• Youth programs
• Youth programs for at risk youth
• Youth services (employment, recreation, skill building,
afterschool, athletics)
• disability services
• family environments
• special needs
Job creation and
education
11 • Emphasis on school to work transition
• Focus on increasing wages
• Employment
• Getting the homeless into jobs
• Job opportunities
• substance abuse
Basic needs 6 • Basic need resources such as food and diapers
• Decent food for up to 200k city residents.
• House hold stability ie food power gas non food needs
• More financial help as far as for food and emergency bill
services.
• More medicaid beds for seniors
• food assistance
Open lands and trails 4 • Continued development of natural public resources --
parks, bike trails, etc
• PURCHASE AND PRESERVE MORE LAND FOR
NATURAL AREAS/POL
• Preserving open space
• green or open space protection
Safety 3 • Safety of our citizens relating to traffic
• crime prevention
• safety on the streets
Business support 2 • Small Business Support
• Supporting local & small businesses
Community
development
2 • community development
• community/school educational support for #1
Economic development 2 • Economic Development
• economic development
Environmental Services 2 • Environmental concerns
• Recycling/composting services
Financial assistance 1 • Assistance with financial responsibilities
Misc. 1 • and they are all important to the community thanks
Sector collaboration 1 • Collaboration between private and public sectors
Urban density 1 • Overcrowding
Veterans 1 • Veteran assistance
Priority #3 – 219 responses
Categories
Response
Count • Individual responses
Housing 46 • Affordable housing (5 responses)
• #11
• Access to housing/jobs by transit and other modes
• Assistance w/ housing
• Affordable Homeownership
• Affordable Housing
• Affordable Rent
• Affordable housing for college students
• Affordable housing for first time buyers
• Affordable rents
• DO NOT BUILD AT THE FOOTHILLS OR NEAR
OVERLAND OR WEST ANY MORE!!
• Disabled Housing
• Home ownership
• Housing
• Housing
• Housing and services for adults with disabilities
• Housing for those with disabilities
• Improved Services for Homeless
• Keeping people housed
• Low income family housing.
• Low income housing that is not high density.
Townhouses and single-family homes are better than
high density. Home ownership better than rental.
• decent affordable senior housing
• disincentives for new developments to build expensive
homes >$200,000
• housing for the disabled
• incentives for developers to create affordable housing
• low income housing
• permanent housing for the chronic homeless/transients
(I don't care if they have jobs or not, just don't want
people camping in the natural areas - eliminate the
excuse for this)
• renovate current low income rentals/trailer parks
• rent/utility assistance
• transitional living (4-6 mo)
Physical and mental
health
28 • Mental health services (4 responses)
• Mental Health Care
• Mental Health Services
• Mental health
• Decent healthcare for up to 200k city residents.
• Expanding healthcare
• Healthcare
• Mental Health
• Mental health care
• Mental health care for homeless individuals
• Mental health care programs
• Mental health issues
• Mental health resources
• Mental health support for homeless
• Mental illness treatment
• More places to help with mental health issues for
moderate and low income
• Wellness clinics
• mental health assistance
• mental health facilities
• mental health issues
• mental health services for homeless
• mental health treatment
Homelessness 24 • Homelessness (6 responses)
• Additional Emergency & Homeless Shelters & Repairs
• Additional shelters
• Get rid of panhandling.
• Helping the homeless
• Homeless
• Homeless Housing
• Homeless Shelter
• Homeless organizations need our assistance.
• Homelessness Supportive services
• More shelter for families experiencing homelessness
• More supports for homelessness (case management
etc)
• homeless males
• homeless prevention services
• homeless services, including improved and better
shelters & supports
• homeless/cold weather shelters
• homelessness
• more Homeless Shelters
• support services for homeless families
Transportation 20 • transportation
• Traffic
• Updating roads to compensate the large population
• better access to services through strategic public
transportation
• improvement to public transportation
• transportation to and from appts
Childcare 18 • Childcare (2 responses)
• affordable quality childcare (2 responses)
• Access to child care
• Affordable Childcare
• Better access to affordable, quality childcare
• Child care
• Childcare Services
• Childcare affordability
• Childcare and after school
• Childcare services
• More affordable after school programs
• access to childcare
• affordable child care
• before/after school programs
• childcare
• childcare for parents who go to school
Supportive services 12 • Access to emergency assistance
• Case Management for Area Services
• Education to General Public on Services and How To
Help
• Ongoing support services and case management
• Prevention services
• Support for seniors/agning in place
• Support services
• Supporting people of color and of minority backgrounds
• Supportive Services
• Supportive services
• family activities
• supportive services
Job creation and
education
11 • Living Wage Mandates
• Job creation (2 responses)
• Job pay
• Job training
• Job training for low income individuals
• Jobs
• Plenty of jobs already but more emphasis on workforce
training
• Vocational job training for real jobs
• job skill training opportunities-not how to fill out a resume
• job training and educations for jobs
Substance abuse
support
11 • Substance abuse
• Access to Substance abuse treatment
• Drug abuse
• Drug rehab
• More supported, sober living options
• Substance Abuse Resources
• Substance Abuse Support
• Substance Abuse Treatment
• Substance Use Facilities
• Substance use treatment
Safety 6 • Crime in N College area
• Ensuring safe neighborhoods
• Neighborhood safety
• Reducing crime
• Safety
• Safety of our children relating to homeless and drug
paraphernalia in parks
Financial assistance 5 • Budget classes
• Financial Counseling
• Financial assistance
• Help (financially) for Veterans & Seniors
• senior financial assistance
Basic needs 4 • Access to food
• Emergency financial assistance
• Food security for all who have a need
• access to healthy food
Misc 4 • Less government invading our lives
• Lowering Taxes
• Recreational services for rent
• cultural support
Business support 3 • Resisting the huge Corporate encroachment - help small
businesses and keep our small town charm/character
• Support for agencies that are trying to help with #1 and
#2 above
• Support for small, minority, and locally owned
businesses
Open lands and trails 2 • Keeping nature areas not building on them
• Maintaining Parks
Veterans 1 • Veteran services
Economic development 1 • Economical Development
Priority #4 – 163 responses
Categories
Response
Count • Individual responses
Housing 28 • accurately assessed property taxes
• affordable assisted living
• Affordable Home Ownership
• Affordable homeownership
• affordable housing
• Affordable housing
• Affordable housing for all
• affordable housing for persons with disabilities and
elderly
• Affordable housing options for public school and city
employees
• Better housing and safe for families.
• BUILD UP AND IN NEAR OLD TOWN AND EAST
FORT COLLINS. FORCE AFFORDABILITY.
• decent affordable veteran housing
• Emergency maintenance for low to moderate income
housing stock
• Home maintenance for low/middle income
• Housing
• Housing and support for homeless willing to get clean,
get counseling, get jobs to help pay their own needs
• Housing Assistance and temporary supportive housing
• Housing for minorities
• Housing for those with mental disabilities
• Low Income Housing
• Low income housing
• Improved Services for Mental Health
• Lack of full hospital in N Fort Collins area
• Mental health
• Mental Health
• mental health
• mental health assistance
• Mental health care
• Mental health funding
• Mental Health Services
• mental health services
• Mental health wellness
• Mental Health/Substance abuse recovery resources
• Mental illness
• More access to physical medical care and mental health
care for all levels of income
• More medicaid providers.
• More mental health support (facilities, case managers
etc.)
• Physical health care
• Physical Healthcare
Homelessness 19 • healthcare for homeless to reduce Medicaid burden
• Homeless prevention
• homeless shelters
• Homelessness (4 responses)
• homelessness
• Homelessness and poverty
• Homelessness prevention
• homelessness prevention
• Increased shelter capacity
• More places for homeless to shower, do laundry, get
food and stay warm/hang out.
• Permanent housing for those experiencing
homelessness
• Preventing homelessness through help with rent/utilities
• Providing assistance to people experiencing
homelessness
• safe places to sleep
• Safer Shelters for Homeless
• support services for other homeless populations
Community
development
15 • Community design that's focused on accessibility
• community dev
• Community Development (2 responses)
• Community improvements
• Decent public education for up to 200k city residents.
• Infrastructure
• Infrastructure maintenance
• More community gardens maybe some for disabled to
• side walk construction/addition of bike lanes/general
accessibility
• Stop spending money on flowers and grass
• street repair
• Updating low income neighborhoods
• Water and sewer line repair
• water/sewer
Transportation 15 • Addition of bike lanes
• Better Transit System
• Bike lanes
• Get rid of scooters
• Affordable Childcare
• Affordable childcare
• Affordable Daycare
• Allow easier certification for In-home childcare providers
• child care
• child care assistance for low income working families
• child care for families to be able to work
• Childcare
• Childcare
• Childcare services
• childcare services
• Partnerships with business and childcare
Supportive services 11 • case management
• Programs for people with disabilities
• Re-entry and reintegration programs
• senior care
• Services for Senior
• social sustainability
• Support for Foster and Adoptive families
• Support for people with disabilities
• Support services for People with Disabilities
• supportive services
Job creation and
education
8 • Better paying jobs
• free classes on life skills
• Higher wages
• Job training
• Job training for homeless individuals
• job training, placement
• jobs
• vocational training for teens & summer employment
Safety 6 • Community safety
• Crime prevention
• emergency maintenance support
• Neighborhood Services Outreach
• public safety as population grows
• Revisit fire pit rules
Economic development 5 • #14
• Economic Development (3 responses)
• Economic development
Environmental services 4 • Energy conservation
• Green energy
• Sustainable development with emphasis on water
sustainability
• Water conservation and storage
Financial assistance 4 • Debt counseling
• Financial assistance
• financial counseling
• financial counselling
Open lands and trails 4 • Access to safe areas to play/recreate
• Maintaining Open Spaces
• More open spaces
• preservation of our open spaces
Substance abuse
support
4 • Drug Intervention
• Substance abuse and mental health care
• Substance use disorder treatment
• substance use treatment
• Mental health services
• mental health services
• mental health support
• min. physical health assistance
• more outdoor programs for marginalized youth
• Persons with mental illness
• physical health services
• Recreation
• recreation and fitness
• Reduce the overall cost of healthcare
Transportation 17 • Better transportation
• Decent public safety, transportation, recreation, for up to
200k city residents.
• General transportation
• Improvement of transit and streets
• Public transport improvements
• Reliable, low cost convenient public transportation for all
• Stop repaving streets that are in perfectly fine condition
(e.g., Timberline)
• Street improvement
• Street repair.
• streets
• Traffic
• Traffic
• Traffic across town
• transit
• Transit improvements
• transit services
• Walkability
Housing 16 • Affordable housing
• affordable housing for youth
• Affordable housing programs
• Affordable senior living options for retirees 55+.
• emergency rent assistance
• Energy efficient housing assistance
• Getting rid of limitations like u+2 to increase housing
inventory
• Housing
• Housing for People with Special Needs
• Housing for those with physical disabilities
• Landlord and Tenant education and incentives; Legal
Services for Eviction Prevention
• low income home buying assistance
• Low income housing
• Protection of affordable housing for seniors/disabled
living w/ fixed incomes.
• Transitional housing for those that experiencing
drug/alcohol recovery
• Veterans - rehousing
Community
development
11 • Community Development (2 responses)
• Community development
• Community perception and bias
• Diversity and inclusion opportunities
• infrastructure
• Moderation in development proposals, whether
commercial or residential....avoid greed
• review/correct "unincorporated areas"
Supportive services 10 • Emergency Assistance
• job training opportunities
• Training
• Training programs for better jobs
• Youth jobs
Homelessness 8 • Getting rid of prejudice toward those who are poor,
homeless, or non-white!
• Homeless prevention programs( financial assistance and
coaching, renter ready classes, etc.)
• Homelessness
• Larger Shelters for Homeless
• More opportunities for homeless to become housed
when sobriety and employment are accomplished.
• More shelters for the homeless
• providing sources for people who is experiencing
homelessness
• Youth and family homelessness
Environmental services 7 • energy and water conservation
• Energy conservation
• Energy efficiency
• energy efficiency/conservation
• Energy independence
• more recycling/no one use plastics
• resiliency training for climate crisis
Economic development 5 • economic
• economic dev
• Economic development
• economic development
• incentives for small businesses/job creation (especially
for youth and those with disabilities)
Substance abuse
support
5 • A local detox facility
• Drug rehab programs
• substance abuse treatment
• Substance abuse treatment services
• Substance use disorder treatment
Financial assistance 3 • Emergency funds
• financial assistance
• Financial Assistance to Low Income
Misc. 3 • Organic products
• quality of life
• Racial Justice
Victim support 3 • Help with Domestic Violence
• Services foe domestic violence victims
• Victims of domestic violence
Basic needs 2 • Foodbank
• Utility assistance
Childcare 2 • Afterschool programs
• Childcare availability and cost
Open lands and trails 2 • Open space and parks
• Parks and rec
Business support 1 • Support for small Businesses
Safety 1 • Increased street lighting
Table 26: Additional comments / Individual respondent comments:
Increased pro-active community policing to deal with the criminal transient behaviors.
Library park has gotten increasingly worse with disrespectful humans loitering and smoking.
Fort Collins legal resident is in need to get back their OPA to prevent them from experiencing
homelessness. also, financial assistance for renting for disabled.
Thank you for your logic and compassion.
For Communities have a homeless person that living out on the streets put them to work for
Follow up with affordable housing builders and owners to see what they are in fact charging for rent. I
know of newer (5yr old) affordable housing communities that are making 2100 on a 3 bedroom by
charging per room. Yes 700 a month seems like an affordable rate, but that is one bedroom in a 3-
bedroom apt. (Conifer) Does the City follow up with these builders and/or owners. That sounds like a rip
off to me. -Stop allowing landlords to raise and raise their rent. It's outrageous. 10 years ago, I was
renting a 2 story 2-bedroom town-home for myself and my twins (boy/girl) for $700 a month. Every year
the rent went up. We moved 5 years ago to a different 2 story, 2-bedroom townhome paying $1400 and
in that short time my rent has increased to $1700. That is absurd and someone needs to stop it from
happening.
Thank you for asking!
I would like to see the City utilize real estate grabs made by the City over the past 5-10 years put to use
for the above projects. Looking collaboratively at how space can be used, shared, affordably rented and
made available to nonprofit services. At risk populations cannot be hidden or have open spaces
scraped to make way for restaurant and retail spaces. Downtown rents need to be seriously addressed;
we can't keep retail spaces occupied as we see entire blocks of prime real estate close and emerge
through out-of-state real estate deals...still ignoring urgent community needs. How can we have both
thrive and serve community need in a successful city and downtown is our issue at hand.
I work with domestic violence victims, and the economic barriers to leaving in this area, especially
finding affordable housing and childcare, are huge and keep my clients trapped in abusive relationships.
Also, the traffic issues, especially around Lemay and Vine and Timberline and Vine, are getting out of
control and MUST be addressed ASAP
Local Soft Surface Trail Development: 1) To link existing to town (alleviate trailhead parking & driving
traffic and provide for longer outings). We keep approving huge housing developments/more people
moving in but operate on an antiquated trail system. 2) A bike park like that in Boulder - Valmont Bike
Park. This attracts users from all over the Front Range, is a family hang-out mecca (all ages), provides
residents with healthy fun - kids with a healthy outlet, attracts events and recruitment of top their talent
for employment. 3) More Trails, they are crowded and being loved/used to death. The investment in
more trails would help thin users out over more miles - preserving trail health, would offer more
enjoyment for residents and tourist - there are huge economic impacts associated with trail
development!
As a school district partner, I can tell you the biggest problems we face are related to homelessness,
housing and access. Transportation is the largest barrier to getting kids into preschool, not all are
funded through the district and the city bus system just barely touches the needs that our families have.
It is unfortunate to rank all of these issues as high priority, but I really believe we can do better
A large majority of mobile home parks have trailers is desperate need of repairs, please allocate money
to help these families.
The homeless issue will never be fixed without more housing that people can actually pay for.
Comment: We have people who are experiencing homelessness coming up from Denver due to the
services we already offer. I hope we can create solutions for the homeless population while working
with and holding our neighboring communities accountable too so that it's not just us.
It is a shame that we have people fighting about "open space" when we have people who can't even
afford to live here, where they work!
Strive, encourage, incentivize, and, if needed, require established providers of every type basic human
need to budget for and provide their fair share at free and/or deeply discounted prices. 200k residents,
qualification, define decent. What you would want for your children, contemporaries, and aging parents
who live and or work or volunteer within the City limits.
Clearly all of the above are needed. Compared to other communities I've lived in, I'm shocked at how
few pediatricians accept Medicaid, how children can't get to school safely (no crossing guards, having
to cross bus lanes to get into Johnson school when dropped off by parents (why?), and the general
unsafe driving conditions, due to a handful of purely insane drivers, who seem to be able to get away
with terrorizing others, without fear of being caught and penalized.
Additional safety/policy measures need to be put in place in order to reduce the frequency of train vs
pedestrian fatalities.
Give priority to the thoughts of those who have liked in Fort Collins for longer than 15 years. We have
stayed here for a reason and invested our time and money into the town. We don't need to change and
cater to the new people that bring terrible ideas. Just because they try it in another town doesn't mean
we have to try it here. We don't need to be an experiment town.
As the community grows, demographics will shift and bring new and different challenges along with
many of these already listed. Let’s create a forecasting taskforce to stay on top of trends, problems and
solutions for our city.
I hope you are taking these survey results with a grain of salt. The people who are taking it, who found it
on the internet, are going to be from a very specific group who may not know anything about the topics
you're asking about.
On iPhone through Facebook browser, couldn't see list above on previous ranking question
Let's not become a magnet for the homeless/romers. Make it too comfortable here for them and we will
be having lots more on our streets.
Parks improvement, etc. are niceties. Park maintenance is important. The same can be said for most
other areas.
The community needs someone with a basic understanding of how to write a survey. None of these
questions except #17 "rank" anything (and that one doesn't even use the word rank).
Better transportation coordination for homeless and low-income persons.
Please do not use the federal dollars for infrastructure repairs, etc., but rather for radically new
initiatives to meet human need.
Once Fort Collins stops trying to pretend the homeless don't exist, or move them out of the public eye,
we can start looking at these individuals as citizens of our City who want to make a contribution and
have talents to do so -- they just need shelter and assistance!!!
I wish the city would keep in mind the we cannot be all things to everyone - taxes cannot keep going up;
mill levies cannot keep increasing; there need to be limits on what a city/school district expects from its
residents. Costs need to be contained. It does no good to conserve energy/water when the city just
increases costs year over year
There shouldn't be even one elderly woman living on our streets. Let alone families living in their trucks.
I also can't wrap my brain around how much we spent on the new prison addition. It could have went to
prevention services. Kids in the foster system are going to turn into what we label as 'criminals' because
we don't put the energy into helping them heal from their trauma.
Thank you for addressing this critical need. Our city needs to be a leader in this area.
I'm supportive of affordable housing for people with special needs, but I think providing cheaper housing
for all low- to medium-income residents should stick to the low hanging fruit. Although it's a noble
cause, it's just not worth fighting the market and sinking a ton of money into.
Sustainable public transportation
Rec. center instead of affordable housing on land grant property at San Juan Drive. Putting more low-
income housing with no place for recreation activities for children or residents leads to trouble. Current
"neighborhood park" is insufficient for age group of most children in the area and number of residents in
the area. Neighborhood parks have been and are used for camping.
Affordable rentals are impossible to find for single parents. They often do not have resources to put
down deposits needed to rent a place. Vouchers are great and landlords should be monitored so that
the rent they charge is not more for a voucher holder vs a cash payer.
Our community needs action. Please don't use this money to hire an outside consultant with a FAT
degree for $350,000 that blows a lot of the budget. We are tired of the city bringing in over paid
consultants that don't really do that much. Use the money for services AND for advertising or letting
others know that the services EXIST!
FORT COLLINS CONSOLIDATED PLAN
DRAFT GOALS SURVEY SUMMARY
The Draft Goals Survey was emailed to every participant of the Stakeholder Workshop and focus groups,
and all community members who requested follow-up in the Community Questionnaire. Forty people
responded to the Draft Goals Survey. The response was overwhelmingly positive with an 80% overall
approval. Another 14.6% noted that goals needed work. Only 5.4% overall ranked the goals as “Missed
the mark.” Some comments suggested changing the order of the goals; however, the goals were listed
without prioritization. Other comments focused on overall affordability issues in Fort Collins, including
housing affordable to educators. One respondent requested the goals be measurable and another
wanted to know dollar amounts associated with each goal—these are addressed in the Consolidated Plan
in section SP-45 Goals Summary. Responses to this survey were used to refine the language of the
Goals for use in the Consolidated Plan.
The email accompanying the survey reminded recipients of their participation in the drafting of the goals
as well as the eligible uses of CDBG and HOME funds. The following text was included as an introduction
to the survey:
“Please review the Draft Goals and provide your input. Do the Draft Goals reflect community needs? Are
these good areas for investment of HUD funds? Have we missed anything critical?
We appreciate your time!
When answering the questions keep in mind what you think Fort Collins needs over the next five years,
rather than what currently exists, particularly as it pertains to the low- moderate-income residents.”
DRAFT GOAL #1 – Increase the supply of affordable housing units.
Description: Increase both rental and ownership housing with the following priorities: mixed-income
housing, permanent supportive housing, and/or housing with co-location of services (case management,
childcare, etc.). Prioritize projects serving special populations including people experiencing
homelessness, families, seniors, unaccompanied youth, people with disabilities, and people with very low
incomes. May include construction, acquisition, change of use, down payment assistance, etc.
Does this Draft Goal address a priority community need?
Response: Eighty-five percent of respondents ranked this draft goal favorably. Comments are listed
below.
Write-in responses to “Any concerns or suggestions not already addressed in this goal?”
• THE ONLY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE PROGRAMS TO
SUPPORT EVICTION PREVENTION AND ASSIST WITH RENT/DEPOSIT- BUT THESE MAY
BE IN OTHER GOALS.
• Listen to people living in mobile home communities.
• Is anything being done to draw developers?
• Should be goal 2. Preserving is more important.
• I'm assuming "permanent supportive housing" includes/fits in with the Housing First Model.
• I think the goal should be measurable - specifically listing the percentage increase of current
affordable housing units available or a percentage of the target population served.
• Possibly allowing special populations to include teachers would be beneficial. With the dramatic
increase in housing in Fort Collins, it's much more difficult for teachers to live here. This acts as a
determent for new teachers as well as forcing others to commute.
• Working to reverse the massive price increases in housing all over Fort Collins will not only
benefit all of these populations, but everyone in our fine city. Consider the broader approach
here.
• I do not think the lack of supply just affects those with very low income. Those at low- moderate
income are having a hard time with high rents and with high rents they are likely unable to save
for a down payment
DRAFT GOAL #2 – Preserve existing affordable housing.
Description: Includes rehabilitation of existing units, acquisition to prevent conversion to market rate,
mobile home preservation, and ownership supports such as emergency repairs, energy efficiency
upgrades, and accessibility modifications.
Does this Draft Goal address a priority community need?
Response: Eighty-six percent of respondents ranked this draft goal favorably. Comments are listed below.
85%
13%
3%
DRAFT GOAL #1: Increase the supply of
affordable housing units
Yes, keep as is Needs work Missed the mark
Write-in responses to “Any concerns or suggestions not already addressed in this goal?”
• What is a renter of a mobile home wants to receive emergency repairs, energy efficiency
upgrades, and accessibility modifications?
• I believe you have addressed this very well
• Should be goal 1.
• I'm concerned that affordable housing is just a flashy term, lacking substance. I would like the
City to define what affordable housing is. 60% AMI is incredibly different from 30% AMI.
• Again, I think the goal should be measurable - stating exactly what percentage of existing housing
should be preserved. I think there also may be value in free resources to help homeowners
understand how to properly care for a property (for example - that a small leak turns into a big
problem) and resources so that minor repairs can be performed themselves (for example - how to
replace caulk in a bathroom).
• I would suggest adding monitoring of rates of rental property inventory controlled by
corporate/non-local entities (ie: Waypoint/Invitation Homes, American Homes 4 Rent, etc).
DRAFT GOAL #3 – Provide emergency sheltering and services for people experiencing
homelessness.
Description: Support projects that provide overnight shelter and/or residency programs for individuals and
families experiencing homelessness, including comprehensive case management for long-term
stabilization.
Does this Draft Goal address a priority community need?
Response: Eighty-one percent of respondents ranked this draft goal favorably. Comments are listed
below. Concerns were around homelessness prevention, treatment, and case management. Prevention is
addressed in a separate Goal, while case management and stabilization are covered in the description of
this Goal. One respondent asked for additional resources for cold-weather shelter. The City uses local
86%
8%
5%
DRAFT GOAL #2 – Preserve existing
affordable housing
Yes, keep as is Needs work Missed the mark
funds to support additional shelter space throughout the winter and has an emergency weather activation
plan for nights when the temperature drops below zero.
Write-in responses to “Any concerns or suggestions not already addressed in this goal?”
• I think that we need to ensure that people are not required to meet certain goals prior to being
housed. This is my concern with this goal. I think that when we put people in shelter first, instead
of looking at a housing first perspective, we the risk of keeping people homeless, abbecause our
shelters have a lot of barriers regarding substance use and pets. We need to look at diversion
instead of moving people into shelter and for our existing shelters, look at reducing barriers for
those who are currently homeless so they can get into shelter and then look at supporting
programs that do housing first who also provide case mangaement and referral services at the
same time. I think we should also look at getting people/programming available to keep people
who are currently housed in their housing through long term case mangaement instead of waiting
for them to become homeless and making them do programs first before they get housed.
• where's the mental health/drug addiction aspect?
• Increase capacity and make sure people who are working for the organizations that respond to
these issues have adequate income and benefits. Decrease burnout.
• You could consider adding resources for emergency night time shelters during winter/freezing
temperatures.
• I would hope the emphasis will be placed on the long-term stabilization to prevent a cyclical
homeless crisis that drains our city's resources but also encourages participants to partner in their
own improvement. I don't support long term help for homeless individuals unwilling to get drug
counseling, mental health help, or maintain employment.
• needs to be coordinated with the existing overnight shelters
• Prioritize families and women with children please. This is a huge need in Fort Collins.
• I think there should be clarity, either in the goal or in the program implementation, that projects
that are supported must operate in a non-discriminatory way. For example, the projects
81%
14%
5%
DRAFT GOAL #3 – Provide emergency sheltering
and services for people experiencing
homelessness
Yes, keep as is Needs work Missed the mark
supported must have ADA compliant buildings and must not descriminate based on sexual
orientation.
• Larger homeless shelter is needed, along with supportive programs.
• Individuals could be interpreted as Youth specific shelter space, but I believe this needs to be
emphasized as there is significant lack of safe, age appropriate shelter or housing spaces for
Youth in our community.
DRAFT GOAL #4 – Provide homelessness and eviction prevention services.
Description: Includes diversion, reunification, short- and long-term financial assistance (rent, utilities, etc.),
comprehensive case management, service coordination, and supportive services.
Does this Draft Goal address a priority community need?
Response: Seventy-two percent of respondents ranked this draft goal favorably. Comments are listed
below. Some write-in responses were supportive of the goal, others felt it too vague, or would like the City
to have more control over how rent assistance is provided.
Write-in responses to “Any concerns or suggestions not already addressed in this goal?”
• I think that this needs to have a really big emphasis on it. I also think that there should be
coordination between all three goals and that the City of Fort Collins work to ensure that shelters
and homeless prevention programs are working together to try to keep people housed.
• eviction prevention needs explaining
• The language is too vague.
• I have concerns about "eviction prevention." As a landlord, it is already quite difficult to evict and I
would like my rights as a landowner protected as well.
• I think the City needs to carefully examine the organizations that provide rent assistance, to make
sure the funds are going to people who need it. I had a client in the hospital who was evicted
72%
22%
3% 3%
DRAFT GOAL #4 – Provide homelessness and
eviction prevention services
Yes, keep as is Needs work Missed the mark Unsure
because she was not "vulnerable enough" for one of the non-profits that gives out rent
assistance. This happened in January 2020.
• I support homeless prevention because it is essential for so many families on the brink, yet I also
have concerns of individuals who will use the financial assistance as a permanent crutch and
struggle to survive without it. How can we ensure people receiving assistance are committed to
improvement and do not feel there is more incentive to do less?
• in coordination with organizations like N2N
• I'm not sure the City needs to provide these services, or further support orgs that are doing this
work.
• Comprehensive case management is a must.
• I think there should be eviction prevention services and legal assistance for eviction defense for
those unable to afford an attorney
DRAFT GOAL #5 – Increase access to services for low- and moderate-income persons.
Description: Prioritize special populations such as seniors, people with disabilities, unaccompanied youth,
people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+, people of color, and other historically underrepresented
or under-resourced populations. Priority services include senior and disability services, mental health
care, case management, and transportation.
Does this Draft Goal address a priority community need?
Response: Seventy-five percent of respondents ranked this draft goal favorably, while 11% were unsure.
Comments are listed below. Concerns were primarily around the combination of low- and moderate-
income with prioritization for special populations.
Write-in responses to “Any concerns or suggestions not already addressed in this goal?”
75%
8%
6%
11%
DRAFT GOAL #5 – Increase access to services for
low- and moderate-income persons
Yes, keep as is Needs work Missed the mark Unsure
• Seems like a lot of special populations to address
• Would be helpful to define "moderate-income" persons. There is a $20,000 gap between the
"self-sufficiency standard" for a family of four in Larimer County, and the 185% FPL threshold
usually used to determine eligibility for services. We need to support these families!
• Including mental health services specifically for youth, such as those in high school, would
improve the goal. Counselors at high schools, or a specific counselor would help ease the burden
on youth affected by homelessness.
• Goal says "low and moderate income" but then the description lists demographics not based on
income. Pick one and stick with it, not all people of color, for example, are low to moderate
income. This goal needs serious work.
• Prioritizing special populations for services may leave other "non-special" persons with low and
moderate income in a gap, "falling through the cracks", unable to access services they need
because they do not fit the priority criteria.
Respondents were also asked for additional comments or feedback about the draft goals. Write-in
responses:
• I think that overall these are good goals. I would like to encourage thee city to think about motel
rennovation and also encourage affordable housing for those who work in non-profits as well as
teachers.
• I understand why childcare and the landlord education services were removed, however, since
they were identified priorities I believe that they still need to be included in here and documented
in some capacity; even if they fall within another goal. For example, could childcare belong in the
services goal as an inclusion for the list that is already provided? Or if its the intention that
landlord education is part of the services, could that just be included in that goal as well? That
way those two ideas are captured and documented into this plan.
• I understand these are goals. I would be curious to know what the order of priority is. I also would
be curious to know the percentage of the budget that will be allocated to each. I believe some
items should be given a higher priority and more funding than other items.
• I love this city and I hope that as it grows in size, we can keep the safe, clean, and beautiful place
we know, all while providing care and support to the citizens who need it most. I am nervous that
in the haste to give compassion to the vulnerable citizens of Fort Collins, we may lose all that
makes this place wonderful for families and people of all ages. I want to ensure that kids aren't
stepping on needles in the parks, our downtown bathrooms aren't blocked by homeless drug
users passed out, that we can safely take our kids to the library without combative homeless
yelling at people. It is essential that we preserve the greatness of Fort Collins AND provide a
compassionate response to those in need. We should not sacrifice one for the other.
• Thanks for working hard on this and asking for public feedback. As a person with a disability, I
appreciate your efforts to include and serve our population here.
• Please keep up the good work for the community.
• These goals seem based on compassion and housing and services realities. They will impact so
many people, including at least one member of my immediate family. Thank you.
• Having been previously homeless, and now as an Outreach coordinator for FCRM, I know that
landlord mitigation funds and education would substantially enable our ability to get people into
homes. NO ONE wants to rent to people with background and credit issues, and there is GREAT
NEED for City, County or Federally backed "2nd chance" programs.
• I am very happy that the city is finally doing something to help the growing number of people that
are being forced into homelessness.
• My main priorities are focusing on youth access to mental health services for those affected by
homelessness as well as affordable housing for teachers.
• Thank you for continuing to refine these important, community goals.
• Here's a new focus for these goals, when we talk about affordable housing, let's look at income
ranges in Fort Collins and work to expand affordable housing options to meet the needs of
residents at all income levels. Put a further restriction that these new homes be owner-occupied.
For example, put a mandate on new construction that puts a limit on the cost per square foot
without optional upgrade. Put a limit on land sold for development as to how much can be
charged per acre. If we continue to let the market drive up prices, we will be left with a
community where people can't afford to be service workers or in lower-income jobs and still live in
our city. If we want to welcome everyone and have a diverse community, we need to ensure
affordable housing for all.
APPENDIX: Resale and Recapture Policy
RESALE AND RECAPTURE POLICIES
Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) undertaking HOME-assisted homebuyer activities, including any
projects funded with HOME Program Income (PI), must establish written resale and/or recapture
provisions that comply with HOME statutory and regulatory requirements. These provisions
must also be set forth in the PJ’s Consolidated Plan. The written resale and/or recapture
provisions that a PJ submits in its annual Action Plan must clearly describe the terms of the
resale and/or recapture provisions, the specific circumstances under which these provisions will
be used (if more than one set of provisions is described), and how the PJ will enforce the
provisions for HOME-funded ownership projects. HUD reviews and approves the provisions as
part of the annual Action Plan process.
The purpose of this section is to provide the “resale” and “recapture” policies used by the City of
Fort Collins in its HOME assisted ownership programs. As stated above, HOME requires that PJs
utilize resale and/or recapture provisions to ensure continued affordability for low- to moderate-
income homeowners and as a benefit to the public through the wise stewardship of federal
funds.
The City of Fort Collins has two programs which use HOME funds to assist homeowners or
homebuyers:
1. Home Buyer Assistance (HBA) - new homebuyers;
2. Acquisition and Development - developers of new ownership housing
Resale
This option ensures that the HOME-assisted units remain affordable over the entire affordability
period. The Resale method is used in cases where HOME funding is provided directly to a
developer to reduce development costs, thereby, making the price of the home affordable to the
buyer. Referred to as a “Development Subsidy,” these funds are not repaid by the developer to
the PJ, but remain with the property for the length of the affordability period.
Specific examples where the City of Fort Collins would use the resale method include:
1. providing funds for the developer to acquire property to be developed or to acquire
affordable ownership units;
2. providing funds for permit fees, construction materials and labor.
The City of Fort Collins Resale Policy
Notification to Prospective Buyers. The resale policy is explained to the prospective
homebuyer(s) prior to signing a contract to purchase the HOME-assisted unit. The prospective
homebuyer(s) sign an acknowledgement that they understand the terms and conditions
applicable to the resale policy as they have been explained. This document is included with the
executed sales contract. (See attached Notification for Prospective Buyers)
Enforcement of Resale Provisions. The resale policy is enforced through the use of a Restrictive
Covenant signed by the homebuyer at closing. The Restrictive Covenant will specify:
1. the length of the affordability period (based on the dollar amount of HOME funds
invested in the unit; either 5, 10, or 20 years);
2. that the home remain the Buyer’s principal residence throughout the affordability
period; and
3. the conditions and obligations of the Owner should the Owner wish to sell before the
end of the affordability period, including;
a. the Owner must contact the City of Fort Collins in writing if intending to sell the
home prior to the end of the affordability period;
b. The subsequent purchaser must be low-income as defined by HOME, and occupy
the home as his/her new purchaser’s primary residence for the remaining years
of the affordability period. (However, if the new purchaser receives direct
assistance through a HOME-funded program, the affordability period will be re-
set according to the amount of assistance provided); and
c. The sales price must be affordable to the subsequent purchaser; affordable is
defined as limiting the Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance (PITI) amount to
no more than 38% of the new purchaser’s gross monthly income.
Fair Return on Investment. The City of Fort Collins will administer its resale provisions by
ensuring that the Owner receives a fair return on his/her investment and that the home will
continue to be affordable to a specific range of incomes. Fair Return on Investment means the
total homeowner investment which includes the total cash contribution plus the approved
capital improvements credits as described below:
1. The amount of the down payment;
2. The cost of any capital improvements, documented with receipts provided by the
homeowner, including but not limited to:
a. Any additions to the home such as a bedroom, bathroom, or garage;
b. Replacement of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems;
c. Accessibility improvements such as bathroom modifications for disabled or
elderly, installation of wheel chair ramps and grab bars, any and all of which
must have been paid for directly by the Owner and
3
d. which were not installed through a federal, state, or locally-funded grant
program; and
e. Outdoor improvements such as a new driveway, walkway, retaining wall, or
fence.
Note: All capital improvements will be visually inspected to verify their existence.
Affordability to a Range of Buyers. The City will ensure continued affordability to a range of
buyers, particularly those whose total household incomes range from 60 percent to no greater
than 80 percent Area Median Income (AMI).
Sales prices shall be set such that the amount of Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance does
not exceed 38 percent of the new Buyer’s annual gross income. This is the maximum amount an
eligible buyer can Finance with a 30-year, 97% loan Market Interest Rate. The Sales Price for a
two-bedroom unit shall be based upon the Eligible Buyer’s total gross income equaling the 3
person 80% Area Median Income (AMI) in Fort Collins as determined by the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development Income Limits ("HUD") and the Sales Price for a three bedroom
unit shall be based upon the Eligible Buyer's total income equaling the 4 person 80% Area
Median Income for Fort Collins as determined by the HUD. Each such sales price is subject to
increase with respect to sales occurring in the year(s) following the year of this Agreement by
the increase, if any, in the 3 and 4 person, respectively, Area Median Income for the City of Fort
Collins as determined by the HUD for the year in which the closing actually occurs.
For FY 2020 - 21, the affordable sales price shall not exceed $325,000 for a 3-bedroom home,
based on the price which would be affordable to a 4-person household at 80 percent AMI at
current home mortgage interest rates.
Example: A home with a 20-year affordability period was purchased six years ago by a person
(the “original homeowner”) who now wishes to sell. The original homeowners purchased for
$150,000 through Habitat for Humanity with and original mortgage of $100,000 at 0% interest
for 30 years and a $50,000 direct subsidy loan from the City. They have made payments for
120 months. The current mortgage balance is $66,000. The principal amount paid down so far is
$34,000.
Calculating Fair Return on Investment.
Down payment: The original homeowner was required to put down $1,000 earnest money at the
signing of the sales contract.
Cost of Capital Improvements: The original homeowner had a privacy fence installed four years
ago at the cost of $1,500 and has receipts to document the improvement. A visual inspection
confirmed the fence is still in place.
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Calculating the Fair Return to the Original Owner:
Down payment: $ 1,000
Capital Improvements: $ 1,500
Principal Paid: $34,000
Total Investment $36,500
In order to realize a fair return to the original homeowner, the sales price must be set at roughly
$186,500 to allow for net proceeds of $36,500, the fair return on investment.
Affordability for a Range of Buyers. If the original homeowner sets the sales price above
$197,500 to get a fair return on investment, and if current (2020) assumptions are used for
front/back ratios, interest rates, insurance, taxes, an 80% Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio, etc., a new
purchaser could qualify for a purchase price as high $275,000 with a monthly housing costs up to
approximately $1,988 supporting a mortgage of $270,000.
If the subsequent homeowner does not require any HOME subsidy to purchase the home, the
affordability period would end in 14 years at which time the subsequent homeowner could sell
to any buyer at any price.
Recapture
Under HOME recapture provisions financial assistance must be repaid if it is provided directly to
the buyer or the homeowner. Upon resale the seller may sell to any willing buyer at any price.
The written agreement and promissory note will disclose the net proceeds percentage if any that
will be allotted to the homebuyer and what proceeds will return to the PJ. Once the HOME funds
are repaid to the PJ, the property is no longer subject to any HOME restrictions. The funds
returned to the PJ may then be used for other HOME-eligible activities.
The City of Fort Collins Recapture Policy
The City of Fort Collins will use the recapture policy HOME funded Home Buyer Assistance
Program (HBA).
The (HOME) federal assistance will be provided in the form of a 0% interest, deferred payment
loan, which is repaid with a 5% service fee of the total amount borrowed. The fully executed (by
all applicable parties) and dated Written Agreement, Promissory Note and Deed of Trust will
serve as the security for these loans. The Deed of Trust will also be recorded with the Public
Trustee of Larimer County, CO.
The repayment of the HBA loan is made solely from the net proceeds of sale of the Property
(except in the event of fraud or misrepresentation by the Borrower described in the Promissory
Note).
Recapture Calculation. The City of Fort Collins will calculate the recapture amount and add this
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to the existing payoff balance of the HBA loan. The entire payoff balance must be paid to City of
Fort Collins before the homebuyer receives a return. The recapture amount is limited to the net
proceeds available from the sale.
Appraised Value of Property or Sales Price (whichever is less) $
Original Senior Lien Note Amount (-) $
Any reasonable and customary sales expenses paid by the
Borrower in connection with the sale (Closing costs) (-) $
Net proceeds $
HBA Original Note Amount (-) $
Equity to Borrower/Seller = $
Net proceeds consist of the sales prices minus loan repayment, other than HOME funds, and
closing costs. If the net proceeds of the sale are insufficient to fully satisfy the amounts owed on
the Promissory Note, the City of Fort Collins may not personally seek or obtain a deficiency
judgment or any other recovery from the Borrower/Seller. If there are no net proceeds the City
of Fort Collins will receive no share of net proceeds.
However, in the event of an uncured Default, the City of Fort Collins may, at its option, seek and
obtain a personal judgment for all amounts payable under the Note. This right shall be in
addition to any other remedies available to the City of Fort Collins. If there are insufficient funds
remaining from the sale of the property and the City recaptures less than or none of the
recapture amount due, the City must maintain data in each individual HBA file that documents
the amount of the sale and the distribution of the funds.
This will document that:
1. There were no net sales proceeds; or
2. The amount of the net sales proceeds was insufficient to cover the full amount due; and
3. No proceeds were distributed to the homebuyer/homeowner.
Other than the actual sale of the property, if the homebuyer or homeowner breaches the terms
and conditions for any other reason, e.g. no longer occupies the property as his/her/their
principal residence, the full amount of the loan is immediately due and payable.
If Borrower/Seller is in Default, the City may send the Borrower/Seller a written notice stating
the reason Borrower/Seller is in Default and telling Borrower/Seller to pay immediately:
(i) the full amount of Principal then due on this Note,
6
(ii) all of the City’s costs and expenses reimbursable Recovery against the Borrower/Seller
responsible for the fraud or misrepresentation is not limited to the proceeds of sale of
the Property, but may include personal judgment and execution thereon to the full
extent authorized by law.
Affordability Periods
HOME Program Assistance Amount Affordability Period in Years
$1,000 - $14,999.99 5
Over $15,000 * 20
*City of Fort Collins
A HOME Written Agreement, Note and Deed of Trust will be executed by the Borrower and the
City of Fort Collins that accurately reflects the resale or recapture provisions before or at the
time of sale.
City of Fort Collins Refinancing Policy
In order for new executed subordination agreement to be provided to the senior first lien
holder, the senior first lien refinance must meet the following conditions:
1. The new senior first lien will reduce the monthly payments to the homeowner, thereby
making the monthly payments more affordable; or
2. Reduce the loan term;
3. The new senior lien interest rate must be fixed for the life of the loan (Balloon or ARM loans
are ineligible);
4. No cash equity is withdrawn by the homeowner as a result of the refinancing actions;
5. The City will, at its discretion, agree to accept net proceeds in the event of a short sale to
avoid foreclosure; and
6. Only if the borrower meets the minimum requirements to refinance, the City can re-
subordinate to the first lien holder.
The refinancing request will be processed according to the following procedure:
1. Submit a written request to the City of Fort Collins to verify the minimum refinancing
requirements with one month in advance from the expected closing;
2. If applicable, the City of Fort Collins, will issue a subordination agreement prior to the
closing date.
3. If written permission is not granted by the City of Austin allowing the refinance of the
Senior Lien, the HBA Loan will become immediately due and payable prior to closing the
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refinance.
4. Home Equity loans will trigger the repayment requirements of the HBA loans. The HBA
Notes must be paid off no later than when the Home Equity Loan is closed and funded.
5. The HBA Notes must be paid-in-full in order for the City of Fort Collins to execute a release
of Deed of Trust.
Basic Terminology
Affordable Housing: The City of Fort Collins follows the provisions established on 24 CFR
92.254, and consider that in order for homeownership housing to qualify as affordable
housing it must:
□ Be single-family, modest housing,
□ Be acquired by a low-income family as its principal residence, and
□ Meet affordability requirements for a specific period of time as determined by the
amount of assistance provided.
The City: means the City of Fort Collins
Fair Return on Investment: means the total homeowner investment which includes the
total cash contribution plus the approved capital improvements credits.
Capital Improvement: means additions to the property that increases its value or
upgrades the facilities. These include upgrading the heating and air conditioning system,
upgrading kitchen or bathroom facilities, adding universal access improvements, or any
other permanent improvement that would add to the value and useful life of the
property. The costs for routine maintenance are excluded.
Capital Improvement Credit: means credits for verified expenditures for Capital
Improvements.
Direct HOME subsidy: is the amount of HOME assistance, including any program income
that enabled the homebuyer to buy the unit. The direct subsidy includes down payment,
closing costs, interest subsidies, or other HOME assistance provided directly to the
homebuyer. In addition, direct subsidy includes any assistance that reduced the purchase
price from fair market value to an affordable price.
Net proceeds: are defined as the sales price minus superior loan repayment (other than
HOME funds) and any closing costs.
Recapture: The recapture provisions are established at §92.253(a)(5)(ii), permit the
original homebuyer to sell the property to any willing buyer during the period of
affordability while the PJ is able to recapture all or a portion of the HOME-assistance
provided to the original homebuyer.
INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS
The Twenty-Year Affordability Period
&
The Agreement of Restrictive Covenant
I understand that because a certain amount of federal funds were used by [Developer
Name] to develop the property at , the federal
government requires that certain restrictions apply to the occupancy or re-sale of this
home for a period of twenty years. I understand that during that twenty-year period,
those requirements will be enforced through a legally-enforceable document called
“Agreement of Restrictive Covenant.”
If I choose to purchase this home, at the time the home is sold to me, I will sign an
Agreement of Restrictive Covenant, and it will be filed in the Official Public Records of
the Larimer County Clerk’s Office. The requirements of the Agreement of Restrictive
Land are:
• That I must occupy the home as my principal residence during the twenty-year period in
which the Restrictive Covenant is in effect;
• If I wish to sell the Property before the end of that period, I am required to sell it to a
subsequent buyer whose total household income is at or below 80% of the Fort Collins
Area Median Family Income in effect for the year I wish to sell the home.
• The sales price must be set such that I receive a fair return which shall be defined as:
1. The amount of any cash contributions including the down payment and principal
payments made;
2. The cost of any capital improvements, documented with receipts, and including but
not limited to:
a. Any additions to the home such as a bedroom, bathroom, or garage;
b. Replacement of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems;
c. Accessibility improvements such as bathroom modifications for disabled or elderly,
installation of wheel chair ramps and grab bars, any and all of which must have been
paid for directly by the Owner and which were not installed through a federal, state, or
locally-funded grant program; and
d. Outdoor improvements such as a new driveway, walkway, retaining wall, or fence.
• The sales price must be set so that the monthly principal, interest, taxes and insurance
to be paid by the subsequent buyer will not exceed 38% of that subsequent buyer’s
monthly household income.
• I will notify the City of Fort Collins in writing so that I may be assisted with the
compliance of this federal regulation.
I/We acknowledge having received this information about the federal requirements
involved if I/we decide to purchase this home.
Please
Initial
Below
Signature Date Signature Date
Homelessness and mental health care go hand in hand
snow removal.
Larger capacity shelter with city supported funding
More senior community services- we're in our late 70's and had no idea who TI call for shoveling our
driveway in this Thanksgiving week storm-my husband worked on our 22" of snow foe two days it about
did him in -he shouldn't be scooping snow at his age,
The Lack of a fully equipped hospital in the North part of Fort Collins is pretty serious. With long traffic
waits especially due to train crossings, serious medical emergencies are only bound to lead to a
number of preventable deaths.
construction since they can’t get a real job, have a car. Have them go to work for construction will help
out with the communities with new housing and all. If homeless person help, they can get one of those
houses to live in so they don’t live on the streets.
With the HUD and affordable housing units, I feel that there is a huge need for improvement on the
property. Adding some kind of storage like shed or garage would greatly help the situation. Weatherize
buildings so that electric bills are less costly.
It is wiser to invest in affordable and supportive, permanent housing than shelters and showers for the
homeless. Shelters and showers do not provide safety or stability and families want stable housing.
• Improved Services for Seniors
• Integrated case management
• More help with boys of color in society
• senior services
• Senior, Veteran, Youth At Risk Services
• Services for veterans
• Single parent family resources
• Support Services/Case management
• Wrap around case management
Job creation and
education
9 • Community college & employers' partnerships
• Job training
• Job training
• Job training and job placement
Basic needs 1 • Food
Victim support 1 • Crime Victim Support
Priority #5 – 123 responses
Categories
Response
Count Individual responses
Physical and mental
health
18 • Access to healthcare
• Add free items for all seniors, classes and exercise
facilities.
• Counseling
• Job/financial/mental health counseling
• Lower healthcare costs
• mental health - not just giving away pills though
• Mental health care
• Incentives to use public transit
• More and improved bike infrastructure
• More protected bike lanes
• Public transportation
• Roads
• Sidewalks, bike lines, pedestrian underpasses
(especially under railroad crossings)
• Street improvements
• Streets
• Streets, water, electric
• Transit
Childcare 14 • Access to Childcare
• Affordable child care
• More affordable rental units
• Providing affordable homes with down-payment help.
• Rent/deposit/utility assistance
• rent/utility assistance
• Supportive housing for Homeless
• Transitional housing
• Transitional housing for the homeless
Physical and mental
health
24 • Access to mental health services
• assistance with health care
• Healthcare assistance
• Helping those with mental issues
Community
development
6 • Community Development
• Community development specific to low income
neighborhoods and mobile home parks
• Partnerships with schools to develop good working
habits skills
• community development
• sidewalks
• water sewer repair
Environmental services 6 • extensive use of solar energy
• Energy conservation
• Energy Conservation
• Infiltration planters, swales, other means of
clearing/managing runoff
• Solar conversions
• Increase frequency of crack maintenance in streets
• bus routes that are direct and serve the poor.
• Better public transit. Light rail.
• Better public transportation
• Improvement to transit system
• Improvement to transit system (buses)
• Incentives to use public transportation
• Increased bike/ pedestrian safety
• Public Transportation
• Public Transportation Improvements
• Public transit
• Public transportation
• Street improvements/planning for growth
• Much more affordable housing
• Permanent supportive housing inventory
• Providing affordable permanent rental properties.
• Rent assistance
• Repair and support of low income neighborhoods
• Senior Subsidized Housing
• Tiny houses community for veterans
• affordable home ownership
• affordable home purchases
• affordable housing assistance
• affordable housing that remains affordable as owners or
renters change
• assistance for 1st time home buyers
• Job skills training, including apprenticeship options for
working families
• Job training for low income
• Living-wage job creation
• Opportunities for the underemployed
• Wage improvements so a single income family can
purchase a home
• creating more jobs
Substance abuse
support
7 • Help for Substance abusers
• Substance Use Treatment
• Substance abuse
• Substance use disorder treatments
• drug rehab
• Mental health care
• Mental health facilities
• Mental health facilities
• Mental health facility
• Mental health treatment and awareness
• mental health care
• mental health care for people experiencing
homelessness
• mental healthcare
• Health programs where they support people or families
who do not earn a minimum but it is still difficult to pay
an insurance
Childcare 20 • Childcare
(rooming houses) for those transitioning from
homelessness (the working homeless)
• Rental and housing costs
• Rental and affordable housing assistance for single
persons.
• Rental assistance/house buying assistance to lower
income people.
• Senior housing they can actually move into without a 3
year wait
• Single Room Occupancies
• Support to affordable housing developments to meet
code (sidewalk, bike lane, etc.)
• affordable housing for low and middle income
households
Community
development
2 • Community development
• community needs
Domestic violence 2 • Domestic violence
• domestic violence/sexual assault
Misc 2 • Continue improving current programs
• Divide the money out evenly
Safety 2 • Crime prevention
• safety in schools
Urban density
2 • over building
• Overcrowding
• Family Shelter
• Get homeless off the streets.
• Homelessness
• Homeless help for the elderly
• Homeless help.
• Homeless housing and services
• Homeless Youth Shelter
• Homelessness (16 responses)
• Homelessness (4 responses)
• homelessness (6 responses)
• Homelessness cold weather shelters
• Affordable housing/living/utilities
• Affordable Housing/Rental Options
• Affordable rent (2 responses)
• Affordable rent/home ownership for low income families
• Affordable Rental Housing
• Affordable rental housing (2 responses)
• Affordable rental inventory for low to moderate income
• Affordable rental units
• Affordable rentals
Providing support to small, minority, and locally owned
businesses
Services for victims of domestic violence
Financial assistance (rent, utilities, groceries, etc.)
Childcare facilities
Substance use disorder care (treatment and recovery)
Childcare services
Services for people experiencing homelessness
Mental health care
Transitioning youth 3
• Transitioning youth: Youth without families
• Youth 18-24
• youth exiting foster care or runaways
Victims 1 • Victims
A switch for a conservation management emphasis to something that
accommodates the funding base for the area's open space lands. People
want outdoor recreation and trails. We simply need more!
Renter education
and support
High Better renter's rights
High Low income housing that accepts pets
High
Requirements for housing including no tolerance for drugs or violence and
must actively search then maintain job to keep housing.
High Tenant advocacy
Transportation
improvements
High
Improved transportation services like more frequent bus times, cleaner
buses and incentives for riding.
Medium Public transportation
High Traffic issues associated with increased population
U+2
High Enforcement of U plus 2 laws
High Getting rid of or modifying U+2
High Not allowing more than 3 unrelated people to share a home
High The 3 and me rule should be rent allowed per number if bedrooms
High You plus two laws.
Affordable Housing
Respondents were asked to rank their perception on the need to address affordable housing in Fort
Collins. The highest ranked priority indicated by respondents was the need to develop and preserve
affordable rental housing. Of that category, respondents ranked families as the group that needs this
most. Fifty percent of respondents ranked the need to help low- and moderate-income households
purchase a home as a high priority. Respondents comparably ranked the need for affordable new
High Traffic management
High Commuter bus routes
Medium Fully developed public transportation so people can get to jobs
U+2 Enforcement High Enforcement of U+2 laws
Victim services
High Sexual assault prevention/support
High Victim services
Youth services
Medium Youth recreation
High Youth services
Collins, i've lived here fir 50 years and its losing its uniqueness for the
sake if growth
High Affordable, accessible housing for people with disabilities.
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Economic Development: Employment and
business support.
Community Development: Streets, parks,
water and sewer lines, sidewalks, energy
conservation, etc.
Homelessness: Facilities and services for
people experiencing homelessness.
Supportive Services: Childcare, job
training, transportation assistance, mental
and physical health care, etc.
Affordable Housing: Housing specifically for
people with low and moderate incomes.
252 123 23 0 3 401
Economic Development: Employment and
business support.
71 180 124 17 7 399
Community Development: Streets, parks, water
and sewer lines, sidewalks, energy conservation,
etc.
94 3 109 16 3 225
Program:
$56,148
Homelessness Prevention:
100 Persons Assisted
Process.
Table 54 - Expected Resources – Priority Table
Acquisition and construction of affordable
housing projects, including land purchase,
housing rehabilitation, certain costs related
to affordable housing development, and
homebuyer assistance programs.
HOME:
$375,000
Other:
10 Other
Table 53 – Goals Summary
$50,000
Public service activities
other than Low/Moderate
Income Housing Benefit:
2000 Persons Assisted
Homeless Person
Overnight Shelter:
8000 Persons Assisted
public services
Region
SummitStone Health
Partners
Non-profit
organizations
Non-homeless special
needs
public services
Region
Faith Family Hospitality
of Fort Collins, Inc.
Non-profit
organizations
Homelessness Jurisdiction
Table 51 - Institutional Delivery Structure
Assess of Strengths and Gaps in the Institutional Delivery System
The City of Fort Collins is part of a strong partnership of public and private agencies that work together
to address the housing and non-community development needs of the community. The City and
partners have invested substantial resources to develop plans and policies that ensure a comprehensive
Table 50 - Anticipated Resources
Acquisition and construction of affordable
housing projects, including land purchase,
housing rehabilitation, certain costs related
to affordable housing development, and
homebuyer assistance programs.
80%
AMI
Total
Households with
Children Present 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Table 12 – Crowding Information – 2/2
Data Source
Comments: No data was available either through HUD, or from other sources, to populate this table.
Describe the number and type of single person households in need of housing assistance.
While it is difficult to estimate the total number of single person households in need of housing
assistance in Fort Collins because many Colorado State University (CSU) students are included in census
and HUD tabulations, not all of the “other” households that have cost burden and severe cost burden
are students. According to the 2017–2018 InFact report by CSU there were 28,446 students, 70% of
which have in-state residency. The 2014 City of Fort Collins Housing Affordability study anticipated that
by 2018 CSU would have 7550 student beds, leaving 20,896 students needing housing in the community.
Table 10 – Cost Burden > 50%
Data
Source:
2011-2015 CHAS
Severe Cost Burden
1. Housing unit lacks complete kitchen facilities
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Goals
homeless or unaccompanied youth, people
experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+, people of
color, and other historically underrepresented or
under-resourced populations. Examples of services
include mental health care, family supports for
alcohol or substance abuse disorder
treatment/recovery, transportation, etc.- Increase
access to quality, affordable childcare/early
childhood education for all income levels.
https://www
.fcgov.com/s
ustainability/
pdf/FocusGr
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574792756
including short- and long-term rental assistance, utility assistance, and
onsite tenancy support, with an emphasis on voucher holders. - Increase
access to services for low- and moderate-income individuals and families,
with emphasis on special populations such as seniors, homeless or
unaccompanied youth, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQIA+,
people of color, and other historically underrepresented or under-
resourced populations. Examples of services include mental health care,
family supports for alcohol or substance abuse disorder
treatment/recovery, transportation, etc.- Increase access to quality,
affordable childcare/early childhood education for all income levels.
https://www
.fcgov.com/s
ustainability/
pdf/FocusGr
oupsSummar
ySheet.pdf?1
574792756
ustainability/
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1340231
experiencing homelessness. Councilmembers also
identified assisted living and increasing the number
of landlords who accept vouchers as a high priority
housing needs.