Affordable residential development projects that meet key eligibility criteria are now able to apply for plan review and permits through an expedited process that will deliver a path to approvals in 90 calendar days, which include city and customer time.
City staff across all departments involved in the Affordable Housing Review Team (AHRT) developed the fast-track review process in collaboration with the Denver Permitting Office (DPO). Those departments are Community Planning and Development (CPD), the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), the City Attorney’s Office, the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR), the Department of Health and Environment (DPHE), and the Denver Fire Department (DFD). AHRT will now administer the process, which is a requirement of the state ballot initiative Proposition 123, approved by Colorado voters in 2022.
The implementation of Denver’s Proposition 123 Fast-Track Process is one of two requirements that must be met by jurisdictions that chose to file a commitment that opts them into Proposition 123, which Denver first did in the summer of 2023. This commitment allows projects in the city to be eligible for various funding mechanisms created by Proposition 123, including the State Affordable Housing Fund. The work to create the process was supported by a grant from Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA).
“We will not rest until Denver is a place where everyone who wants to work and live here can afford to do so,” said Mayor Mike Johnston, who led the coalition to pass Proposition 123. “This measure moves working families to the front of the line, cutting wait times in half and ensuring we’re prioritizing the teachers, nurses, and servers who make this city go.”
“Since it was created, the Affordable Housing Review Team has been an incredible asset in the city’s efforts to help get more homes built for individuals and families of all incomes,” CPD Executive Director Brad Buchanan said. “They have done great work not only in creating a pathway for affordable development, but also in getting projects through this new expedited pipeline.”
“Shortening the review time for affordable housing in Denver is a true game changer,” said DOLA Executive Director Maria De Cambra. “This means 5,000 units annually in Denver will be approved and completed faster. We’re so pleased that Denver used DOLA’s Local Planning Capacity Grant to make this happen.”
What projects are eligible for 90-day review?
Denver’s fast-track process applies to all qualifying affordable residential development projects that meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Half or more units in the project either meet the definition of “affordable housing” in state OR provide affordable housing that meets one of the following options:
- Rented to families whose income is 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) or less
- Sold to families whose income is 120 percent AMI or less
- Deed restricted accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
- The project is funded by Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) to serve as a residential care or congregate living facility, or temporary managed community, serving families whose income is 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) or less. These include shelters and tiny home communities.
- The project is a Denver Housing Authority development with deed restricted affordable housing units.
- The project is funded by a Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC)
Projects that meet the criteria above are eligible even if they do not apply for or receive Proposition 123 funds. Visit the AHRT website or read the policy to learn more about the process.
