As part of the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance, adopted by Denver City Council in June 2022, affordable housing linkage fees increase each year on July 1 in a phased approach through July 1, 2025, after which time the fees will be increased for inflation annually. The linkage fees go into Denver’s affordable housing fund, which supports permanent housing and supportive services for at-risk residents, low- and moderate-income workforce rental housing, and moderate-income for-sale housing.
Development projects submitted to Community Planning and Development on or after July 1, 2022, are subject to the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance and will use this fee schedule. Projects submitted to Community Planning and Development that are not subject to the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance that had a concept site development plan submitted prior to July 1, 2022, and meet the site development plan approval timeframes specified in the ordinance will still see an increase in linkage fees due to inflation, and those projects will use this fee schedule.
The linkage fee went into effect in 2017 as one funding source of a dedicated affordable housing fund in Denver. The affordable housing fund is used to create and preserve thousands of affordable homes for low-to-moderate income families. The Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance became effective July 1, 2022 and increases linkage fees for non-residential development and residential development of 9 or fewer units. For mixed-use buildings containing 10 or more dwelling units, the non-residential portion of the building must pay the linkage fee unless it is a ground-floor commercial, sale, or service use that is eligible for an exception per the incentives or is eligible for another exception.
To find out if your project is exempt from the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance’s updated linkage fee schedule, view the ordinance’s effective dates. If your project is exempt, proceed to this page.
Linkage fees are assessed alongside standard permit fees, all of which are due before building permit issuance. See Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 27-153 – Imposition of linkage fee.
