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Local Jurisdictions Commitment Filings on Affordable Housing


The above picture is the new housing construction for the Pinyon Project on Empire Street in Cortez


By Valerie Maez

On November 27, 2023 the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) released a

list of Colorado municipalities, counties, and tribes who entered into commitment

agreements with DOLA to accomplish affordable housing units. This is a list of local

jurisdictions who applied, the number of housing units specified and the dates they

signed.

Dolores County……………………13 units ………………….. October 26, 2023

The Town of Dolores ……… 297 units………………….. November 13, 2023

Dove Creek………………………. .47 units…………………… October 24, 2023

City of Cortez……………………..986 units…………………. October 16,2023

Town of Mancos…………………158 units………………… October 12, 2023

Montezuma County……………319units…………………... October 10, 2023

Ute Mountain Ute Tribe……… 60 units………………… September 12, 2023


During public comment at the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners

meeting of December 5, 2023 a citizen expressed concerns of the County opting into

building those DOLA affordable housing units in unincorporated Montezuma County.

Commissioner Candelaria expressly stated that the DOLA program that the County

agreed to was strictly a support mechanism for the City of Cortez to do so and that

NO units were to be in the unincorporated areas under the Proposition 123 program.

So what does filing a commitment letter really mean?

According to the DOLA website, under Proposition123, commitment letters makes a

local government or tribe along with entities within their jurisdiction, eligible to apply

for funding through the programs administered by DOLA, the Office of Economic

Development & International Trade (ODIT), and/or the Colorado Housing and

Finance Authority (CHFA). The website further states that a letter of commitment

obligates an entity to increase the level of units 3 percent for 3 years over current

figures for a total increase of 9 percent growth if the jurisdiction has a successful

application for funding. Filing a commitment does not immediately designate funding.

Once a jurisdiction becomes eligible for funding, it can submit an application to one of

the three programs. Once funding is granted by DOLA and accepted by an applicant,

it does commit the entity to follow through on the contract with the established

parameters of the program.

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