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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