Broomfield outlines housing priorities as developers, housing authority report projects and funding needs

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — City housing staff and the Broomfield Housing Alliance told the City and County Council on Aug. 12 that the city has expanded housing programs and secured several affordable developments but still faces a gap in funding and units for lower-income residents.

Sharon Tessier, Broomfield housing manager, told the council that “as of December 2024, Broomfield had about 698 income-aligned units with approximately 5,759 more units in the pipeline.” She reviewed a suite of local programs — tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA), partial property tax relief, a down-payment assistance program, a new mobile-home park initiative and other direct-assistance efforts — and said the city’s housing development fund has generated roughly $11 million in revenue that is being quickly deployed.

The Broomfield Housing Alliance (BHA) reported parallel progress. “BHA has leveraged more than $27,000,000 in Broomfield to support housing efforts,” Kristen Heizer, BHA executive director, told the council, citing recent closings and tax-credit efforts that she said will deliver new subsidized units and project-based vouchers. BHA also said it holds roughly $1.9 million in cash and $5.6 million in assets, with an additional $3.24 million from Proposition 123 expected to increase its capacity this year.

Why it matters: Council members and public speakers repeatedly flagged seniors and households at 50% of area median income and below as priorities. Tessier said 43% of renters are cost-burdened and presented a range of program results: TBRA has been expanded, the city’s partial property tax assistance served about 1,000 residents (average payout roughly $540), and a short-term expansion fund has used $87,000 of a $100,000 allocation to help 250 households. BHA and city staff emphasized that cash-in-lieu funds generated under the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance are being used as gap financing to attract state and federal low-income housing tax credits.

Council direction and next steps: Council members voiced support for a “hybrid” approach to inclusionary housing — combining on-site affordable units with cash-in-lieu where appropriate — and asked staff to return with a more detailed, project-level framework of when to accept units, cash, or a mix. Staff also asked for guidance on pursuing TBRA 2, a proposed program to transition seniors who would otherwise lose rental support into more permanent assistance. Multiple council members urged staff to pursue diversified funding rather than rely solely on developer cash-in-lieu and housing-development funds.

Comments from the public and partners: Nonprofit and community partners said they are coordinating with the city to reach people in need; Broomfield Fish and senior-services staff urged continued emphasis on preventing displacement and keeping seniors housed. Martin Dormish, a member of several local housing groups, urged the council to consider robust new local funding and to maximize support for BHA, including what he called the “maximum allowable level” in the intergovernmental agreement.

Ending note: Staff said the housing program updates and BHA developments represent progress but stressed that funding uncertainty — especially at the federal level — and the high cost to develop permanently affordable units will require continued partnership, targeted use of cash-in-lieu, and new revenue strategies to preserve housing stability for the most vulnerable residents.