Arapahoe County staff presented a regional housing needs assessment July 15 and asked the Board of County Commissioners to approve participating in the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) assessment to meet requirements of Senate Bill 24 1 74.

Kathy Smith, director of community resources, told the board the county had previously approved participation in the regional process and that the assessment was prepared by a consultant referenced in the meeting as Dr. Cog (Colorado consultant). Smith said the assessment “fulfill[s] the requirements of, senate bill 24 1 74,” and cautioned that the consultant’s dataset and timing can differ from the county’s consolidated plan numbers.

Lizzie Moomis, community resources staff who presented consultant findings, summarized key results from the DRCOG assessment: an estimated 30,200 renter units and 16,700 owner units are needed locally over the 10‑year window covered by the assessment. Moomis explained the consultant’s datasets span different years (some beginning in 2006, most county datasets centered on 2019–2023) and that differences from the county’s consolidated plan reflect those timeframes and differing methods.

Commissioners discussed the assessment’s presentation and comparability to the county’s prior market value analysis and consolidated plan work. Commissioner questions focused on data vintages, the geographic scope (the DRCOG consultant excluded Aurora from the county‑level unincorporated analysis), and how the assessment would feed into a forthcoming housing action plan. Moomis told commissioners the DRCOG analysis uses criteria such as current/future jobs, population growth and transit access to determine housing needs and that the consultant will hold listening sessions and accept feedback.

Several commissioners stressed that the county will continue to use its own consolidated plan data for policy and that the DRCOG assessment will be one input for the county’s housing action plan. Smith said the county will provide formal feedback to the consultant and noted the assessment will be placed on the consent agenda for a formal business‑meeting action and public comment.

Next steps: staff said they will post the draft, take public and jurisdictional feedback through DRCOG’s comment process, and bring the assessment to a business meeting consent agenda for formal acceptance and public comment. The county will also incorporate the assessment into its housing action plan work and continue to use county consolidated‑plan datasets where necessary.