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County presents housing needs assessment: rents unaffordable for many, largest gaps for households under $35,000
Summary
Consultants and county staff presented a draft housing needs assessment for the 2025–2029 consolidated plan, showing large shortages of deeply affordable rental units, rising home values outpacing incomes, and CDBG/HOME program constraints.
Arapahoe County staff and consultant CivicMosaic presented the housing needs assessment portion of the 2025–29 consolidated plan, summarizing data the county will use to set priorities for HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME allocations.
The assessment, drawn from American Community Survey and HUD CHAS data, shows population and household growth over the past decade alongside steeper increases in housing costs. Median household income rose about 7% in the period reviewed while median home values and rents rose faster, producing substantial affordability pressure. The county’s current entitlement allocations are modest — roughly $1.3 million in CDBG and $600,000 in HOME in the most recent program year for the unincorporated county — limiting the county’s direct subsidy capacity.
Key findings staff highlighted: • Renter cost burden is acute: more than half of renter households in the county pay more than 30% of income for housing; roughly one quarter pay more than half of their income for housing. • The largest gap in available units is for households earning under about $35,000 a year; the county lacks deeply affordable rental stock and lower‑priced homes for purchase at price points that match those incomes. • HUD data sources used (ACS and CHAS) lag by a year or more; staff emphasized trend analysis rather than single‑year values when setting priorities.
The presentation also listed special needs populations (elderly, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence) and noted the county’s 2023 point‑in‑time count of roughly 400 people experiencing homelessness. Consultants urged prioritizing deeply subsidized rental interventions, tenant‑based rental assistance, and a broader variety of housing types — including smaller units and accessible designs — to serve seniors and multigenerational households.
Staff outlined next steps: identify strategic priorities and goals this spring, open a 30‑day public comment period, adopt the consolidated plan and then prepare annual action plans for the five‑year period. The county will finalize the plan prior to HUD’s August 16 submission deadline and will align annual funding decisions to the priorities set in the plan.
Next steps: staff will return with recommended priorities and programmatic goals, proposed uses for CDBG and HOME funds for the coming program year, and a public comment schedule.
