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Broomfield Councileyes hybrid inclusionary approach, backs regional housing assessment
Summary
City staff and the Broomfield Housing Alliance outlined housing needs, senior housing pressure and proposed program expansions; council endorsed participation in a regional housing needs assessment and gave general direction to pursue a mixed on-site/cash-in-lieu approach to inclusionary housing requirements.
City and County of Broomfield officials on Aug. 21 heard an extensive update on local housing efforts and gave staff direction to pursue a hybrid inclusionary housing approach that would combine on-site affordable units with cash-in-lieu revenue to support deeper affordability and gap financing.
Housing Manager Sharon Tessier summarized a year of program expansion and data showing a severe shortage of homes affordable at 50% of area median income (AMI) and below. Tessier told council Broomfield had about 698 income-aligned units as of December 2024 and roughly 5,759 additional units in the pipeline over the next five years. She described a “whole stream” strategy addressing upstream, midstream and downstream needs, and highlighted programs including tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA), down-payment assistance, a new mobile-home-park initiative and targeted senior supports.
The update emphasized senior housing as one of the most urgent local gaps. Tessier said 350 seniors in Broomfield are “severely cost burdened” and that annual rent increases in some developments risk pricing residents out even when those buildings are deed-restricted. Tessier recommended exploring a TBRA 2 — a more permanent wrap to bridge seniors off temporary TBRA slots — and asked council whether it supported a mixed compliance approach to the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance (IHO) that would accept some cash-in-lieu in exchange for fewer or different on-site unit requirements.
Kristen Heizer, executive director of the Broomfield Housing Alliance (BHA), described BHA’s recent closings and partnerships that leveraged state and federal resources to create income-aligned housing. She said The Grove at Cottonwood (40 units) and Harvest Hill (152 units, in partnership with Ulysses Development Group) will add hundreds of units targeted to 30–60% AMI and to populations including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Heizer added that BHA had approximately $1.9 million cash and $5.6 million in assets, and that BHA’s Proposition 1–2–3 award would add roughly $3.24 million for land acquisition for a senior-targeted project.
Public commenters and council members pressed on the human impact. Dana Scott of Broomfield FISH called the work “life-changing” for residents who rely on expanded services; Lauren Clements, community resources coordinator for Senior Services, recounted a recent case in which coordinated effort moved a senior from imminent eviction to housing with rent equaling 10% of her income. Martin Dormish, chairing the local housing-stability task force, urged the council to consider new local revenue sources and to continue supporting the housing alliance at the highest practical level.
Council members generally expressed support for a mixed IHO compliance approach while asking staff to preserve predictability for developers. Council member Ward asked that program eligibility and marketing be clarified so middle-income residents (60–80% AMI) can find opportunities. City and County Manager Hoffman said staff will return with a data-driven proposal that lays out trade-offs — which projects or AMI bands to prioritize, and when cash versus units is preferable — noting that the housing development fund is finite and that policy choices are ultimately resource decisions.
Council also voted to participate in the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) regional housing needs assessment as allowed by new state law (S.B. 24-174). The resolution directs staff to submit comments on DRCOG’s assessment; Council member Leslie moved the resolution and it passed 9–0.
Why it matters: Broomfield’s housing presentation tied the city’s inclusionary housing policy, local funding, and nonprofit partnerships to near-term production and longer-term preservation goals. Council’s direction to explore a hybrid IHO and to join the regional assessment signals a shift toward using developer cash-in-lieu strategically as gap financing for deeper-affordability projects while continuing efforts to preserve and expand housing for seniors and very-low-income households.
What’s next: Staff will return with a detailed, data-driven IHO compliance proposal and with options for a TBRA-2 program and other targeted measures to preserve existing affordable homes and to support seniors at risk of displacement.
