Westminster staff present housing strategy, affordable projects and repair programs amid documented housing deficits

City planning and economic development staff outlined Westminster’s housing strategy, preservation programs and current affordable-housing projects during a community board meeting.

The presentation, led by John McConnell, planning manager; Andrew Spurgeon, long-range planner; and Vivian Del Peso, housing administrator, summarized recent changes to city policy, the housing element added to the city’s comprehensive plan, and active projects and programs intended to expand and preserve affordable housing.

Why it matters: staff said Westminster faces multi-tier housing deficits across income bands and that local tools — planning changes, incentives and targeted funding — are needed to preserve existing affordable units and expand new ones.

Key policy changes and planning context

Andrew Spurgeon described the planning framework. He said the city’s new comprehensive plan now contains an explicit housing element and that staff have focused on aligning development requirements with a shrinking land inventory (roughly 2% of city land remains developable, by staff comment). The plan seeks to increase “missing middle” housing types — duplexes, townhomes and smaller multiunit buildings — and to…