Colorado • Public Data

Housing Needs Assessment · part 5 of 5

What to do about it

How much of what, for whom, and what is already available? Built from cached public datasets (Census, DOLA, HUD) with live Census API fallbacks.

Screening tool only. Data snapshots are for early-stage community planning and site research using public Census, DOLA, and HUD datasets. They are not a certified housing needs study and do not substitute for a CHFA-required market analysis or formal due diligence.

Select a geography above to load housing data

Executive Snapshot

Select a geography to generate an HNA-style baseline narrative.
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Median gross rent
Tenure
ACS DP04 0046/0047 · data.census.gov
Rent burdened (≥30%)
ACS DP04 GRAPI bins · data.census.gov
Income needed to buy (est.)
30% of income rule
Mean commute time
ACS S0801 mean travel time (min) · data.census.gov

20-year outlook: population, migration, and housing needs (county context)

Uses Colorado State Demography Office county components-of-change forecasts (population + net migration) and a transparent household/headship conversion to estimate additional housing units needed over the next 20 years. For municipal/CDP selections, this uses the containing county.

Population: DOLA forecast vs historic-trend sensitivity

Housing need summary

Current housing units
Target vacancy
Assumption
Net new units (20y)
DOLA forecast
Net migration (20y)
DOLA components
Recent production
Census BPS 5-yr avg
Production ÷ need
BPS pace vs horizon need

Projection assumptions

5.0%
Headship

Transparent HNA math: projected households = population × headship; total units required = households ÷ (1 − vacancy). The summary's net-new units subtract the current requirement and are not income-targeted affordable deficits. For covered municipalities/CDPs, the headline uses the stored place projection built from county need and local ACS household/BPS permit shares; the trace labels any fallback method.

Show projection calculation trace

County housing units needed over the 20-year horizon: SDO components-of-change population forecast × constant base-year headship rate, divided by (1 − target vacancy). Covered place and CDP selections use the county projection downscaled by a 50/50 blend of ACS household share and 2020-2024 Census BPS permit share.

County source series: SDO components-change-county.csv. Place source series: data/hna/projections/places.json, built from county projections, ACS DP02 household counts, and data/hna/permits.json. Cross-county municipalities use combined-county denominators before applying the blended share. Verified 2026-07-04 against SDO's official vintage-2023 county forecast (Oct 2024): median difference −1.4% at 2030 across all 64 counties.

Select a geography to inspect the calculation.

Special Needs Housing Analysis

Population segments with specific housing needs: seniors, persons with disabilities, families with children, and single-parent households. These groups are disproportionately represented among cost-burdened households. Source: ACS DP02/DP05.

Select a geography to view special needs analysis.

Affordable Housing Compliance (HB 22-1093 / Prop 123)

Colorado's HB 22-1093 (Proposition 123, effective Jan 1, 2023) requires communities to track affordable housing progress. Jurisdictions must establish a baseline of 60% AMI rentals and commit to 3% annual growth. DOLA Prop 123 page

Jurisdiction relationship to Prop 123

Select a geography to view its filing status and fast-track designation.

Baseline: 60% AMI Rentals

Select a geography to calculate the baseline.

3% Annual Growth Target

Baseline required before growth targets can be set.

Fast-Track Approval Eligibility

Select a geography to check eligibility.

Historical Compliance Tracking

Select a geography to view compliance status.

Fast-Track Approval Timeline Calculator

Estimate permitting duration under HB 22-1093 fast-track vs. standard process. HB 22-1093

View full compliance dashboard →

Compliance Checklist

Prop 123 (HB 22-1093) compliance steps for the selected jurisdiction. Checked items are saved locally by geography. DOLA guidance ↗

  • Why it matters: The baseline establishes the starting inventory from which the 3% annual growth target is measured. Accurate baseline data is required before a jurisdiction can commit to Prop 123. Source: ACS DP04 data shown in the Prop 123 panel above; verify against CHFA Gap Map.

  • Why it matters: The 3% annual growth commitment is a core Prop 123 requirement. Adoption signals to DOLA, CHFA, and developers that the jurisdiction supports affordable housing creation. Without adoption, the jurisdiction is ineligible for Prop 123 land grant and workforce housing funds. Reference: HB 22-1093, Section 3(1)(b).

  • Why it matters: A documented fast-track process is required for jurisdictions with populations ≥ 1,000 (municipalities) or ≥ 5,000 (counties). Fast-tracking reduces permitting delays by 50%+ and is a prerequisite to access DOLA land grant funds. See DOLA Prop 123 FAQ for approved process templates.

  • Why it matters: The annual DOLA notice is the formal on-record commitment that preserves eligibility for the current funding cycle. Missing the January 31 deadline disqualifies the jurisdiction from Prop 123 land grant and CDOH workforce housing funds for that year. File at the DOLA Commitment Filings Portal.

  • Why it matters: Annual reporting demonstrates accountability and validates the jurisdiction's progress. Failure to report may result in clawback of Prop 123 funds received and suspension of eligibility. Cross-reference with CHFA Resource Library for LIHTC project timelines that count toward the growth target.

Resources & Guidance

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PMA Delineation & CHFA Requirements

All Primary Market Area tools — boundary delineation, CHFA requirements summary, workflow steps, and the CHFA PMA checklist — are consolidated on the Market Analysis & PMA page.

Go to PMA Delineation & CHFA Checklist →

Projected Housing Need

Forward-looking estimates of unmet housing demand at 5, 10, and 20 years — across low, baseline, and high growth scenarios. Based on DOLA household projections and the current rental gap.

Select a geography above to generate projections.

Recommended AMI Distribution

Based on current income distribution and cost burden, the following AMI targeting mix is recommended for a new LIHTC project in this jurisdiction.

Select a geography above to generate AMI recommendation.

Renter need by bedroom count

How many renter households need a studio, 1BR, 2BR, 3BR, or 4BR+ unit — derived from ACS B25009 (tenure by household size) using the HUD "max 2 people per bedroom" occupancy standard. Feeds the Market Analysis concept recommendation so the suggested unit mix reflects local renter demand, not just an industry default per concept type.

What types of housing does the data support?

A data-driven look at which housing types this jurisdiction shows the strongest need for. Use alongside the Recommended AMI Distribution above and the Affordable Housing Pipeline LIHTC Readiness assessment — three views, same data, different jobs.

Select a geography above to compute the housing-type ranking.

Affordable Ownership Need

Screening estimate

This section helps identify where affordable homeownership may be part of the housing strategy. It does not replace the rental need analysis. It helps show whether a community may need a mix of LIHTC rental, deed-restricted ownership, shared-equity homes, or other permanently affordable ownership options.

For-Sale Market Study (screening)

Current ownership need
Tenure strategy screen
Moderate-income renter base
51–100% HAMFI renters
Owner cost-burden context
Current owners

Select a jurisdiction to load ownership indicators.

Select a jurisdiction to load the ownership strategy screen.

Housing Type Feasibility Analysis

Assesses local housing stock composition, building age trends, and market values to identify which housing types (single-family, townhome, garden-style, mid-rise) are most viable for new development. Combines Census ACS unit-type data with affordability metrics to project feasible construction types for LIHTC and workforce housing.

Select a geography above to load housing type analysis.

Housing Action Plan Checklist

Strategic actions commonly used to address documented housing needs. Checked items are saved locally by geography.

📦 Housing Supply Actions

💰 Affordability & Demand Actions

Progress: 0 of 8 actions initiated

This action plan is based on best practices from Colorado housing needs assessments including those from the Colorado Division of Housing and CHFA. Progress is saved locally in the browser by geography. Local planning departments and CDOH publish implementation guidance.

Methodology & Data Sources

This section updates as you change geographies and as cached datasets become available. All sources link to the primary publisher.

Primary Data Sources

ACS 5-Year EstimatesCensus Bureau
HUD CHASCost Burden by AMI
LEHD LODESCommuting Flows
HUD LIHTCTax Credit Database
HUD QCT/DDAQCT and DDA lists
HUD FMRFair Market Rents

Data refreshes automatically via GitHub Actions. Full data sources inventory · Data freshness status

Step 2 complete? Save your Housing Needs Assessment findings to this project, then continue to Market Analysis.