More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government (DOLA) supports efforts by local governments to adopt land use and other strategies to increase opportunity for affordable and attainable housing development. A significant barrier to redevelopment is the cost to upgrade and upsize or otherwise provide needed infrastructure to incentivize affordable and attainable housing development. While these project types are already eligible under Energy & Mineral Impact Assistance (EIAF) program guidelines, this initiative helps address the significant demand for local government infrastructure to support these projects.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to contact their Regional Manager prior to submitting any application and must be “ready to go” in order to be accepted into an EIAF grant cycle. The Regional Manager will assist you in identifying additional funding sources and will provide technical assistance by engaging other state and local agencies to support your project.

Application opens on March 1, 2024 on the EIAF website.

All applications in this Initiative will follow the regularly planned cycles of the Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) Program.

Funding

The purpose of the Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Program is to assist political subdivisions that are socially and/or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels. 

• This $20M initiative within the EIAF Program is available until funds are exhausted. 
• Match requirements: 
  • Planning projects: 10% 
  • Infrastructure projects: 25%
• Maximum request is increased to $2M. 
• EIAF funding may only fund publicly-owned infrastructure for affordable and attainable housing projects. Mixed-income projects are allowed and grant funds will be awarded proportional to the percentage of affordable units. Affordable and attainable is defined according to community type below. 
  • Rural and Urban communities - up to 140% area median income (AMI) for rental and ownership 
  • Rural resort communities - up to 140% for rental and 160% for ownership 
  • See the urban/rural/resort classifications listed below

Eligible Projects

• Infrastructure projects that support affordable and attainable housing goals
  • Publicly-owned infrastructure and streetscape improvements: water, sewer, stormwater, publicly owned utility infrastructure, sidewalks, and streetscape or placemaking improvements, including high efficiency street lights, accessibility improvements, public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, and bike or other multimodal improvements associated with an affordable housing project
  • Preliminary planning and analysis for affordable/attainable housing (public/nonprofit) technical assistance projects in rural communities (defined as a county with a population of less than 50,000 or a municipality with a population of less than 25,000)
  • Municipalities and counties that have adopted impactful land use strategies designed to make it easier to develop affordable housing will be more competitive for infrastructure funds (adoption of at least one strategy is required) (see strategies listed in the 1271 program strategies and the Strong Communities best practices)
  • Projects with plans for more affordable units, onsite day care, and/or renewable energy-net zero will be more competitive for infrastructure funding.
  • The most competitive infrastructure projects will be able to demonstrate the necessary planning/design and financial feasibility has been completed.
  • Strategic growth infrastructure projects are more competitive. If the project includes facility upgrades or construction, more competitive projects will have a direct housing component, meet the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and International Existing Building Code (IEBC) (as applicable), include renewable energy sources (as applicable), bringing buildings up to code (electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, insulation, etc.).
  • Ineligible: housing (vertical) construction or privately-owned infrastructure
• Planning projects which include the development and adoption of land use strategies that make it easier to develop affordable and attainable housing, such as: 
  • Land use strategy adoption 
  • Regional housing needs assessments, shared housing analysis and agreements (“fair share agreements”), and similar work necessary to inform impactful strategy selection and adoption 
  • Housing needs assessments and similar studies and plans are eligible but only if paired with land use strategy adoption. 
  • Ineligible: planning projects that are site specific or do not include adoption of strategies