On June 30, 2025, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through the Division of Local Government (DLG), published a suite of important resources as part of the 2024 land use and housing legislation implementation. These resources provide guidance for local communities developing Housing Action Plans and including the following:
Housing Action Plan Guide
The Housing Action Plan Guide provides guidance on developing a Housing Action Plan, with a focus on State of Colorado requirements established by Senate Bill (SB) 24-174. SB24-174 requires that certain local governments create Housing Action Plans by January 1, 2028:
- Jurisdictions with more than 5,000 residents
- Jurisdictions with 1,000 to 5,000 residents must create an Housing Acton Plan if they were part of a regional Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) or are a rural resort community
Housing Acton Plans and Housing Needs Assessments (HNAs) are intended to work in tandem as Colorado communities move from creating assessments to developing plans to implement affordable housing needs identified in the HNAs. SB 24-174 requires Housing Acton Plans to include at least two standard affordability strategies, one long-term affordability strategy, and one displacement mitigation strategy. Local governments can select from a menu of strategies or submit custom strategies. These strategies are detailed in the newly published Affordability and Displacement Mitigation Strategies Directory.
Housing Action Plans Quick Reference Guide and Appendices
Along with the Housing Action Plan Guide, DOLA released supplementary Appendices that include definitions and terminology, a comprehensive list of resources, a sample outline and tips for completing a Housing Action Plan. DOLA will soon release a Quick Reference Guide highlighting the minimum requirements necessary for an approved Housing Action Plan.
These new resources add to the suite of tools and guidance available on DOLA’s Housing Planning webpage.
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