While we had to cancel our January 15 Local Government Resources Call, we didn’t want to leave you hanging. Below you will find agency updates as well as useful information about January’s topic, State and Local Government Roles in Emergency Response.
State Demography Office
2024 State Demography Office Annual Demography Summit Materials Posted
The 2024 State Demography Summit, held on Friday, November 1, 2024, provided the opportunity to learn about the most current population and economic estimates and forecasts for the state, its regions, counties and municipalities.
Presentation slides have been posted on the Summit Section of the SDO webpage.
2019-2023 American Community Survey Data Release
The 2019-2023 edition of the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data was released on Thursday, December 12, 2024. This data set provides estimates of population characteristics for all geographies, from the nation as a whole to individual block groups.
The State Demography Office (SDO) has tables summarizing information from the 2019-2023 ACS for Colorado, its counties, and its municipalities on the Census Data and Resources section of the SDO webpage. Additional updates include new data in SDO’s interactive ACS map, SDO’s Census API, and the Colorado Community Profiles application.
Division of Housing (DOH)
Key Leadership Updates
- On December 1, 2024, Maulid “Mo” Miskell transitioned to DOLA’s Deputy Executive Director.
- Starting on January 1, 2025, Kristin Toombs, who served as Director of the Office of Homeless Initiatives (OHI), became DOH’s Deputy Director for the Office of Rental Assistance (ORA) and OHI.
- DOH is in the process of hiring a new Director of OHI as well as Deputy Director positions for the Office of Housing Finance and Sustainability (OHFS), Office of Housing Recovery (OHR), and Office of Regulatory Oversight (ORO) .
- These leadership changes are a critical step toward strengthening DOH’s ability to deliver impactful housing solutions for communities across Colorado.
Updates on the February Round of the Annual RFA for the Creation of Supportive Housing
- As of December 13, 2024, DOLA has received thirteen (13) Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the February 3, 2025 round of the Annual RFA for the Creation of Supportive Housing aka the 2025 PSH RFA. LOIs can be viewed within the Public Application Tracker document included within the 2025 PSH RFA. Based on the LOIs submitted from projects indicating their intention to apply for $10 million in Loan or Grant Assistance through the 9% Pilot, the February 3, 2025 round will be highly competitive.
- While applicants through the 2025 PSH RFA are welcome to apply for different configurations of Loan or Grant Assistance, Tenancy Support Services (TSS), and/or Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs), DOLA will not move forward with a conditional determination of one resource if multiple are requested. This approach is necessary as projects will be unable to proceed without receiving all of the resources requested.
- New for the 2025 PSH RFA, applicants through the PSH RFA not applying for Tax Credits (including Tenant-Based State Housing Voucher applicants) can be moved for review through subsequent review rounds where they will compete with any new applications that come on the remaining/subsequent rounds for any remaining resources. New LOIs will not be required.
Division of Local Government (DLG)
Land Use Implementation
On December 31, 2024, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through the Division of Local Government (DLG), has reached the next significant milestone in the implementation of the 2024 land use and housing legislation by publishing:
- The final Parking Management Best Practices Report
- The Housing Needs Assessment Methodology
- Displacement Risk Assessment Guidance
DOLA has also published draft versions of the Transit Center Calculation Model and Guide and Housing Opportunity Goal (HOG) tools to provide ample opportunity for feedback from various interest groups, well before the final publication deadline of February 28, 2025.
Learn more about the tools and what’s next for Land Use and Housing implementation in this press release.
Engagement Sessions
To accommodate the holiday season, December’s pre-recorded Land Use and Housing session and accompanying slides are available to view. The next engagement webinar is on January 24, at 10:30 a.m.
DLG Survey
The Division of Local Government is seeking feedback from local governments who have interacted with the Division’s programs, services, and communications. We will use this feedback to improve our operations and to ensure that our programs and services offer the most benefit to our local partners. This survey is open through January 31, 2025 and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.
DLG Hiring
The Division of Local Government is hiring a Main Street Specialist (Community & Economic Development II) - Apply by January 20, 4 p.m.
Funding Updates:
- The 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is open through February 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
- The next cycle of the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) will open February 12, 2025 and close March 12, 2025.
- The next round of funding for Affordable Housing Planning Capacity will be open February 14 through March 14.
All application materials and an informational webinar recording are available on the program website, and interested applicants will need to schedule a pre-application meeting with Program Manager Robyn DiFalco to discuss your proposed project. - The Law Enforcement Community Services Program (LECS) program opened January 1, 2025 and will close on March 1, 2025.
- Eligibility Note: Only state or local law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply.
Other Funding
- FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities & Flood Mitigation Assistance Opportunities now open.
- Sub-applicants must submit a Notice of Interest (NOI) to the DHSEM Notice of Interest for review prior to submitting a draft project application through FEMA Grants Outcome (FEMA GO) by February 28, 2025.
- Weekly Office Hours will be held from 1 to 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday starting January 22 through April 16, 2025. Please contact Emily Drosselmeyer with any questions about projects.
- The next deadline for the Colorado Energy Office Energy Code Adoption and Enforcement Grant is February 28, 2025.
- January's Housing Strategies Peer exchange session addressed building energy codes, and provided an opportunity for the affordable housing community to engage with the state's work to set minimum energy code requirements to ensure positive outcomes for affordable housing. Check out the recording.
Other Updates
- Don’t forget to visit the DOLA calendar for the most up-to-date event information.
- Want more updates from DOLA? Sign up for our newsletter!