The State of Colorado's 1995 Consolidated Plan constitutes a strategic vision for housing and community development needs within the state. This document summarized the plan so that citizens in the state can have a quick overview of the state's housing and community development problems; the 5-year broad goals, strategies, actions proposed to deal with those problems; and specific projects for carrying out this strategy during 1995.

Action Plan

The Consolidated Plan also includes an action plan constituting an application for funds under three different HUD formula programs for a total of $18.061 million: $11.549 million for the "Small Cities" Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, $5.578 million for the HOME Investment Partnership Program, and $.934 million for the Emergency Shelter Grant Program.

The State of Colorado is unique in many areas: industry ranges from agriculture, to ski, to gambling; the population has increased by 8% since 1990, making the state the third fastest growing state in the country, and unemployment currently stands at 5%.

The State and its communities are facing a fiscal crises. Local property and sales tax receipts , the major source of revenue, are not keeping pace with operating expenditures which is causing needed infrastructure capital investment to be delayed. State regulations limit property tax increases and voter approval is required for imposing or increasing sales tax measures.

Conditions

The number of housing units in the state has been affected by Colorado's economic strength and the stat's tax reform act of 1986. The economic recession of the 1980's, population out-migration, and the loss of the tax credit for multi-family structures caused the housing market to stagnant. This situation is reversing itself with recent in-migration and a lowering of the vacancy rate from a 1990 high of 11.4% due to the demand for housing from the state's new residents.

Of the 1,566,743 housing units in the state, 1.6% or 25,168 lack kitchen and plumbing facilities, 12% or 192,235 units were built before 1940, and 42% or 661,440 units may contain lead based paint.

Housing Needs

In 1990, there were 182,314 renter households in Colorado that were extremely low and low income and 279,733 rental units affordable to these households. A total of 503,203 rental units were affordable to the 294,329 low income households. However, there was a lack of 25,362 units available to extremely low and low income renter households making 30% or less of the median family income of $35,930.

Housing Market Conditions

The value of single-family homes decreased between 1980 to 1990 by 22%, to an average of $82,000 for the state. The decline was due to Colorado's 1980's recession. Of a total housing stock of 360,000 units, some 17,000 are available for families at 80% or below the median family income. This number decreases to 7,500 units affordable to families earning 50% or below the median income.

Homeless Needs

A survey of homelessness in Colorado done in April, 1990 by the University of Colorado at Denver estimated that there were 3,100 homeless persons in Colorado at that time. The controversial 1990 S-night census enumeration of homeless persons in Colorado counted 2,444 persons in emergency shelters, 110 in shelters for runaway, neglected, and homeless children, 167 in shelters for abused women and 393 visible in street location, In rural areas, homelessness is typically a function of loss of employment or a family or financial crisis. Rural homelessness is often hidden, individuals and families share housing with friends or family members , at least for a short time. However, the serious lack of affordable rental housing in smaller cities and rural areas is a major factor in rural homelessness.

Public and Assisted Housing Needs

There are about 45,300 HUD subsidized units in the state, of which 16,400 are in the non-entitlement areas. The average waiting list has about 175 families on it in the non-entitlement areas. Turnover rate for the program is around 5-7%. The average wait to receive rental assistance is anywhere from 9 months to three years depending on the geographical location in the state.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

The primary barrier to affordable housing is excessive cost of paying more than 30% of family income for housing.

Other Issues

Social service needs relating to the aging, child welfare, and child care need financial support. In addition, the state's park program, economic development activities and youth violence programs also need support.

Community Development Needs

The provision of adequate water and sewer is the primary immediate non-housing need for county, city, town and unincorporated communities. The total funding needs for sewer total $418,300,000 and for water $223,500,000.

This section present the strategies that the state will use to address affordable housing, community and economic development for the next five years.

Housing and Community Development Objectives and Priorities

The five year Housing and Community Development strategy consists of the following ten strategic items:

1. To increase the capacity of local housing and service providers by furnishing information, education, training, and additional capital sources so that they are better able to meet the housing needs of their communities.
2. To increase and preserve the supply of affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary rental units through moderate and substantial rehabilitation and new construction for very low, low, and moderate income households.
3. To preserve and increase home ownership opportunities for extremely low, low and moderate income people.
4. To provide affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary housing opportunities for extremely low, low and moderate income people needing housing linked with supportive services, and wherever possible, help people maintain or achieve independent living.
5. To provide affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary housing for seasonal workers.
6. To increase and/or expand the availability of emergency shelter facilities, transitional housing opportunities, and prevention programs for homeless persons.
7. To help improve the physical conditions of Colorado communities by assisting them to identify, prioritize, and address their capital improvement needs.
8. To help improve the economic conditions of Colorado communities by assisting them to identify and capitalize on natural assets and economic enhancement/diversification potential and undertake activities to improve their economies.
9. To help improve the leadership and governing capacities of Colorado communities by assisting leaders to develop community goals and provide the necessary training and resources to help achieve these goals.
10. To provide effective, professional assistance to the state business communities; to make essential information easily accessible to small business owners throughout the state; to promote the development and expansion of minority businesses; to offer state job training, marketing and incentive programs to every region of the state; and to encourage business retention expansion and relocating resulting in the retention or creation of Colorado jobs.

Non-Housing Community Development Priorities

The state of Colorado's responsiveness to local needs is demonstrated by the type of priority community development needs requested: Public facility needs, Infrastructure Improvement needs, Public Service needs, Accessibility needs, Economic Development needs, Planning, Energy Efficiency Improvements, and Hazards and/or Lead Based Paint Removal.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

Three goals have been identified by the state to increase the incomes of persons below the poverty line and reduce dependency on public assistance: increase job opportunities, provide adequate health care benefits at entry level jobs, and offer adequate child care to support a working parents(t).

Housing and Community Development Resources

Resources to implement these strategies will come from various federal and state housing and economic development programs. Local funding to support these proposals would have to come from property tax, sales tax, and fees.

Coordination of Strategic Plan

The Department of Local Affairs is the agency responsible for coordinating and developing the Consolidated Plan with state agencies and local governments.

Description of Key Projects

Presented below are the key annual projects for each of the ten five year strategies previously discussed:

1. Over the next twelve months provide training to local and regional housing serve providers on techniques for packaging of housing projects.
2. Increase and preserve affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary rental units for 4,000 families and individuals (low income and elderly persons) by funding projects via state and federal grant programs and encouraging private\public partnerships throughout the state.
3. Increase home ownership for first-time homebuyers by funding programs and projects for 1,277 low income and mod-income persons.
4. Increase or preserve affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary rental opportunities for extremely low, low and moderate income frail elderly by funding rehabilitation or new construction of at least two projects or forty-eight units.
5. Increase or preserve affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary rental opportunities for seasonal workers for two projects in Larimer/Weld and Pueblo counties.
6. Increase or preserve emergency shelter facilities and services by funding at least twenty emergency shelter projects who; will serve approximately 18,000 homeless persons or person at risk of homelessness.
7. Provide direct capital improvements planning assistance to fifteen communities.
8. Provide funding to five local downtown redevelopment projects.
9. Provide goal setting assistance to 25 communities.
10. Encourage retention and expansion of Colorado businesses by marketing Colorado.

Non-Housing Community Development Priorities

The state of Colorado's responsiveness to local needs is demonstrated by the type of priority community development needs requested: Public facility needs, Infrastructure Improvement needs, Public Service needs, Accessibility needs, Economic Development needs, Planning, Energy Efficiency Improvements, and Hazards and/or Lead Based Paint Removal.

Anti-Poverty Strategy

Three goals have been identified by the state to increase the incomes of persons below the poverty line and reduce dependency on public assistance: increase job opportunities, provide adequate health care benefits at entry level jobs, and offer adequate child care to support a working parents(t).

Housing and Community Development Resources

Resources to implement these strategies will come from various federal and state housing and economic development programs. Local funding to support these proposals would have to come from property tax, sales tax, and fees.

Coordination of Strategic Plan

The Department of Local Affairs is the agency responsible for coordinating and developing the Consolidated Plan with state agencies and local governments.