Housing Needs Assessment
A report-style, data-driven snapshot for Colorado communities: housing stock, tenure, affordability, commuting, and demographic change. Powered by cached public datasets 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.
Affordability Gap by AMI Tier
—Estimated renter households with unmet affordable housing need, by income tier. Source: HUD CHAS + ACS cost burden data.
Map
Boundary is fetched from Census TIGERweb and used as the base layer for additional overlays.
Local commitments & resources
Housing Authorities & Contacts
Colorado public housing authorities, CHFA partners, and local housing contacts for the selected geography.
LIHTC, QCT & DDA
HUD-designated overlays for the selected geography: LIHTC-funded affordable housing projects, Qualified Census Tracts (income/poverty threshold), and Difficult Development Areas (high-cost designation).
HUD Fair Market Rents & Income Limits
FY2025 HUD Fair Market Rents by bedroom size and Income Limits by household size for the selected county. Source: HUD User.
FMR = maximum contract rent eligible for Housing Choice Voucher program subsidy. Income limits set affordability thresholds for LIHTC, HOME, and other programs.
Housing stock by structure type
Existing housing stock by structure type (ACS).
Owner/renter shares
Owner and renter occupied housing shares (ACS).
Affordability
What income is needed to afford the typical home value using a simple, transparent mortgage model (assumptions shown below).
Affordability assumptions (editable in JS)
Rent burden distribution
Share of renter households by gross rent as a percent of income (ACS DP04 / GRAPI bins).
Households spending ≥30% of income on housing are considered cost-burdened; ≥50% severely burdened.
Age-stratified rent burden (ages 55–62 and 62+) is available in the HUD CHAS data shown in the adjacent panel. Select a county to view CHAS breakdown by AMI tier.
Cost burden by AMI tier (HUD CHAS)
Renter households by income tier (% of Area Median Income) showing not-burdened, moderately burdened (30–50% of income), and severely burdened (>50%) households. Source: HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS).
Stacked bar chart showing renter households at each AMI income tier (≤30%, 31–50%, 51–80%, 81–100%) broken down by housing cost burden status.
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Commuting: mode share
Travel mode split (ACS S0801).
Commuting: inflow & outflow (LEHD LODES)
Workplace-based flows: inflow = jobs located here filled by residents of other areas; outflow = residents working elsewhere; within = live+work here. At the statewide level, inflow/outflow values are suppressed because summing all county OD files double-counts inter-county commuters. Select a county for accurate commuting flows.
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Demographic projections: age pyramid & senior pressure (DOLA/SDO)
County-level single-year-of-age estimates/forecasts used to illustrate aging pressure and household formation dynamics. For municipal/CDP selections, this uses the containing county as context.
Age pyramid
Senior growth pressure
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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
Projection assumptions
Transparent HNA math: projected households = population × headship; units needed = households ÷ (1 − vacancy). For municipalities/CDPs, projections scale from the containing county using current population share and recent relative growth.
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Household Income Distribution
Distribution of households by income bracket — key indicator for affordable housing need stratification by AMI tier. Source: ACS DP03.
Age of Housing Stock
Year housing units were built — older stock may have deferred maintenance needs; newer stock reflects recent production capacity. Source: ACS DP04.
Bedroom Mix
Unit mix by bedroom count — key indicator of whether existing stock meets household composition needs. Source: ACS DP04.
Owner Housing Cost Burden
Owner households by monthly housing costs as a percentage of household income. Costs exceeding 30% indicate a cost burden. Source: ACS DP04.
Housing Gap & Affordability Analysis
Estimated number of households by income tier and cost burden — the foundation of any housing needs assessment. Identifies the gap between affordable units needed and those available.
Select a geography to view housing gap analysis.
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.
Scenario-based demographic projections (5–10 year horizon)
Cohort-component forward projections under three growth scenarios, aligned with DLG HNA methodology. Adjust scenario assumptions and switch views to compare population, household formation, and housing demand by affordability tier.
Moderate growth following recent historical trends.
Source: DOLA State Demography Office — Components of Change (current vintage). DOLA SDO
Population projection by scenario
Baseline, low, and high growth trajectories from DOLA SYA data.
Selected scenario detail
Single-scenario population trend over the 10-year horizon.
Projected households over time
DOLA household formation forecast — drives housing unit demand calculations per DLG methodology.
Projected housing demand by affordability tier (renter households)
Estimated renter households by AMI tier over the 10-year horizon. Used to identify missing AMI tiers for LIHTC applications. Based on statewide CO income distributions (ACS CHAS).
⚙️ Override projection assumptions
Adjust the demographic rate assumptions for the selected scenario. Changes apply immediately to all projection charts. These parameters follow the DLG cohort-component model methodology.
Labor Market Context
Workplace-area employment estimates from LEHD LODES. Job totals, wage distribution, and top industries display when the LEHD WAC cache is populated; commuting flows are available now from the OD summary.
Wage Distribution
High / medium / low wage jobs by count (LEHD WAC CE01–CE03).
Top Industries by Employment
Top NAICS 2-digit sectors (LEHD WAC CNS fields).
Commuting Flows & Methodology
Data source: LEHD LODES8 OD main (JT00) — all workers, all jobs. WAC (Workplace Area Characteristics) data provides job totals, wage bins, and NAICS sectors. LODES Technical Documentation · LODES8 Downloads
Economic Indicators
Employment trends, industry mix, and wage analysis for the selected geography. Data from LEHD LODES and BLS. Updates when county-level LEHD data is cached.
Employment Trend
Total employment over time for the selected area.
Wage Trend
Average wages over time (BLS QCEW).
Industry Analysis
Employment share by NAICS sector.
Wage Gaps
High / medium / low wage job distribution (LEHD CE01–CE03).
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
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
Fast-Track Approval Timeline Calculator
Estimate permitting duration under HB 22-1093 fast-track vs. standard process. HB 22-1093
Compliance Checklist
Track your jurisdiction's Prop 123 (HB 22-1093) compliance steps. Check off each item as completed — progress is saved locally. DOLA guidance ↗
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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
- Annual filing deadline: January 31 each year — File commitment notice with DOLA
- DOLA HB 22-1093 / Prop 123 Page — Official guidance, FAQ, and forms
- DOLA State Demography Office — Population forecasts and Regional Data Explorer used in projections above
- CDOH (Colorado Division of Housing) — State housing programs, vouchers, and funding streams
- CHFA Housing Affordability Gap Map — County-level gap analysis aligned with Prop 123 baseline
- CHFA Resource Library — Developer guides, LIHTC program resources, and QAP
- HB 22-1093 Full Text — Colorado General Assembly
- Eligible jurisdictions: Municipalities ≥ 1,000 population & counties ≥ 5,000 population (per HB 22-1093)
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 current housing 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.
Neighborhood & Architectural Context
Understanding the built environment helps a LIHTC project serve both residents and the surrounding community. Design that fits the neighborhood's character and history builds trust and reduces opposition.
Select a county geography above to load neighborhood context.
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.
Colorado Market Conditions
Land values, recent transactions, and property assessments by region — from Bridge Data Output public records. Updated weekly. Supports early-stage LIHTC site feasibility screening.
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Data: Bridge Data Output public assessments & transactions · Updated weekly via GitHub Actions · Data Quality Dashboard
Housing Action Plan Checklist
Strategic actions for addressing housing needs based on HNA findings. Check items as your jurisdiction completes them. Progress is saved locally by geography.
📦 Housing Supply Actions
💰 Affordability & Demand Actions
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 to your browser by geography. Consult your local planning department and CDOH for 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
Data refreshes automatically via GitHub Actions. Full data sources inventory · Data freshness status