To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Tara Vargish, PE, Director, Development Services
Brad Boland, AICP Long Range Project Manager
Title
Discussion/Direction: Regional Housing Needs Assessment
Body
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Executive Summary
The Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) embarked on regional housing work in recent years in response to member governments' request for assistance in tackling housing on a regional level. The Denver Area Regional Housing Needs Assessment is its leadoff housing planning effort and will be followed by a housing strategy in the future. The Regional Housing Needs Assessment, which is
included as Attachment A, was reviewed and accepted by the DRCOG Board of
Directors in October 2024 as a guide for future housing planning, strategy and action. The Town of Castle Rock is included in the DRCOG Planning Area (Exhibit 1), and therefore the housing needs for Castle Rock are looked at in this assessment.
The Sustainable Affordable Housing Act, also known as SB24-174, was passed by the
state legislature last year. While the law includes a number of provisions related to
housing, one component is a requirement for local jurisdictions to conduct a housing
needs assessment that conforms to methodologies developed by the Colorado
Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) by December 31, 2026. Local governments may meet the housing assessment requirement of SB24-174 if they participate in a regional housing needs assessment that complies with DOLA’s methodology. Reviewing this DRCOG Regional Housing Needs Assessment (Attachment A) at a public meeting and submitting comments to DRCOG within a designated 60-day review period fulfills the state law’s participation requirements for the Town of Castle Rock. Conducting or participating in a housing needs assessment does not obligate the jurisdiction to make any changes to their local land use regulations.
While participation in the DRCOG Regional Housing Needs Assessment is optional, doing so allows a jurisdiction to be in compliance with the housing needs assessment component of SB24-174 without conducing their own separate housing needs assessment. Participation in the DRCOG Regional Housing Needs Assessment does not preclude local jurisdictions from later pursuing their own state compliant local housing needs assessment if they see value in doing so.
After the review and comment period, DRCOG will submit the Regional Housing Needs
Assessment along with the comments of each local government to DOLA, the state
agency designated to review and accept housing needs assessments. Exhibit 1 below shows the DRCOG Planning Area, which was used in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment.
Attachments
Attachment A Regional Housing Needs Assessment