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Proposal to expand housing affordability moves forward 
The Expanding Housing Affordability project team read your comments on the most recent proposal released February 2, and they made some changes. Read on to learn more about the latest refinements to the proposal, and the next steps as we begin advancing this proposal through the legislative process. 
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What's changed?
The framework of the proposal remains the same, but there are some details that have changed in response to community feedback received during this public comment period.
The linkage fee is increased, bringing it closer to feasibility in most categories.
In response to community feedback, the linkage fee has been increased, bringing it closer to what the financial feasibility analysis concluded were the financial feasibility thresholds for most categories. The increase to the linkage fee will now occur over four years instead of the previous version's three years. 
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The vehicle parking exemption is only applied to development within ¼ mile of fixed rail transit stops.
One of the enhanced incentives the proposal offers in exchange for increased affordable units (beyond the proposal requirement) is a vehicle parking exemption. The previous version of the proposal allowed the exemption to apply to development within ¼ mile of Blueprint Denver designated enhanced transit corridors (pg 118). The updated version only allows the exemption to apply to development within ¼ mile of fixed rail transit stops. 
The applicability of high-impact developments is increased.
High impact developments are developments that require a tailored housing outcome and community outreach. The previous version of the proposal applied high-impact development to development of 10 acres or more, or development five acres or more that uses a public financing tool, such as tax increment financing. The updated version applies high-impact development to development of 10 acres or more, or any development using a public financing tool. 
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Transparency and reporting on Linkage Fee and Mandatory Housing outcomes is improved.
The proposal now requires a public-facing dashboard to report on program outcomes. 
These are only some of the many changes made to the proposal over the course of the project in response to community input. To see all the ways the proposal has changed, and community feedback summaries, check out the Project Archive.
What's next?
The proposal will be reviewed in public hearings before the Denver Planning Board and Denver City Council. Interested individuals and organizations will have the opportunity to comment during these public hearings, and the first hearing is coming up on April 6. 

Planning Board Public Hearing on the zoning code amendments of the Expanding Housing Affordability Proposal 
3 p.m., Wednesday, April 6, 2022 
Watch or sign up to speak: 
This proposal must be adopted by Denver City Council before it will become effective. 
Why are we doing this work?
Denver needs more affordable housing across the income spectrum. In addition to existing affordable housing programs, the City and County of Denver is developing a policy to ensure that as new homes are built in Denver, more affordable homes are built too – both to rent and to buy. As the cost of living in Denver has gone up, one in three households in our city struggles to afford housing costs today. These are our neighbors who are daycare providers and teachers, social workers, restaurant workers, and many other people who make our city the great place we all love. That’s where the Expanding Housing Affordability project comes in.

To learn about other housing initiatives underway, please visit DenverGov.org/housing.