Community Development Department
Reference: Adoption of a Housing Action Plan
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Shawn Weiman, Affordable Housing Coordinator
Date Prepared: October 26, 2026
PURPOSE
To adopt a Housing Action Plan (“HAP”) containing housing strategies and an implementation plan.
BACKGROUND
A Housing Needs and Incentive Strategies Assessment (“HNA”) was presented to the City Council on October 24, 2023. The HNA forecasts a ten-year housing need of 3,100 units and recommends twenty-two strategies by which the City’s housing needs may be met.
After the HNA was accepted as the City’s housing strategies guide, Colorado Senate Bill 24-174 (the “Bill”) required the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (“DOLA”) to put forth a set of strategies by which housing needs goals can be met. Jurisdictions are required to select a certain number of those strategies and format them into a HAP. Subsequently, adoption of a HAP is required to comply with the Bill.
Recommended HAP strategies were presented to the City Council and the Planning Commission during a joint study session on June 9, 2026. DOLA completed a preliminary review of the selected HAP strategies and implementation plan and determined that they are adequate to take to a public hearing before the City Council.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The HNA’s recommended housing strategies greatly overlap with DOLA’s list of strategies, and some HNA strategies have already been implemented either via code amendments or policy adoption. The following strategies were selected for inclusion in the HAP:
1. Leverage public land for housing,
2. Subsidize or reduce impact fees for affordable housing,
3. Subsidize or reduce permit fees for affordable housing,
4. Implement a density bonus program,
5. Implement an expedited development review process for affordable housing,
6. Incentivize accessible or visitable units,
7. Adopt laws that support family housing,
8. Remain eligible for Proposition 123 funding,
9. Amend zoning to encourage Missing Middle and ADU housing,
10. Create an administrative review process for certain affordable housing applications,
11. Support legal costs for evictions or foreclosures, and
12. Preserve existing affordable housing.
The strategies are consistent to those of the HNA. Additional strategies identified by DOLA that are not proposed for adoption within the initial HAP are not precluded from adoption in the future.
The HAP strategies do not impose obligations on the City. Rather, the HAP strategies demonstrate compliance with the Bill and the intent to address the housing needs identified in the HNA. However, noncomplying jurisdictions risk grant funding ineligibility.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
City staff recommends approval of the resolution adopting the HAP that will then be submitted to DOLA in compliance with state statutes and that will serve as an additional guide for meeting the City’s housing goals.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of the public hearing was published on the City of Brighton website on October 14, 2026, and a draft of the HAP was posted on the City website at the time of notice, as required by state statute.
OPTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
The City Council has three options when reviewing the resolution and may:
1. Adopt the resolution;
2. Deny the resolution;
3. Continue the item to be heard at a later, specified date if the City Council would like to make changes to the resolution or feels it needs additional information to consider the resolution.
ATTACHMENTS
● Resolution Adopting the Housing Action Plan
● Housing Action Plan
● Public Notice
● Proof of Public Notice Publication
● Draft PowerPoint Presentation