Department of City Manager’s Office
Reference: Preliminary Results of the Housing Needs Assessment
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Marv Falconburg, Acting City Manager
Prepared By: Nicole Samson, Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Governmental Affairs
Date Prepared: February 14, 2020
PURPOSE
Heidi Aggeler, Managing Director of Root Policy Research, will present the preliminary results of the Adams County Housing Needs Assessment. The information from this assessment can be used for several purposes, including understanding the housing needs and gaps in the community and when applying for grant funds. Also, Heidi will be gathering Council’s perspective on housing and will ask the following questions:
1. What concerns do you hear from constituents about residential development?
2. What concerns do you hear about housing affordability?
3. What are the top 3 to 5 questions you would like to learn from the final report? (For example: How many affordable rental units does the city need to alleviate demand for low-income rentals? Is the city in need of “missing middle” housing? How much residential development is needed to accommodate projected employment growth?)
STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA
Recognizable and Well-Planned Community
Innovative, Data-Driven, Results-Focused City Government
Safe, Active and Engaged Community
Strong Regional Relationships and Partnerships
BACKGROUND
The City of Brighton has been participating in the process to assess the housing challenges and needs in the county since fall 2019. Information from this assessment will be used to create the Consolidated Plan for the local governments in Adams County. This plan is essentially an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. If HUD accepts the plan, Adams County will receive CDBG funds each year over the next five years. The City of Brighton will be able to use some of the CDBG funds to complete community development and housing projects that serve low- and moderate-income residents. Brighton has been receiving between $140,000 and $190,000 of CDBG funds a year through the County to fund projects, such as sidewalk widening in eligible neighborhoods or minor home repairs for low- and moderate-income homeowners.
Adams County staff hired Root Policy Research to perform the survey and create the Consolidated Plan. The City has placed surveys in English and Spanish at City Hall, the recreation center and the Eagle View Adult Center. More than 1,300 people living throughout Adams County have completed surveys. The survey will be open until the end of February. The survey is available in English and Spanish:
• English: <https://www.research.net/r/Adams2020>
• Español: <https://es.research.net/r/Adams2020s>
The information from the survey will also help the municipalities and the County discuss regional strategies to increase and preserve affordable housing.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adams County is paying for the housing needs assessment and the creation of the plan.
ATTACHMENTS
Preliminary study results