Boulder County voters took a stand on the housing crisis by approving the Affordable and Attainable Housing Tax (AAHT) last year, setting a precedent for targeted funding aimed at both housing development and essential supportive services. The move, reflective of the community’s prioritization of accessible housing, is expected to generate a considerable $16.7 million in 2025, earmarked for creating more affordable homes, offering housing support, and funding innovative solutions through grants.
Commissioner Marta Loachamin framed the tax as a foundational piece for expanding housing opportunities by stating, “These new local dollars are essential to leverage state and federal funds and private investment in order to expand housing opportunities for workforce and low-income housing,” as per
Boulder County
. In the vein of providing necessary assistance, Commissioner Claire Levy highlighted the integral role of supportive services in maintaining community members’ housing stability, “These types of supports are proven to keep families and individuals in stable housing, preventing homelessness and more expensive impacts in other systems like health care, schools, or criminal justice,” Levy said, as obtained by
Boulder County
.
According to
Boulder County
, equity remains at the core of this initiative as Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann underlined. “Access to affordable and attainable housing is at its heart an equity issue,” Stolzmann remarked, pointing out that women and residents of color disproportionately experience housing instability, insights that have guided the Innovation Grant Program designed to pilot projects tackling these disparities.
The AAHT revenue allocation is meticulously arranged, with about 65 percent going towards housing unit development, and 35 percent towards supportive services to help residents maintain housing and prevent homelessness, the remaining funds are destined for the new grant program. As for distribution, cities like Longmont and Boulder are due for 30 and 32 percent of the development funds respectively, leaving 38 percent for the rest of Boulder County, ensuring a spread aligned with populations across the area, Boulder County’s strategy was outlined.
The Boulder County Housing Department’s Supportive Housing Unit is set to expand its evidence-based programming, offering case management and needs assessment to encourage economic mobility among residents. This programming reaches those in Housing Authority properties or recipients of rent support vouchers, covering services like emergency rental aid, mental health referrals, and career development assistance.
The 2025 launch of the Innovation Grant Program invites nonprofit organizations and small towns within the county to experiment with new approaches to addressing housing disparities, fostering a culture of innovation in local housing programs. Details on this grant application process will become available in 2025.
In preparation for the distribution of the funds, county commissioners proactively engaged with local communities and partners through a series of listening sessions and public work sessions, ensuring a variety of perspectives were considered. The feedback from these discussions helped shape the commissioners’ distribution strategy, resulting in various proposals by stakeholders including city and town managers, public housing authorities, nonprofit partners, and county staff.
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