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Week of December 8, 2022
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
EnglewoodHerald.net
VOLUME 102 | ISSUE 43
Residential complex clears zoning board Council up next BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With voter approval, Colorado will embark on how to have more affordable housing statewide.
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Affordable housing initiative could face rocky future Proposition 123 was approved by Colorado voters BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Few issues affect Coloradans as much as rising housing prices. The state will take a step toward addressing the problem — to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year — as officials implement SEE HOUSING, P2
WHAT COLORADO CURRENTLY DOES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING The state partners with local communities to increase and preserve Colorado’s affordable housing stock, manage rentalassistance vouchers, and address homelessness, says the state’s “blue book” voter guide, noting the state Department of Local Affairs is involved. The current budget for the department’s affordable housing initiatives is about $200 million, about half of which is from state sources, with the rest coming from federal sources. Since 2021, the state has allocated more than $1.2 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for
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affordable housing and services that address housing insecurity, lack of affordable and workforce housing, or homelessness. (The Urban Land Institute defines “workforce” households as those earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income.) These are one-time funds that will be spent over the next several years on: • Emergency rental assistance; • Homeowner mortgage assistance; • Tax credits for developers; • Housing and infrastructure; • And other housing solutions, such as manufactured homes.
A proposed 395-unit residential development near West Oxford Avenue and South Navajo Street is one step closer to approval after receiving support from the majority of Englewood’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The final decision will be in the hands of Englewood City Council at a future hearing. Embrey Partners, a real estate investment company, aims to develop a four-story, multifamily building containing 361 rental units and 34 rental townhome units in seven, three-story buildings. The development would be located on the 8.6-acre lot that is currently home to business sites such as Sam’s Automotive Reconditioning Center, which closed permanently at the end of October. Currently, the lot is zoned as I-1, representing a light industrial zone district. Under this zoning, a range of developments are permitted, such as an office building, a hotel, and a warehousing or storage facility, according to the city’s Code of Ordinances. Multi-unit dwellings are not permitted in industrial zoning districts. To be able to develop the proposed townhome and multifamily complex, the developers had to submit an application to rezone the property to a planned unit development. SEE HOUSING, P15
WARM SPOT FOR WINTER PRODUCE
Packing container to bring farming downtown
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