Title
Informational Presentation on the Housing Needs Assessment
Presenter:
Aimee Cox, Chief Housing and Homelessness Response Officer
Katie Sunderlin, Housing Solutions Manager
James McMurray, Matrix Design Group
Dr. Tatiana Bailey, Data-Driven Economic Strategies
Body
Summary:
The Colorado Springs and El Paso County Regional Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) provides a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of current and future housing needs within the city limits of Colorado Springs, unincorporated El Paso County, and the surrounding municipalities. Conducted in compliance with Colorado Senate Bill 24-174, the assessment integrates quantitative data with extensive community engagement to evaluate housing challenges, gaps, and opportunities. These findings are intended to inform the creation of a broader Housing Action Plan to guide local policy, direct resource allocation, and support resident housing needs.
Key Takeaways
-Our community continues to thrive, with our population growth above state and national averages.
-The City’s housing shortage of 27,000 units has been a long time in the making (Great Recession).
-Single-person, senior, and low-income households face acute challenges in the current market.
Previous Council Action:
None
Background:
Senate Bill 24-174 requires each local government, with populations above 1,000, to
conduct and publish an HNA no later than December 31, 2026, and to update the HNA at least every six years thereafter. Jurisdictions are not required to build a certain number of housing units or produce a certain type of affordable housing. Rather, completed HNAs are to be used as an informational tool to develop housing action plans that are tailored to the unique constraints, resources, and capacity of a community or region.
Financial Implications:
The HNA is partially funded by the City of Colorado Springs, the El Paso County Community Development Block Grant, and the State of Colorado Infrastructure and Strong Communities Grant Program.
Beginning in January 2026, the City, in partnership with Matrix and Data-Driven Economic Strategies, will begin work to complete the Housing Action Plan. This effort will be funded by the City’s Housing and Homelessness Response Department as well as a grant from the State of Colorado’s Housing Planning Grant Program.
Housing Action Plans and Housing Needs Assessments are designed to work in tandem as our City moves from identifying housing needs to developing actionable strategies. The City’s Housing Action Plan will build directly on the findings of the HNA, ensuring that housing priorities identified in the assessment are translated into policies, programs, and investments. Together, these tools provide a roadmap for addressing housing affordability and supporting residents across the community.
Going forward, the State will allocate funding according to the priorities outlined below. In response, the City is taking proactive measures to address local housing needs while ensuring compliance with State legislation, beginning with the completion of the Housing Needs Assessment and follow-up efforts on the Housing Action Plan.
On and after December 1, 2027, for any grant program conducted by the Colorado Energy Office, the Office of Economic Development, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Public Health and Environment, or the Department of Personnel and Administration that awards grants to local governments for the primary purpose of supporting land use planning or housing, the act requires the awarding entity to prioritize awarding grants to a local government that, among other items, has completed and filed a Housing Needs Assessment, adopted a Housing Action Plan, and reports progress to the State on adoption of strategies to advance the Housing Action Plan.
Board/Commission Recommendation:
N/A
Stakeholder Process:
Over the course of this project, numerous stakeholders and community members provided their feedback on housing needs, challenges, and opportunities. This qualitative feedback served as an important supplement to the quantitative data findings of the needs assessment and helped to frame the policy and program recommendations found in this report. Stakeholder engagements were held on March 18 and 19, 2025, and included regional housing providers, land use representatives, military representatives, elected officials, and advocacy groups.
Community Survey:
The community questionnaire was disseminated from April to July 2025, generating over 1,900 responses. Residents across Colorado Springs and El Paso County participated, providing feedback on a variety of issues related to housing development. The questionnaire asked about support for affordable housing production generally, affordable housing development incentives, and zoning and regulatory changes to enable new and diverse housing types, among other community preferences.
Alternatives:
N/A
Recommended Action
Proposed Motion:
The Housing Needs Assessment will be presented to both City Council and the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners. No approval is required.