Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the City of Lakewood developing a Strategic Housing Plan and what will be the outcome of this plan?
The lack of affordable Housing has become a very important issue to the state of Colorado and Lakewood residents. The city is working to better understand barriers that limit affordable housing options in Lakewood. Once those gaps and barriers are known, strategies and tools will be identified that the city can use to create more affordable housing opportunities for residents.
What will the Strategic Housing Plan NOT do?
The adoption of the Strategic Housing Plan will not change Lakewood’s Zoning Ordinance or Municipal Code. The data and recommended strategies contained within the plan are for informational purposes only. The plan is intended to be used to make decisions, which could include Lakewood City Council considering changes to the Zoning Ordinance or Municipal Code in the future.
What does affordable housing mean?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers an individual unit affordable if the occupant spends no more than 30 percent of the household’s gross income on housing, including utilities. People who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs are considered to be cost-burdened.
Affordable housing is an umbrella term that generally refers to a spectrum of housing options (shown on the chart below). In most cases, affordable housing refers to housing units that are subsidized and restricted to households earning less than 120 percent Area Median Income (see the question below for an explanation of this term). Our goal of this plan is to create more opportunities for residents to access housing they can afford, either by increasing the production of subsidized housing or identifying ways for residents to afford to live in their current homes.
What kinds of affordable housing are there?
A variety of housing types exist that work for people with different life situations and incomes:
- Emergency or shelter housing: This is housing that is intended to move people into shelter from living unsheltered (such as in a car or a tent). It is meant to be short term and to keep people safe while working toward more stable and longer term housing. Shelters are often run by churches, nonprofits or governments.
- Supportive Housing or Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): This is housing for people who are coming from being unhoused. It is intended to be permanent or long term in nature. This type of housing includes an intense level of services to assist residents with what will help enable them to stay housed. PSH usually has a rental subsidy so that the people living there pay rent that is tied directly to their income. Their rent is calculated at 30 percent of their income. For many people that may mean starting by paying no rent and once stabilized and potentially employed then paying a portion of rent. The rest of the rent for the apartment is paid by either the state or a local housing authority. PSH is usually run by a service provider such as Jefferson Center for Mental Health.
- Subsidized Housing (Section 8 or Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)): While this is often thought of as public housing, there is no public housing in Lakewood. There are apartment communities in which all households receive a subsidized rent that is tied directly to their income. These subsidies are part of the apartment community so any household that moves in receives subsidized rent. The income limits for this are usually at the 50 percent of Area Median Income level (currently $58,600 for a four-person household). The balance of the rent is paid by HUD or a local housing authority. These developments are owned by either nonprofit or for-profit owners.
- Affordable Housing or Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) housing: This refers to apartment communities that were developed through an IRS program. These are public-private partnerships in which an investor is provided with tax credits in exchange for investing in affordable housing. Rents for these apartments are set at varying levels that tie to certain Area Median Incomes (AMI) but are not directly tied to a specific household’s income. All households must qualify at a certain income level and pay the rent for that level. Most of these developments have rents that are set at 30-60 percent of AMI, as published by the Colorado Housing Finance Authority. These developments are owned by either nonprofit or for-profit owners. Metro West Housing Solutions (the housing authority serving Lakewood) owns and operates several throughout the city.
How are Area Median Incomes (AMI) determined?
HUD calculates and publishes Area Median Income (AMI) for all localities annually. The median income is the income at which half of households earn more and half earn less. Currently the median income in Jefferson County for a household of four is $117,200. HUD publishes charts that show the median incomes for various sizes of households. When looking at affordable housing, the incomes and rents that make the housing affordable are at levels below the median. For example, a 50 percent AMI apartment would mean the household earns half of the countywide median income – that is to say, the bottom half of half of the county.
What is the City of Lakewood doing to address homelessness?
The City of Lakewood has identified homelessness and affordable housing as a high priority and is working to develop a citywide coordinated response.
Lakewood has several initiatives to better address homelessness that provide navigation and supportive services to move individuals and families who are unsheltered into stable housing.
- Lakewood Police launched the Community Action Team (CAT) several years ago that specializes in community issues such as homelessness, mental health, and substance abuse. Included in CAT are two homeless navigators, two Jefferson Center mental health co-responders and two Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program managers. These civilian members of the Police Department work directly with those who are sheltered and unsheltered to connect them with resources, case management, emergency shelter options, and supportive services.
- The city has hired a homeless coordinator to provide a citywide coordinated response to homelessness and to bridge the gap in communication with local nonprofit partners and other nearby cities.
- Lakewood is working with Jefferson County on a regional response to homelessness through the Housing Navigation Collaboration (HNC). This effort is in conjunction with other municipalities in Jefferson County to create two housing navigation centers in the northern and central parts of Jefferson County. The Housing Navigation Centers are intended to provide 24/7 shelter, on-site case management, supportive services, and affordable and permanent supportive housing options to people experiencing homelessness. Currently, the HNC is working to identify funding sources and ideal sites for these facilities.
- The city is working on several grant opportunities to create a homeless prevention program that will include supportive services for eviction prevention and housing stability.
- The city also participates in the Built for Zero program, which is a national program that works to improve homeless planning, data collection, and service coordination within communities to systematically end homelessness.
- Lakewood recently adopted an ordinance that allows eligible organizations in the city to participate in the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative. This program allows people who are unsheltered and living in their vehicles to safely park overnight in designated locations where they have access to food, restroom facilities and supportive services.
- Several organizations and affordable housing developers are creating supportive housing in Lakewood. Jefferson Center for Mental Health is constructing 40 units of permanent supportive housing that will serve people experiencing homelessness and those individuals with incomes of less than 30 percent of Area Median Income. This project has begun construction and will take 18 months to complete. More information about the project can be found online.
Are there any resources for people experiencing homelessness?
There are a number of service providers and nonprofit partners that can assist:
Severe Weather Shelter Network
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