Housing Hub Colorado Grant Program

The Joint DOH/HOST Funding Opportunity for CHFA Round Two Applicants is a coordinated funding initiative administered by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Division of Housing through its Office of Housing Finance and Sustainability and the City and County of Denver Department of Housing Stability. This opportunity is designed to support affordable housing developers seeking to apply for the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Round Two Federal and State Housing Tax Credits. It represents a collaborative effort under Housing Hub Colorado, a cross-agency partnership intended to align state and local housing resources and streamline access to financing for affordable housing development projects. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to provide gap financing in the form of loans or grants to strengthen applications submitted to CHFA’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. The funding is intended to help projects achieve financial feasibility and competitiveness within the tax credit allocation process. The Division of Housing anticipates making approximately 19 million dollars available, while HOST funding amounts are not predetermined and depend on availability at the time of application. Applicants are required to identify the total project financing gap and specify their preference for funding from either DOH or HOST, ensuring alignment with project geography and funding priorities. Eligible uses of funds include supporting the development of housing projects that will be submitted for tax credits, with expenditures tied to construction and development financing needs. Funding is not automatically awarded through this process; instead, applicants receive a conditional commitment contingent upon successful tax credit awards and subsequent full application review. DOH and HOST aim to avoid splitting awards across both agencies for a single project whenever possible. Final funding remains subject to underwriting, compliance with legislative requirements, and competitive review during subsequent application stages. The application process involves a two-step submission structure. First, applicants must submit a Letter of Intent using a provided template by May 15, 2026. This is followed by a full pre-application submission due June 1, 2026. Required materials include a completed Neighborly application covering sections A through D, a detailed project budget using either DOH or CHFA templates, organizational bios for the development team, and required certifications for Denver-based projects. Submissions are treated as pre-applications and undergo evaluation by both OHFS and HOST based on their respective scoring criteria and strategic priorities. Evaluation criteria include alignment with DOH Housing Development Scoring Criteria and HOST strategic priorities. Projects selected through this pre-application phase receive conditional commitment letters specifying potential funding amounts. These letters must be included in the applicant’s CHFA tax credit submission. If a project is awarded tax credits, applicants must proceed through additional steps including full applications, underwriting, and contracting processes with the respective funding agency. The timeline for this opportunity includes a May 15, 2026 deadline for Letters of Intent and a June 1, 2026 deadline for full pre-applications. Conditional determinations are expected in early July 2026. For DOH-funded projects, full application submission occurs later when construction financing is ready to close, and final awards are contingent on compliance with House Bill 24-1308. For HOST-funded projects, a Housing Development Officer will guide applicants through next steps. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact their assigned Housing Development Specialist for DOH-related inquiries or reach out via the HOST housing development email for Denver-specific projects.

Clearly demonstrate total project financing gap; align proposal with DOH scoring criteria and HOST strategic priorities; ensure all required documents are complete and consistent