Housing Study & Policy Development

The City of Centennial initiated an in-depth Housing Study and Policy Development process (Housing View the Community Housing Strategies Summary Report Study) to expand the City’s prior affordable housing research efforts and engage the community in a discussion about possible policy options that Centennial is considering implementing to increase housing options and address affordability concerns.  Over the course of 2022, residents and community members, the Housing Strategies and Policies Working Group, the Planning Commission, and the City Council have studied and discussed a group of innovative housing strategies for applicability to Centennial. The innovative housing strategies were identified by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), based on instruction provided by Colorado House Bill 21-1271, adopted on June 27, 2021. The project is being managed by a project team comprised of City staff from Community Development, Communications, and the City  Manager’s Office, with support from a consultant team, led by Colorado-based Clarion Associates, in partnership with Root Policy Research. 

The HSPD project includes three major milestones: 

• Preparation of a Community Housing Needs Assessment (completed by Root Policy Research) 

• Public Engagement on Housing Strategies and Development of Housing Policy.

• Land Development Code modifications and other policy actions. 

Clarion worked with all of the project participants to gather feedback about the potential implementation of the following innovative housing strategies. Outreach included community meetings, staffing a pop-up booth at community events, rolling surveys, Planning Commission and City  Council work sessions and updates, and a monthly meeting with the project Working Group.The City of Centennial undertook a multi-phase Housing Study and Policy Development process to better understand local housing needs and evaluate potential policy and Land Development Code responses to expand housing options and address affordability concerns. Funded in part through a Colorado Department of Local Affairs planning grant, the project combined a detailed Housing Needs Assessment, prepared by Root Policy Research, with a broad public and stakeholder process involving residents, community stakeholders, a Housing Working Group, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and City Council.

The Housing Needs Assessment identified current and projected housing gaps, including the need for increased housing production, additional lower-cost rental options, more missing middle ownership opportunities, and housing choices aligned with the needs of Centennial’s workforce. Building on that analysis, Clarion helped guide the City’s evaluation of nine housing strategies drawn from Colorado House Bill 21-1271 and local priorities, organized those strategies by implementation type, and supported the Housing Working Group’s review of each strategy against criteria such as technical feasibility, administrative feasibility, equity considerations, impact, cost, and benefits.

During 2022 and 2023, Clarion led strategy refinement, prepared the Community Housing Strategies Summary Report, supported review by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council, and advanced four priority strategies into drafting and further consideration: accessory dwelling units, expedited review, inclusionary zoning, and land banking. Consultant work in 2023 focused on refining these approaches into draft policy and code concepts for City review and potential adoption.