The City and County of Denver’s dedicated, permanent, affordable housing fund and program is on track to debut next fall, with new staff members hired, a 23-member advisory committee formed and short- and long-range plans, a City Council committee was told Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Rick Padilla, housing director in the Office of Economic Development, and Laura Brudzynski, a community development staffer in the office, updated the Safety, Housing, Education and Homeless Committee on those efforts.

City Council earlier this year voted to form a dedicated fund for affordable housing in Denver, funded by a share of current property tax revenue and a one-time “linkage” fee on new development. The fund is estimated to raise $150 million over the next 10 years to create or preserve 6,000 affordable homes for low to moderate-income families.

Padilla said the office will hire new housing, legal and planning staff members to help start and manage the program, and the rules and regulations to run the program are due to be developed by the city attorney’s office by the end of the year.

A 3-5 year comprehensive housing plan will identify long-term strategic planning and production goals for local, state and federal resources across the homeless to housing spectrum, require supplemental annual action plan and reports and set up the Office of HOPE (Housing and Opportunities for People Everywhere).

Brudzynski said a consultant will be hired by January to help develop the comprehensive plan so it can be presented to City Council by Sept. 1. Public outreach will be designed with help from the consultant and the advisory committee, she added.

The advisory committee will include housing stakeholder groups, developers, public and private partners and financial experts, Brudzynski said.

“It’s where the rubber meets the road with the comprehensive plan and how it’s implemented, along with the program itself,” she stated.

The committee will help develop the comprehensive plan; annual budget priorities; recommend development and preservation production goals, including the mix of rental and for-sale units across the income spectrum; recommend limits on other expenditures, including land banking and supportive services; and strategies to reduce displacement.

The committee will have 9 ex-officio, or non-voting, members:

Executive Director of the Office of HOPE – TBDExecutive Director of the Office of Economic Development – Paul WashingtonExecutive Director of Community Planning and Development – Brad BuchananChief Financial Officer – Brendan HanlonTop Homeless Official – Bennie MillinerExecutive Director of the Denver Housing Authority – Ismael GuerreroExecutive Director of the Denver Urban Renewal Authority – Tracy HugginsExecutive Director of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority – Cris WhiteExecutive Director of the Colorado Division of Housing – Alison George

Mayoral appointments are:

Housing Finance Expert – Kevin MarchmanRepresentative of Homeless Service Provider – John ParvenskyRepresentative of Community Housing Development Organization – Veronica BarelaRepresentative of Major Employer – TBDImpacted Community Member – Randy KilbournePrivate-Sector, Commercial Real Estate Representative – Bill PruterPrivate-Sector, Market Rate Single-Family Residential Real Estate Representative – Michael WarrenPrivate-Sector, Market Rate Multi-Family Real Estate Representative – Kenneth HoFor-profit Affordable Housing Developer – Chuck PerryNonprofit Affordable Housing Development – Heather LaffertyAt-Large Community Member – Trini Rodriguez

And City Council appointees:

At Large Community Member – Jenny SantosHousing Advocate – Brad WeinigCouncil Representative – Robin Kniech

Padilla noted the 2017 budget for housing expenditures in the dedicated housing fund will include $9.5 million to develop and preserve around 540 affordable units, $3 million for land acquisition to build about 120 units, $1.5 million for emergency assistance to help about 266 households, $1 million for administration cost and $500,000 in reserves.

“It’s important to note this does not include any federal funds we receive for housing needs, or the revolving loan fund,” he said.

Padilla said the Office of HOPE will help develop a unified vision across the homeless-to-housing spectrum, including coordinated communication and engagement strategies, making sure budget and policy priorities are coordinated across agencies to institute comprehensive planning for housing and homeless investments.

Padilla said applications for the office director are now under consideration, with the chosen applicant expected to be on board in December.

Brudzynski said a new plans review technician is among the new positions and will help oversee collection of a “linkage” fee from developers that is required under the ordinance, as well as help developers understand the fee and square footage figures involved.

Padilla called affordable housing a regional issue and noted a metro area mayors caucus is trying to address the homeless issue as well.