Denver Marks Decade of Affordable Housing Fund
The city's dedicated housing fund, now ten years old, has supported thousands of homes and rental and mortgage assistance programs.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Should Denver keep using property taxes and fees to fund affordable housing?
Denver celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its Affordable Housing Fund, established by ordinance in September 2016. The fund has generated over 7,600 affordable housing units and supported 7,699 homes overall, including 900 permanent supportive housing units for people exiting homelessness.
Why it matters
The fund is the first dedicated local funding source for affordable housing in Denver, resourced through property tax, a linkage fee, sales tax on recreational marijuana, and the General Fund. Its growth over the decade shapes how the city finances housing for lower-income residents.
The city reports $335 million in fund revenue over the past decade, with annual revenue doubling from $15 million to $30 million in 2018. The figures do not break down how the total was split among construction, preservation and rental assistance.
The players
Mike Johnston
Mayor of Denver, who led a panel discussion with housing partners marking the fund's anniversary.
Denver Department of Housing Stability
Denver city agency that administers the Affordable Housing Fund and its assistance programs.
Denver Housing Authority
Public housing agency that used fund revenue to support the D3 Program funding surge.
The details
The Affordable Housing Fund is administered by Denver's Department of Housing Stability and has funded temporary rent and utility assistance, eviction legal assistance and mortgage assistance alongside construction. The Denver Housing Authority used property tax revenue from the fund to help generate a $129.5 million funding surge through the D3 Program.
Timeline
September 2016: Affordable Housing Fund established by ordinance.
2018: Annual fund revenue doubled to $30 million.
Nov. 5, 2026: Anniversary celebration and panel discussion held at Mosaic Community Campus in Park Hill.
Within the next year: 517 planned affordable homes expected to break ground.
Roadmap
Denver's fund was created by a 2016 ordinance that made it the city's first dedicated local source for affordable housing. Ten years on, its revenue and housing output are the measures by which that policy is now being judged.
Residents seeking rental or mortgage help can access temporary assistance funded through the Affordable Housing Fund. The 154 restricted units at Mosaic Community Campus are reserved for households earning 30 to 60 percent of area median income.
The takeaway
A dedicated, recurring local revenue source has turned a one-time budget practice into a decade-long housing pipeline, and readers tracking affordability in Denver can watch the 517 homes in planning as the next measure of that record.
What happens next
About 517 additional affordable homes are in the planning stage and expected to break ground within the next year.
Further reading
For related giving and community investment coverage, see Philanthropy on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Yellow Scene Magazine.
Live Poll
Should Denver keep using property taxes and fees to fund affordable housing?
