The Funding Sources Inventory tool allows you to search a database of funding sources created for this guide to determine which may be relevant to consider for your development. Use the filters at the top of the page to narrow down the list of possible sources based on the characteristics of your development. The funding sources shown in the list at the bottom will be those that match at least one of the criteria from each of the filter categories you have selected (in other words, the filters use OR logic within each filter category and AND logic across filter categories). Review the remaining list to learn more about each program. You can click the “Details” button to display detailed information about each funding source.
Eligible UsesInclude funding that can be used for:
The federal Historic Tax Credit Program (sometimes called 20% HTC) is a financial incentive to rehabilitate historic properties for income-producing uses, including rental housing. An eligible project can receive a credit for up to 20% of eligible expenses, which reduces an owner's federal tax liability. This program is administered by the National Park Service, with input from State Historic Preservation Office (History Colorado). Rehabilitation using this tax credit must meet 10 Standards for Rehabilitation.
Colorado State Historic Tax Credit
The state historic tax credit program is a financial incentive to rehabilitate historic properties including owner-occupied and rental housing. An eligible project can receive a credit for between 20-35% of eligible expenses, which reduces an owner's state tax liability over ten years.
USDA food distribution resources
USDA offers several food distribution resources to combat food insecurity, including the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (which ships USDA Foods to eligible households), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (which provides USDA Foods to low-income persons aged 60 years or older to supplement their diet), and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (which provides no-cost emergency food assistance to low-income households). The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and Commodity Supplemental Food programs are administered by either an Indian Tribal Organization or state government agency, and they provide USDA Foods and funding for administration. The Emergency Food Assistance Program is administrated by states, providing food directly to households and local nonprofit organizations.
Disaster Loan Assistance (US SBA)
The Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters located in regions affected by declared disasters via their Disaster Loan Assistance program. Loans can cover costs associated with homeowners' primary residence; renter's real property; and repair and replacement of real property for eligible rental property owners.
USDA Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans (aka Section 502 loans)
This program assists low- and very-low-income applicants obtain decent, safe and sanitary housing in eligible rural areas by providing payment assistance to increase an applicant’s repayment ability. Payment assistance is a type of subsidy that reduces the mortgage payment for a short time. The amount of assistance is determined by the adjusted family income.
VA Native American Veteran Direct Loan Program
The Native American Direct Loan (NADL) program is designed to assist households headed by Native Veterans in accessing financing to buy, build, or improve a home on federal trust land.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
CDBG provides federal funding for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income households and prevent slums and blight. The Colorado Division of Housing (DOH) administers the CDBG program for municipalities that do not receive CDBG funds directly. Units of local government (including counties) that do not receive funds directly can apply to DOH through on a monthly basis; local governments may apply on behalf of nonprofits. DOH provides grants for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities (e.g., sewer and water systems, commercial streetscape improvements, community centers, food banks, shelters, health clinics). Entitlement communities receive CDBG funding directly.
Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
HOME provides federal funding to buy, build, or rehabilitate affordable rental and homeownership opportunities and to provide direct rental opportunities to low-income households. Funding can be provided as grants, direct loans, loan guarantees or other forms of credit enhancements, or rental assistance or security deposits. HOME funding for jurisdictions that do not receive this funding directly (non-participating jurisdictions) can apply to DOH through on a monthly basis. Participating jurisdictions (PJs) receive HOME funds directly.
Housing Development Grant Funds (HDG)
HDG, supported by appropriated funds and awarded through a competitive process, provides funds for acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction to improve, preserve or expand the supply of affordable housing, to finance foreclosure prevention activities in Colorado, and to fund the acquisition of housing and economic data necessary to advise the State Housing Board on local housing conditions.
Private Activity Bonds (PABs)
Private activity bonds enable local and state governments to finance private development projects. The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) allocates a portion of its annual bonding authority directly to statewide authorities (CHFA and Colorado Agricultural Development Authority or CADA) and local governments based on population. It retains a portions of the state's annual bonding authority ("Statewide Balance") to award for eligible projects across Colorado, including residential rental projects for low- and moderate-income households. Municipalities and housing authorities can apply for the bonding authority under the Statewide Balance PAB directly from DOLA.
Healthy Homes program
This program offers grants for low-cost, home hazard assessments and interventions that address environmental health and safety concerns (e.g. mold, lead, allergens, asthma, carbon monoxide, home safety, pesticides, and radon). This program expands upon HUD’s other environmental safety programs focused on lead hazard reduction.
CDBG-DR
Colorado uses its allocation of CDBG-DR funding from the federal government for a variety of housing assistance and finance programs, including disaster recovery funding for multifamily housing construction. The CDBG-DR Multifamily Housing Construction Loan provides loans for affordable rental property construction and repair, in accordance with the state's Action Plan.
FEMA funding to Colorado
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers grants to mitigate hazards and increase resilience through a series of programs (Hazard Mitigation Loan Program for activities like structural retrofits; installation of mitigation features; and housing acquisition; Flood Mitigation Assistance for activities that reduce or eliminate flood risks) before and after a disaster. Some resources are available on a competitive basis throughout the entire state, while others are only available in declared disaster areas (see link).
Continuum of Care (CoC) program
The CoC Program is designed to assist individuals (including unaccompanied youth) and families experiencing homelessness and to provide the services needed to help such individuals move into transitional and permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability. More broadly, the CoC Program is designed to promote community-wide planning and strategic use of resources to address homelessness; improve coordination and integration with mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness; improve data collection and performance measurement; and allow each community to tailor its programs to the particular strengths and challenges in assisting homeless individuals and families within that community.
Choice Neighborhoods
The Choice Neighborhoods program leverages significant public and private dollars to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders, such as public housing authorities, cities, schools, police, business owners, nonprofits, and private developers, come together to create and implement a plan that revitalizes distressed HUD housing and addresses the challenges in the surrounding neighborhood. The program helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing severely distressed public and/or assisted housing and catalyzing critical improvements in the neighborhood, including vacant property, housing, businesses, services and schools.
Corporation for Supportive Housing
The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) is a national CDFI and leader in supportive housing, focusing it on person-centered growth, recovery and success that contributes to the health and wellbeing of the entire community. CSH galvanizes supportive housing solutions with powerful capital funds, specialty loan products and development expertise.
RCAC
Founded in 1978, Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. RCAC financing helps developers build single and multifamily affordable housing units for low-income families.
Rural Housing Site Loans (aka Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Housing Program and Section 524 loans)
Rural Housing site loans provide two types of loans to purchase and develop housing sites for low- and moderate-income families. Section 523 loans are used to acquire and develop sites only for housing constructed via the Self-Help method (where households construct the homes themselves, with technical assistance from the grantee), while Section 524 loans are not restricted to a specific construction method.
Colorado Affordable Housing Financing Fund
The Colorado Affordable Housing Financing Fund supports land banking, equity, and concessionary debt for affordable housing. The Fund was created after Colorado voters passed Proposition 123, a ballot measure authorizing the state to retain money from existing state tax revenue to support affordable housing investment. The Fund is managed by the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) in partnership with CHFA.
Colorado State Affordable Housing Fund
The Colorado State Affordable Housing Fund provides funding for various homeownership and homelessness programs administered by DOLA. The Fund was created after Colorado voters passed Proposition 123, a ballot measure authorizing the state to retain money from existing state tax revenue to support affordable housing investment. The Fund is managed by DOLA.
More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative
The More Housing Now and Land Use Initiative is a program of DOLA to support local governments to adopt land use and other strategies to increase the opportunity for affordable and attainable housing development. This initiative helps address the significant demand for local government infrastructure to support these projects.
Middle-income Housing Tax Credit
Authorized in House Bill 24-1316, CHFA introduced a pilot program, the Middle-income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC). This new program will support the development of affordable rental housing serving residents with middle income, earning between 80% and 120% AMI and up to 140% in rural resort communities.
The federal Historic Tax Credit Program (sometimes called 20% HTC) is a financial incentive to rehabilitate historic properties for income-producing uses, including rental housing. An eligible project can receive a credit for up to 20% of eligible expenses, which reduces an owner's federal tax liability. This program is administered by the National Park Service, with input from State Historic Preservation Office (History Colorado). Rehabilitation using this tax credit must meet 10 Standards for Rehabilitation.