The City of Fort Collins helps create and preserve affordable housing through funding, policies and partnerships to ensure everyone has healthy, stable housing they can afford.
Several Down Payment Assistance programs serve Fort Collins. Contact the individual programs with specific questions. The City of Fort Collins no longer provides direct homebuyer loans.
Pay Off and Subordination of Existing HBA Loans
For homeowners with an existing Homebuyer Assistance loan who need to pay off their loan or request a subordination, contact housing@fortcollins.gov.
Homeownership Assistance Referrals
The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance or engaging in other housing activities. Fair housing laws provide equal housing opportunities. It is illegal to discriminate based on a person's protected class (race, color, national origin, religion, sex — including gender identity — and sexual orientation, familial status and disability) in the sale, rental or financing of housing.
If you feel you've been discriminated against, the City, State and Federal governments have different ways of handling complaints.
City of Fort Collins
State of Colorado
Colorado Division of Civil Rights
Federal Government
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
To mail, print the form on the Housing and Urban Development website and mail to:
FHEO Region 8
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
1670 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202
Call 1-303-672-5437 for assistance
Each year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sets Area Median Income (AMI) for the Fort Collins/Loveland Metropolitan Statistic Area (MSA), broken down by household size and percentage of AMI.
| Household Size |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
| 100% AMI |
89,400 |
102,100 |
114,900 |
127,600 |
137,900 |
148,100 |
158,300 |
168,500 |
| 80% of AMI |
71,520 |
81,680 |
91,920 |
102,080 |
110,320 |
118,480 |
126,640 |
134,800 |
| 60% of AMI |
53,640 |
61,260 |
68,940 |
76,560 |
82,740 |
88,860 |
94,980 |
101,100 |
| 50% of AMI |
44,700 |
51,050 |
57,450 |
63,800 |
68,950 |
74,050 |
79,150 |
84,250 |
| 30% of AMI |
26,820 |
30,630 |
34,470 |
38,280 |
41,370 |
44,430 |
47,490 |
50,550 |
Updated 4/25/25
AMI = Area Median Income
- 51-80%: Low Income Limit (HOME High Income Limit)
- 31-50%: Very Low Income Limit (HOME Low Income Limit)
- 0-30%: Extremely Low Income Limit
*80%, 60%, 50% & 30% are the HOME income limits published by HUD. These are the income limits required for projects funded with CDBG & HOME.
Notice: All listings for the sale of deed-restricted properties at Provincetowne, Avondale or Harmony Cottages must state that the unit is part of the Affordable Housing Program and is deed-restricted.
Buyer Requirements
- Purchasing as an owner-occupant residence (requires verification via purchase contract)
- Gross annual income cannot exceed maximum income limits per household size (see HUD chart above)
- Total monthly housing costs (payment plus homeowners association cost) cannot exceed 38% of monthly gross income
- Purchase price must be affordable to this particular household
Documents Requested
- Most recent tax return
- Verification of income
- 60 days of paystubs
- Source documentation of any fixed income payments
- Loan estimate from lender
- Must include proposed monthly housing payment plus HOA cost (not to exceed 38% of buyer's monthly gross income)
- Purchase contract (after City has reviewed completed application material and issued letter of eligibility)
Process
- Complete the Affordable Unit Application, email housing@fortcollins.gov to start the process
- Compile required documentation (listed above)
- Send completed application and all requested documentation to the housing@fortcollins.gov.
- If you would like the City to provide a secure folder for submission of documents, contact housing@fortcollins.gov.
Questions? Contact housing@fortcollins.gov.
The Land Bank program is Fort Collins' only long-term affordable housing tool. With rising land prices and a fixed Growth Management Area (GMA), this program ensures a good distribution of land will be available in the future to increase affordable housing inventory. The strategy is to buy sites that currently lack infrastructure, which lowers the value. As surrounding projects build utilities and streets, the Land Bank property will be less expensive to develop in the long run.
To date, the City bought seven Land Bank sites and sold two that have been developed into affordable housing. Most of these properties have been held past the suggested minimum level of maturity for the program (five years), however the newest parcel was acquired in 2025.
View Interactive Affordable Housing, Land Bank and Manufactured Homes Map
Land Bank description and details can be found in the Municipal Code, Chapter 23, Article XIII.
To encourage the building of affordable housing units, Fort Collins offers development incentives to reduce costs to developers. For complete definitions, see Section 5.1.2 of the Fort Collins Land Use Code. To receive affordable housing development incentives, a project must meet certain criteria as defined in the Land Use Code.
For more information information about incentives and resources please contact housing@fortcollins.gov.
Affordability Standards
Rental and for-sale projects shall provide one of the following minimum unit options:
- Rental Units: 10% units at 60% Area Median Income (AMI) or 20% units at 80% AMI
- For-Sale: 10% units at 80% AMI or 20% units at 100% AMI
Applicants shall submit a notarized affidavit to the Development Review Coordinator assigned to the project that shows how the development meets the affordability standards and administrative requirements.
City of Fort Collins' Competitive Funding Process
The City of Fort Collins runs the Competitive Process each spring to allocate local and federal funds for Affordable Housing projects. The City's goal in allocating this funding is to enhance the community's sustainability by addressing needs among our community members who are low-income.
Learn About the Competitive Process
Fee Credits
Affordable housing projects may qualify for fee credits if providing housing for formerly homeless individuals, housing for people with disabilities or people earning 30% of the AMI or less.
See Article VIII of the Municipal Code for full detail.
Impact Fee Delay
Impact fees are typically paid when building permits are issued. This incentive allows the developer to delay payment of those impact fees until a certificate of occupancy is issued, or Dec. 1 of that year, whichever happens first.
See Section 7.5-26 of the Fort Collins Municipal Code & Charter for full detail.
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) has a multi-family lending team providing financial solutions supporting the acquisition, rehabilitation, refinance and new construction of affordable rental housing in Colorado. CHFA also serves as the state's allocating agency for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC or Housing Tax Credit) program, a critical resource that helps facilitate affordable housing development. The LIHTC uses federal tax credits available under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to create and maintain rental housing for low and very low income households throughout the state of Colorado.
Visit LIHTC Website
Private Activity Bonds
Private activity bonds (PABs) are tax-exempt bonds which can be issued for specific purposes, including single-family mortgage revenue bonds, industrial development bonds, rental housing development and exempt facilities. The federal government grants annual allocations of this bonding authority to states under the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The City of Fort Collins receives an annual allocation to be used for eligible activities.
Written requests for Private Activity Bond capacity are accepted annually on or before March 15. Contact housing@fortcollins.gov for more information.
Pilot Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Offset Program
Affordable Housing Projects built to the 2021 Building Code may receive a fee credit to offset the cost of electric vehicle infrastructure that exceeds the requirements of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. To be eligible parking spaces must include at least:
- One EVSE-Installed type 2 charging station installed during construction ($10,500 credit)
- 20% of spaces EV Capable – Installation of panel space and conduit to accommodate future build-out of EV charging with 208/240 V, 40-amp circuits EV infrastructure ($2,000 credit)
- 15% of spaces EV Ready – Full circuit installations including 208/240V, 40-amp panel capacity, raceway, wiring, receptacle and overprotection devices similar to a dryer ($4,000 credit)
Once minimum standards are met, credit amounts will be calculated based on one EVSE – Installed, 5% of EV Ready Spaces and 10% of EV Capable. There will be one credit permitted per parking space type.
Affordable Housing Capital Fund
Funding from the 1/4 Cent Capital Tax, Affordable Housing Capital Fund may be available to support the development of affordable housing. To learn more about the Affordable Housing Capital Fund, including availability and process to request funding, please email housing@fortcollins.gov.
The Affordable Housing Board advises City Council on affordable housing issues. The City has several programs to build more affordable housing units and keep existing housing units in the community. These programs include development review priority processing, impact fee collection delay, limited fee relief, and Land Use Code incentives.
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