The Arapahoe County Planning Commission meeting held on January 7, 2025, focused on the pressing issue of affordable housing in the region. Senior Planner Cat Hammer provided an overview of the housing assessment conducted by Dr. Cog, highlighting the significant gap between housing supply and population growth.

Hammer noted that despite recent construction booms, the region has not produced sufficient housing to meet the needs of its growing population. Low-income households represent the greatest demand for additional housing, and the aging population, along with trends toward smaller households, necessitates a wider variety of housing types. The distribution of housing types and affordability across the region is currently uneven.

The meeting revealed that Arapahoe County has a local need for 2,270 housing units by 2032. In the broader Denver region, over 137,000 housing units are required for households earning between 0 to 60% of the area median income. Furthermore, projections indicate that the Denver region will need to produce more than 511,000 new housing units between 2023 and 2050, with Arapahoe County alone needing nearly 7,000 new units.

The discussion also touched on recent state legislation aimed at addressing these housing challenges, although specific details of the legislation were not elaborated upon during the meeting.

In conclusion, the meeting underscored the urgent need for strategic planning and action to address the housing crisis in Arapahoe County and the surrounding Denver area, with a clear call for diverse and affordable housing solutions to meet the demands of the community.