What we do
The Housing and Community Vitality Department manages the City of Colorado Springs' strategic investments to strengthen neighborhoods, increase the availability of quality affordable housing, engage social service providers to prevent homelessness, and expand economic opportunity for low-and-moderate income residents.
Our mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all people in Colorado Springs.
Our department manages the City of Colorado Springs entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs. Funds must be used to benefit primarily low- and moderate-income residents. The City’s annual goals for the use of funds are developed with community and citizen participation and published in the Annual Action Plan and Consolidated Plan.
Programs
- Affordable Housing Development and Rehabilitation. Work with nonprofit and for-profit developers to encourage the development and preservation of affordable housing.
- Direct Services. Partner with nonprofit agencies to provide services that promote housing stability, family health and safety, economic opportunities and resilience for vulnerable residents Neighborhood Facilities and Infrastructure.
- Neighborhood Facilities and Infrastructure. Encourage safe and livable neighborhoods through targeted planning and improvements and accessibility to key public facilities.
- Economic Development activities. Expand opportunities for economic development to under resourced communities.
- Homelessness Prevention. Collaborate with outside agencies and other city departments to implement a comprehensive strategy to address homelessness by funding critical services and infrastructure.
A positive impact
Learn more about the many ways that we partner with non-profit and for-profit organizations; and philanthropic foundations to help vulnerable individuals and families in our community overcome challenges by finding affordable places to live, improving their neighborhoods, and preventing homelessness.
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Innovative assistance program helps small businesses “survive and thrive”
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City partners with Brothers Redevelopment to fix up homes for low-income seniors
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Celebrate local impact with National Community Development Week (Gazette op ed by Steve Posey)
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Low-income families see a bright future thanks to new affordable housing project
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Ending veteran homelessness (Behind the Springs Podcast)
Funding
Colorado Springs receives about $6 million in entitlement grant funds annually from the federal government through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These funds have a tremendous impact on our residents' quality of life, neighborhood services, local businesses, community infrastructure, homelessness and housing. Funds are allocated annually by the U.S. Congress.
Read the full report on expenditures and impact contained in the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report
What is low to moderate income?
Low to moderate income (also referred to as LMI) is a measure of a household's income *in comparison to the Area Median Income (AMI) or less, as established by HUD.
- Extremely low income is zero to 30 percent AMI
- Very low income is 30 to 50 percent AMI
- Low income is 50 to 80 percent AMI
- Moderate income is over 80 percent AMI = over limits