Englewood housing materials cite renter cost burdens, nearly $600,000 median home price

Englewood’s housing-planning materials cite widespread renter cost burdens, a median home price approaching $600,000 and citywide needs to preserve affordable housing. The City Council is scheduled to discuss the materials Aug. 10, 2026, but no final housing policy is before the council in the study-session packet.

The presentation says one in two renters are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing, while one in four are severely cost-burdened, spending more than 50%. It puts homeownership at about 48% and the median home price at nearly $600,000. The figures appear in the city’s study-session materials, which do not include the underlying datasets or detailed survey methodology.

A city survey of 139 community members found that 58% were concerned about being able to afford living in Englewood within five years. Eighty-three percent identified homes for purchase for working families as a top need, and more than half supported prioritizing preservation of existing affordable homes across the city.

The materials identify renters, working families, low- and moderate-income households, older adults, people with accessibility or mobility needs and people experiencing homelessness among the populations affected. They call for more affordable rentals or rental assistance for residents earning below 50% of area median income, three starter homes priced near or below $300,000, and down-payment assistance for low- and moderate-income households.

The proposed response has three parts: building more homes in more forms and locations; helping residents and preserving existing affordable homes; and developing financing tools and partnerships for new affordable housing. Staff have analyzed potential zoning and development-code changes and researched preservation strategies, but the materials describe recommendations and planning steps rather than adopted changes or a completed housing program.

The work is backed by an $80,000 Colorado Department of Local Affairs Innovative Housing Planning Grant and an $80,000 city match, creating a $160,000 project for a housing-needs assessment and housing strategies, [according to the city’s grant ordinance and accompanying communication](https://englewoodgov.civicweb.net/document/133167/CB%2013%20-%20DOLA%20awarded%20a%20$160,000%20($80,000%20DOLA_$.pdf?handle=AE778C4EE9AC41718CAEE73FFD855825). The newer presentation refers to an “$80,000 HPLN grant (DOLA)” but does not define the acronym or provide a spending schedule.

The planning materials list council approval of a long-range affordable-housing plan, publication of the completed plan and performance dashboards as next steps. A draft implementation table calls for affordable-housing-unit tracking in 2026, evaluation of missing-middle housing opportunities and a dedicated funding strategy in 2027, and a preservation-tracking program in the second quarter of 2027. It also lists a one-time $40,000 request from the Housing Rehabilitation Fund for consulting services. The record does not show that the plan or strategies have received final council approval.