Denver committee advances DHA rezoning for Barnum affordable-homeownership pilot

The Denver City Council’s Community Planning and Housing Committee advanced a rezoning request Sept. 1 that would allow the Denver Housing Authority to pursue affordable tandem-homeownership development on three Barnum-area properties. The full City Council is scheduled to consider the request Oct. 13, 2026.

The committee action is not final approval. If the council approves the rezoning, DHA and its partners would still need to complete development, permitting and affordability work before building and selling the homes.

Request 25-1252 seeks to change the zoning on three DHA-owned properties from E-SU-Dx, which generally permits single-unit residential development, to E-TU-C, which allows two-unit forms including tandem homes:

• 76 N. Hazel Court, a 6,250-square-foot lot;
• 80–90 N. Yates Street, a 12,500-square-foot lot; and
• 4519 W. 3rd Avenue, a 6,670-square-foot lot.

Together, the parcels cover about 25,420 square feet. The application identifies Denver Housing LLC, whose sole member is the Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver, as the owner.

The properties are part of the first phase of DHA’s Single Family+ Affordable Homeownership Pilot Project, which the application describes as involving 10 affordable tandem-home units citywide. The records do not specify how many units would be assigned to the three Barnum and Barnum West parcels.

The rezoning would allow DHA and partners including Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver to pursue new homes behind or alongside existing residences. At one site, officials described two existing single-family dwellings on one zone lot, with plans to split the lot and build two tandem homes behind them. The existing homes are expected to remain, according to the Sept. 1 committee discussion.

The proposed homes would be income-restricted primarily for households earning no more than 80% of area median income. The application describes energy-efficient, all-electric and solar-ready construction using pre-designed plans and panelized building methods.

DHA has said it would retain ownership of the land while Habitat manages the long-term land-lease structure. The application describes a 99-year community-land-trust model intended to preserve affordability, but the records do not include final ground-lease terms, a resale formula or stewardship rules.

The application references Proposition 123, HOST and other city and state housing resources, as well as potential lending products and down-payment or closing-cost assistance discussed by officials. It does not provide a project budget, per-home development cost, sale price, expected monthly payment or confirmed funding stack. The only buyer qualification established in the available records is the income target of up to 80% of area median income; additional requirements for household size, credit, residency, first-time-buyer status or employment are not specified.

Neighborhood concerns and outreach

DHA’s application documents meetings and outreach in February and April, including a Feb. 4 meeting with Councilwoman Jamie Torres, a Feb. 10 presentation to the Community Coalition for Barnum, mailed notices to residents within 200 feet on April 1, an April 11 meeting at Barnum Park and an April 21 virtual meeting. DHA’s materials describe support from the coalition but do not provide attendance totals, the support letter or any conditions.

The committee discussion added concerns not detailed in the application. A neighbor of the Hazel Court property submitted an opposition letter citing the condition of an existing structure and arguing that the proposal conflicted with the West Area Plan memo, according to the meeting record. Torres also referred to concerns about the condition of the primary home and possible construction disruption.

Torres said nearby residents attended an open house and that a tenant had expressed interest in whether she could move into homeownership. The available records do not establish the overall level of neighborhood support or opposition or include responses from every registered neighborhood organization identified in the city’s review.

What remains before approval

Denver planning staff recommended approval, and the Denver Planning Board unanimously recommended approval Aug. 19. On Sept. 1, the committee advanced the request after a motion and second. The committee agenda lists Oct. 13 as the scheduled date for full City Council consideration.

As of Sept. 2, the Oct. 13 proceeding remains a future scheduled action, and the available records do not establish that the council has approved the rezoning. They also do not show final building plans, construction contracts, sale prices, detailed buyer-selection rules or construction dates for the three properties.

Officials said design and permitting work was underway for pilot properties, with some sites preparing for permits, but the committee record does not establish that construction has begun at the Barnum or Barnum West sites. Rezoning approval alone would authorize a land-use change; it would not approve construction plans or guarantee that the homes will be built.