The town of Hayden has received $75,000 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Housing Planning Grant Program for a housing needs assessment and action plan, according to a statement released on Monday. 

The program helps fund planning work that supports compliance with Senate Bill 24-174, including housing needs assessments, housing action plans, and strategic growth and water supply elements of comprehensive plans. 

The 15 funded projects, totaling $1.41 million in grant funding, assist 59 local governments and two regional groups, spanning nine rural, 10 rural resort and 38 urban jurisdictions.

“The Town of Hayden was very excited to hear that we received this impactful award that will help the Town update its housing needs assessment per the requirements of SB24-174,” said Town Manager Mathew Mendisco in a Monday statement to the newspaper.

“While SB24-174 required municipalities to either conduct a housing needs assessment or update their existing assessments, this grant provides a funding mechanism so that we can also help pay for the new study and not leave it as an ‘unfunded mandate,'” he continued. 

“Even in the last three years housing conditions in the Town of Hayden have changed significantly,” he added, “and this new Housing Needs Assessment grant will help us update things to be in compliance with State regulations and understand our housing needs better for the future.”