Denver Looking for Partners to Develop Affordable Housing on City Land
Published on May 09, 2025
The City and County of Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) today released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified affordable housing development partners to join a five-year roster that will support the city’s long-term vision to create or preserve 7,000 affordable homes while building a future pipeline to bring 3,000 affordable residential and mixed-use units annually.
“Denver's lack of affordable housing is a solvable problem, and we are the ones to solve it,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “By providing land and partnering with developers, we can fast-track projects, bring down the cost of living, and ensure hard-working Denverites can afford to stay in the city they love.”
Through this RFP, HOST aims to identify and prequalify a group of non-profit and for-profit developers who will be eligible to participate in future site-specific “mini-bid” opportunities for development on city-owned or acquired land. This RFP strategy builds upon Denver's past success at transforming city land into affordable communities. In recent years, Denver has established partnerships to develop affordable communities, including along East Colfax, and another forthcoming project in Globeville.
Development teams will be evaluated based on qualifications, experience, financial capacity, and alignment with HOST’s 2022–2026 Strategic Plan and the Citywide Goals. Applicants are also encouraged to demonstrate how their work supports racial equity, innovation in construction, and long-term community engagement.
Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on June 10, 2025. HOST anticipates issuing Letters of Award by late June.
Selected partners will be active through Dec. 31, 2030, and can compete for individual project sites as they become available through streamlined, site-specific procurements. The city is in the process of identifying available properties, which will range in size and type. Sites may be offered as ground leases (up to 99 years) or through purchase and sale agreements, with covenants in place to preserve affordability and public benefit.
These projects may include:
- Affordable housing developments, with units at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI)
- Mixed/middle income housing (60–120% AMI)
- Mixed-use projects that combine housing with community servicing properties, retail, public facilities, and other commercial spaces
As sites become available, the city would be able to reach out to any of these qualified partners to request that they submit applications through a mini-bid process, based on the type of property. Each mini-bid would still need to include detailed site information, timelines, and selection criteria specific to the property.
To view the full RFP and submit a proposal, click here.