On the heels of receiving a multimillion-dollar grant to advance local opportunities for affordable housing, the Wellington Board of Trustees voted to renew the town’s Proposition 123 commitment for the 2027-29 funding cycle.
Passed by Colorado voters in 2022, Proposition 123 is an initiative that dedicates 0.1 percent of state income tax revenue annually to create a permanent funding stream for affordable housing. In order to qualify for program benefits, local governments must choose to opt in to a three-year funding cycle and commit to meeting benchmarks during that period that include increasing their own affordable housing stock by an average of three percent annually and implementing an expedited review process for affordable housing developments.
While presenting to the Board of Trustees during its July 28 regular meeting, Wellington Planning Director Cody Bird reported that, despite opting in during the third year of the three-year commitment, the town has met its commitment for the 2024-26 funding cycle. He also recommended that the town opt in to the next funding cycle (2027-29).
Following that presentation, the board voted unanimously to opt in.
“Ensuring access to affordable housing is one of the vital functions of local government,” says Wellington Mayor Rebekka Dailey. “I’m proud to have served on boards—both current and past—that have prioritized securing that access for our residents. As a town, we will continue to seek out and use all the resources available to us as we navigate the challenge of affordable housing in the years to come.”
The decision to recommit to Proposition 123 comes just weeks after the town was awarded a $2.88 million grant from the Colorado Energy Office.
The Local Implementation, Mitigation, and Policy Action (Local IMPACT) Accelerator Grant supports local governments with policy adoption to bolster local resilience with affordable housing. The funds from this grant are specifically dedicated for reviewing and updating Wellington’s land development policies to support housing affordability, the deployment of accessory dwelling units and establishing a program for rebates to lower the cost of development fees for qualifying projects.
The grant brings new funding to support these initiatives, allowing the town to advance housing goals while minimizing impact on the general operating budget.
“Receiving the Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant is a significant opportunity for Wellington,” Bird says. “The funding will help us build on the work we’re already doing by supporting housing policy updates and a development fee rebate program that will make it easier to provide more housing options and improve affordability for current and future residents.”
Additionally—and along with the recommitment to Proposition 123—the Local IMPACT Accelerator Grant will help the town address gaps identified in a recent Housing Needs Assessment. Completed in 2025, the assessment evaluated the community’s housing inventory and household economic considerations to determine if available housing meets resident needs and highlight areas for improvement.
More information about Wellington’s Housing Needs Assessment is available at wellingtoncolorado.gov/633/housing-needs-assessment. Learn about Local IMPACT Accelerator Grants by visiting the Colorado Energy Office Local IMPACT Accelerator webpage: energyoffice.colorado.gov/local-impact-accelerator. Find out more about Colorado’s Proposition 123 at cdola.colorado.gov/prop123.
Wellington Housing Authority celebrates 60 years
The Wellington Housing Authority (WHA) recently celebrated 60 years of offering affordable housing assistance to members of the Wellington community.
Formally certified by the state on Dec. 28, 1965, WHA was the result of the Wellington Board of Trustees at the time recognizing a shortage of local housing options. The group’s first official actions during a meeting that month were to approve the town’s first low-rent public housing development and to agree to terms on a loan to kick off surveying and planning for affordable housing in Wellington.
A lot has changed in six decades. Through a partnership with Housing Catalyst, WHA now manages 17 senior housing units and 25 family housing units, specifically serving low- to moderate-income residents. That partnership also allows WHA to help connect residents with programs and services designed to help build long-term stability with finances and employment resources.
The authority’s original goal, however, remains largely the same.
“For 60 years, the Wellington Housing Authority has played an important role in providing housing opportunities for our community,” Bird says. “We’re proud to celebrate that legacy while continuing the town’s work to support housing affordability.”
Read a story about WHA’s 60th birthday at northfortynews.com/category/business-education/wellington-housing-authority-six-decades-of-service.
More information about the organization is available at wellingtoncolorado.gov/164/housing-authority.
