DOH Housing Development Scoring Criteria

Primary Factors

Management Capacity - 30 points

Experience - Staff will consider DOH experience, affordable housing experience, general development experience, local experience, and experience with that particular project type.

DOH compliance record - The presence of repeat findings, escalation letters, and poor performance despite staff technical assistance would have a negative impact on this score.

Justification: Consistent with current practices, DOLA will evaluate the capacity of the project team. DOLA evaluates each applicant’s capacity to fulfill the objectives of the project by evaluating similar projects completed by the applicant. DOLA will evaluate applicant-provided narrative, corporate bios, and resumes. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to comply with Federal and State regulations and reporting requirements. DOLA will consider experience with DOH applications, affordable housing experience, general development experience of all partners involved in a project, local experience, and experience with that particular project type. DOLA will also look at staff turnover and vacancy rates, including changes in organizational leadership.

DOLA will score the compliance record of the developer/property management company. Developers/property management companies with a strong compliance record would be given a higher score.

Consistent with current practices, developers/property management companies with outstanding findings would be required to cure any outstanding findings. The presence of repeat findings, escalation letters, and poor performance despite staff technical assistance would have a negative impact on this score.

Staff will have the discrepancy to reduce points in increments of 5 according to experience of partners involved

Leveraged funds - 20 points

Funding request as a % of total project costs

Justification: DOLA will consider the funding request as a percentage of total development costs. Due to differences in per unit maximums and funding source availability, DOH will use a different benchmark for rental and homeownership projects.

• Benchmark: 10% for rental projects
• Benchmark: 11% for rural rental projects (non-LIHTC)
• Benchmark: 15% for homeownership projects

Projects below these benchmarks without all funding sources confirmed will qualify for 10 points while projects below the benchmark with all funding sources committed will earn 20 points. 

Cost Reasonableness - 10 points

Total development costs per unit

Justification: DOLA will consider total development costs per unit as measured against the DOH published range. Staff aggregates project cost data and updates cost assessment ranges every two years. These are published in the Application Instructions (p. 18-19). Applications whose total development costs per unit are below 90% of the range will receive 10 points, while applications whose total development costs per unit are below the range but more than 90% of the range will receive 5 points. Applications whose total development costs per unit are above the range will receive zero points.

Energy Efficiency Certification Pursued - 10 points

Justification: DOLA will publish a list of energy efficiency certifications programs and will award higher points to projects pursuing certifications with more rigorous requirements. Currently, those certifications are:

10 points

• Enterprise Green Communities Certification Plus (EGC Plus)
• Zero Energy Ready Homes (US DOE)
• National Green Building Standards (NGBS ICC) - emerald

5 points

• Green Building Standards (NGBS ICC) - silver or gold
• Star NextGen Certification (US EPA)
• Green Communities (EGC)

Other energy efficiency certifications will receive zero points.

Accessibility - 10 points

Development of accessible units above benchmarks

Justification: DOLA will score projects against a minimum requirement (for Federal funds) and benchmark (for State funds) that 10% of the units be accessible for households with mobility impairments and 4% of the units be accessible for households with sensory impairments. Projects meeting the minimum percentages for both mobility and sensory impaired households will receive 5 points, while projects exceeding the minimum requirements for both mobility and sensory impaired households will score 10 points.

Note: DOH rounds up when determining these percentages, for example, 10% of units for a 43 unit project would be 5 units.

Bonus Points

Bonus points will be awarded for projects that incorporate the following innovative priorities:

Transit & Community Connections - 2 points

As defined by HB24-1313

• Justification: Project is located:
  • within a transit corridor identified by the HB 24-1313 transit map (both transit areas and optional transit areas)

Sustainable Development - 2 points

Justification: Projects that utilize existing community infrastructure and land-use best practices, such as being proximate to available services.

Innovative Project Delivery - 2 points

Justification: Project utilizes an innovative delivery practice (e.g. Modular construction, 3D printing, etc.)

Early Childhood Inclusions - 4 points

Justification: Projects that include early childhood education, childcare, etc. Childcare operator/partner must be identified in order to receive bonus points.

Community Planning Alignment - 2 points

Justification: Projects in jurisdictions that received and that conform to the community plan or resulting from a DOLA Division of Local Government (DLG) planning grant in the past 5 years, or in jurisdictions that have received grants from DLG programs, such as Strong Communities or More Housing Now, that are directly related to the project.

Tenant Equity Vehicle/Wealth-Building - 2 points

Justification: Projects that provide a satisfactory answer that demonstrates a genuine commitment and realistic plan to build tenant equity and/or wealth.

• If applicable, how will your project help create equity and or build wealth for rental tenants? Examples may include, but are not limited to:
  • A tenant-equity program;
  • Rent-to-own arrangements;
  • Participation in federal FSS/State Flex programs; and/or
  • Providing rent reporting on tenant payments through CHFA.

Strategic Growth Compliance - 5 points

Justification: For local government applicants applying for non-Proposition 123 funding, demonstrated compliance, where relevant, with the strategic growth laws included in the Governor’s Executive Order D 2025 005. Compliance will be determined by the Division of Local Governments.

Statutory Set-Asides

Note that the following are requirements of funds as dictated by Colorado state and/or federal law. DOLA is including them here for transparency.

30% AMI Units

Justification: 33% of DOH’s HDG Vendor Fee must assist 30% AMI units. 100% of DOH’s Federal Housing Trust Fund (HTF) funding must assist 30% AMI units.

Permanent Supportive Housing

DOH’s Persons Experiencing Homelessness (PEH) - Prop 123 homelessness funds will be used for supportive housing projects targeting chronically homeless households.