Housing Cost and Availability in Centennial

Centennial is committed to improving housing options and expanding opportunity based on significant input from Centennial constituents. The following actions have been prioritized based on Centennial's housing needs and market considerations.

Resident Engagement

Centennial is committed to centering resident feedback within all policy discussions. Community engagement on housing began in 2018 as part of Centennial's comprehensive plan, Centennial NEXT, which identified the need for a wider range of housing types to meet Centennial's diverse population.

Dialog with the community continued in 2022-2023 and helped shape the policy efforts below. Detailed engagement results are available in the “Housing Documents” drop-down menu. Housing engagement is ongoing – if you have feedback, please contact the team at housing@centennialco.gov.

Proposition 123

After Colorado voters approved Proposition 123, Centennial filed commitment opting-in to Proposition 123. This makes Centennial and affordable housing builders with projects in the City eligible for competitive grant funding.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

ADUs are small secondary residential structures located behind the primary house or within an existing house. Following 18-months of community engagement, Ordinance No. 2024-O-03(PDF, 279KB) passed with a 9-0 vote by City Council on May 7, 2024. Learn more about Centennial's ADU regulations.

Midtown Centennial

Midtown Centennial is envisioned as a mixed-use district that integrates housing, commerce, transit and public space into a cohesive and resilient neighborhood. Centennial is taking steps to guide development and reinvestment in this emerging area, including engagement with residents, businesses and property owners as well as coordination with utility districts to ensure long-term infrastructure planning. Learn more about Midtown Centennial.

Zoning Code Updates

Following multiple years of engagement with residents, property owners and the development community, Centennial adopted updated zone districts intended to better align community needs.

Neighborhood Infill districts provide clearer guidance on allowed housing types, offering certainty to neighbors and property owners about future development. The Employment Center-Mixed Use district provides for a mix of complementary land uses including office, residential and commercial uses in areas traditionally intended for large-scale employment uses. More information about these zone districts is available in Centennial's Land Development Code (LDC).

Incentives Policy

Centennial has a longstanding process and policy for considering performance-based incentives to enable certain commercial development. Housing was added as an eligible project type, allowing housing developments to be considered for incentives if they meet certain policy goals of the City. Learn more about Centennial's Incentives and Resources.

Private Activity Bonds

Private Activity Bonds allow Centennial to provide financial support to affordable housing developments at no cost or financial obligation to the City. Centennial may allocate bonds to qualifying local projects or collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions to support regional housing development through these Bonds. The Colorado Division of Housing provides detailed description of Private Activity Bonds.

Home Builder Engagement

The City proactively builds relationships with the residential development community to better understand the housing product types developers are considering and how those align with community needs and concerns. These conversations help the City assess how City policies and development regulations can facilitate housing that responds to community needs. Feedback from these discussions has influenced the development of policies described above.

Housing Needs Assessment

The Housing Needs Assessment(PDF, 3MB) identified four key needs in Centennial:

• Increase housing production to accommodate projected household and employment growth
• Accommodate more missing middle housing types for small-scale ownership opportunities
• Address existing gap for low-income renters (income <$35,000) 
• Target affordable homeownership and rental strategies toward price points Centennial workers can afford

Housing is a major undertaking that prioritizes community input and collaboration among a wide range of community stakeholders. The Housing Assessment was funded in part by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. 

Housing Project History – Visual Timeline (December 2025)

For a summary of the housing conversation from 2021-2025, please see Visual Housing Project Timeline(PDF, 621KB).

Housing Strategy Summary Report (March 2023)

For more information about strategies that were researched through state grant funding in 2021-2023, see the Community Housing Strategies Summary Report(PDF, 3MB). 

Community Engagement Summary (November 2022)

We thank the public for their extensive feedback throughout this process.

• Review the outreach feedback summary(PDF, 679KB).
• Review the outreach feedback full comments(PDF, 2MB).

What is affordable housing? 

Housing is generally considered affordable when a household spends less than 30% of its monthly income on rent or mortgage payments. Housing conversations often focus on government-funded affordable programs; however naturally affordable housing (smaller or older units) also plays an important role in meeting community needs. 

What is Area Median Income (AMI)? 

AMI compares a household’s income to the median income of all households in a specific geographic area. Funding sources for affordable housing units often tie eligibility for affordable housing units to a specific AMI, for example, 60% AMI. 

AMI figures are calculated annually by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) publishes annual income limits and maximum rents for housing that receives funding through CHFA.