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The Office of Housing Finance and Sustainability (OHFS), within the Division of Housing (DOH), will send quarterly Asset Management updates highlighting changes to inspections, monitoring, and compliance requirements.
Please subscribe to receive these updates and stay current on deadlines, training opportunities, and new guidance.
Upcoming Trainings
OHFS Webinar Series
The OHFS Webinar Series is now back on a monthly schedule for 2025 and will continue to be recorded.
- Next Webinar: August 13, 2025 – DOH’s Application Process: A Roadmap to Funding
- Find past recordings and the full schedule on the OHFS Training webpage.
- Access video meeting information on the DOH Public Calendar.
We want your input on future webinar topics. Complete the Webinar Series Topic Ideas survey to share your suggestions. Subscribe for notifications and reminders about upcoming sessions.
CHFAreach Presentation
The next session, Maintaining Compliance with DOH and CHFA, will be held on November 13, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Registration is not yet live, but sign up will be available through CHFA’s website.
Key Updates
Applications for CHDO Operating Funds
The Division of Housing (DOH) is now accepting applications for Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Operating Funds.
- Letter of Intent (LOI) due: Friday, August 15, 2025
- Full applications due: Monday, September 1, 2025
How to Apply
- Download the “CHDO LOI Template” from DOH’s Funding Application webpage (under Application Forms).
- Submit it to Bradley.A.Wood@state.co.us by the LOI deadline.
- Once DOH approves your LOI, we will open a full application in Neighborly.
Important Reminders
- Funds are for operating expenses only, not pre-development activities.
- CHDOs must show the capacity to develop HOME-assisted housing within 24 months. Include details about your HOME-eligible project in the LOI.
- Publish a Pre-Application Legal Notice at least 10 business days before applying to allow time for public hearing requests.
- Ensure at least one-third of your board represents the low-income community and maintain that ratio for the entire agreement term.
2025 HOME Final Rule Highlights
- Expands who can count toward the one-third low-income board representation.
- Narrows which public officials count against the one-third public official cap.
- Allows volunteers to supplement staff expertise when demonstrating capacity.
- Permits CHDOs in the developer role to partner with other entities to build capacity, as long as the CHDO retains decision-making authority.
Monitoring Colorado State Laws in Lease Documents and Policies
DOH will monitor lease documents and policies for compliance with three key Colorado laws:
1. Radon Disclosure – CRS §38-12-803
Landlords must provide tenants with a written radon disclosure before the lease is signed. Tenants must sign the disclosure to acknowledge receipt. The disclosure must include:
- A bold-faced warning statement (as specified in the statute) explaining the risks of radon exposure and recommending radon testing.
- Any known information about past radon tests, mitigation efforts, or existing radon mitigation systems on the property.
- The most recent radon brochure from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
2. Warranty of Habitability – CRS §38-12-505
Effective January 1, 2025, every lease must include:
- A 12-point bold-faced type statement that tenants are entitled to safe and healthy housing and that landlords cannot retaliate for reporting unsafe conditions.
- A 12-point bold-faced type statement in English and Spanish listing a physical address and email where tenants can report uninhabitable conditions. If you use an online portal, post this same information there.
3. Pet Ownership in a Residential Structure – CRS §24-32-735
Effective August 6, 2025, DOH will require that all housing developments receiving financing on or after January 1, 2026, allow tenants to own up to two dogs or cats, subject to the reasonable conditions outlined in the legislation.
What DOH Will Look for During Monitoring
- Signed Radon Disclosure forms or equivalent documents.
- The required warranty of habitability language and contact information in leases and/or addenda.
- Updated language in policies and leases that align with the new pet ownership regulations for properties funded on or after January 1, 2026.
We strongly recommend working with legal counsel to review and update your lease documents/policies now to ensure ongoing compliance.
As Seen Across the State and Frequently Asked Questions
If my agency does not print Tenant Income Certifications (TICs), what should I include in the tenant file?
If your project uses the HUD-50059 certification form, include a clarification in the tenant file at move-in and at each annual recertification. The note should state:
- The unit is DOH-assisted
- The unit’s DOH and AMI designation
- The income and rent limits in effect at the time of certification
When will OHFS roll out the HOTMA updates?
On December 30, 2024, HUD extended the compliance date for HOTMA to January 1, 2026 for all Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs using HUD’s 24 CFR Part 5 Income Regulations.
Until DOH issues updated guidance, partners must continue to follow the current Part 5 Income Regulations.
When will OHFS roll out the NSPIRE updates?
For Federal programs (HOME, HTF, CDBG, etc.), HUD extended the compliance date for NSPIRE to October 1, 2025.
- This is the second extension of this compliance date.
- Until further guidance is issued, partner agencies must continue to follow the applicable standard specified in their Grant/Loan Agreement and/or Regulatory Agreement and Use Covenant.
Visit HUD’s notice on the Economic Growth Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act: Implementation of National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) for full details.
Do property managers need to observe the Cost of Living Adjustment?
Yes. All participants with an Annual Reexamination, New Admission, or Move effective January 1, 2025, or later who receive Social Security benefits must include the 2.5% COLA increase in their income calculation.
What is the new HUD passbook rate?
Effective January 1, 2025, the HUD passbook rate increased from 0.40% to 0.45%.
- This new rate must be applied when calculating and comparing total income from all assets exceeding $5,000.
- DOH recommends property management and compliance staff verify that their software systems reflect this change for all certifications effective January 1, 2025, and beyond.
Do property managers need to offer one-year lease renewal options to residents, or can they just be automatically put on month-to-month?
Property managers must offer tenants in HOME- or HTF-assisted rental housing a written lease renewal for at least one year unless both the owner of rental housing and the tenant agree to a shorter term (24 CFR §92.253(a) and 24 CFR §93.303(a)).
- Property managers cannot default tenants to month-to-month leases unless they specifically sign off on that option.
- Maintain documentation in the tenant file showing the tenant was offered a one-year lease renewal.
- Use the most current HOME/HTF lease addendum to document the agreed-upon lease renewal term.
Will OHFS federal funds be subject to the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) cross-cutting requirement?
Yes. The BABA cross-cutting requirement now fully applies to HUD CPD programs: CDBG, HOME, and HTF.
BABA requires that any “infrastructure project” funded by “Federal Financial Assistance” must use iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials produced in the United States.
- HUD initially applied BABA partially to CDBG but has since expanded it to fully include HOME and HTF allocations.
For more information, visit HUD’s BABA webpage.
Updated Monitoring Forms, Tools, And Policy
The Summary of Colorado State Statutes Impacting Landlords and Renters was updated to include legislation passed in 2024. DOH anticipates more updates in the coming months.
The 2025 HOME Final Rule Summary Memo summarizes the HOME Final Rule published by HUD earlier this year, which went into effect on April 20, 2025.
- Properties with HOME-assisted units or those planning to apply for future HOME funds should read this memo, watch the OHFS Webinar from April 9, 2025, and/or contact their Asset Manager with any questions.
In July 2024, DOLA-DOH entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO).
- As a result, DOH is required to supply FHEO with completed compliance certifications for all federally assisted projects.
- DOH will reach out to projects with federal funding that are in their HUD period of affordability to request the Accessibility Verification of Compliance form.
- Questions should be directed to jennifer.digiallonardo@state.co.us and/or dola.audit@state.co.us.
- For more information about this voluntary compliance agreement, please check out our webinar on the OHFS Training webpage.
OHFS has created templates for Section 504 policies and various Reasonable Accommodations. These templates are available on the Forms and Guidance webpage.
Questions? Please email brittany.thigpen@state.co.us.
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