June 2025, ASPEN, CO — The Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority Board recently approved a series of regulatory changes aimed at simplifying administrative requirements, reducing costs for applicants, and enhancing benefits for deed-restricted property owners.
Key highlights of the approved changes include:
Streamlined income verification: Tax returns and W2s are now required only once annually, aligning with each household’s approval renewal date, rather than on a rolling or case-by-case basis. This change simplifies the qualification process for both renters and buyers.
Fee reductions:
The $5 lottery bid fee has been eliminated, reducing barriers for participants in housing lotteries.
The $50 capital improvement site visit and review fee also has been removed, cutting costs for homeowners making qualifying upgrades.
The requalification fee for renters remains unchanged at $35.
Application fee adjustments: The ownership and long-term rental application fee has increased from $50 to $60, reflecting the rising costs of processing and administrative support.
Enhanced capital improvement benefits: Owners of deed-restricted properties governed by current APCHA regulations can now add 10% of their purchase price - minus depreciation - to their maximum resale price every five years. In addition, more items may now qualify as eligible capital improvements.
For properties not originally under those regulations, owners have the option to adopt a new deed restriction to gain access to the expanded capital improvement policy.
“These updates reflect APCHA’s ongoing commitment to reducing administrative burdens and increasing value for our residents,” said APCHA Executive Director Matthew Gillen. “By removing certain fees and expanding the resale value potential for qualifying homeowners, we’re supporting a more accessible and sustainable housing program for the community.”
For more information about these changes or to determine eligibility under the new capital improvement policy, visit www.apcha.org.
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For more information, please contact:
Cindy Christensen, APCHA deputy director
Phone: (970) 920-5455
Email: cindy.christensen@aspen.gov
Carolyn Sackariason, communications manager
Phone: (970) 319-2791
Email: Carolyn.sackariason@aspen.gov