The Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request, printed on the form as "Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee," is the Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) form for asking that the affordable housing linkage fee on a project be reduced or waived. Because the fee is assessed alongside standard permit fees and is due before a building permit is issued, the request is one of the forms tied to the Denver permit process. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form and its updates are published by the City and County of Denver.
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What is Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request – Denver, CO?
The Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request is the form, issued by Denver's Department of Housing Stability (HOST), on which an applicant asks the HOST Executive Director to reduce or waive the affordable housing linkage fee that would otherwise be imposed on a development.
The form explains its legal footing. The Affordable Housing Permanent Funds Ordinance, codified at Article V, Chapter 27 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code (DRMC), requires a linkage fee for all new non-residential development and for residential development of up to nine units. The Executive Director may reduce or waive that fee. An applicant must demonstrate that the required fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing created by the development.
The request must include information showing the reduced affordable housing impacts of the development, based on its actual characteristics. The form gives three examples:
- the unique characteristics and space utilization of the workforce that will occupy a non-residential development;
- a non-residential structure built for and suitable solely for a specific use involving few or no employees;
- the unique characteristics of the residents of a residential development, whose disposable household income or spending patterns are unlikely to drive additional employment requiring affordable housing.
The form has seven parts: contact information, project information, project description, the reduction or waiver amount sought, the exception request and justification, the applicant's certification, and a HOST decision block that HOST completes. The City's page lists a separate EHA Linkage Fee Exception Request among its forms; this document is the waiver/reduction request.
Who needs to file Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request – Denver, CO?
An applicant or owner of a project that is subject to the Denver linkage fee, and who believes the fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing the project creates, uses this form. The form says to complete it if any of its three examples applies to your project: a distinctive workforce in a non-residential building, a structure built solely for a specific use with few or no employees, or residents of a residential development who are unlikely to drive additional employment.
The ordinance behind the form covers new non-residential development and residential development of up to nine units. The City's page adds that new residential development of 10 or more units subject to the mandatory affordable housing requirement is not charged the linkage fee, so it would not need this request for that fee.
The applicant signs the certification in Part VI. The form allows either the applicant or a duly authorized agent of the applicant to sign, certifying that the information is true and correct to the signer's actual knowledge. City staff, not the applicant, complete the market area block and Part VII, the HOST decision.
When to file Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request – Denver, CO
The form prints no due date of its own. Its trigger is a project on which a linkage fee would be imposed and the applicant wants it reduced or waived. The City's page states that linkage fees are due prior to issuance of a building permit, except in cases of excavation and shoring, and that the affordable housing fee is assessed alongside standard permit fees, all due in full before building permits are issued. Plan to submit the request and its supporting documentation early enough for HOST to review it before that point.
If HOST grants a reduction rather than a full waiver, the City's page warns that the reduced fee is still due at the time of building permit issuance. The form does not state how long HOST takes to decide.
Documents you need
- Supporting documentation showing the reduced affordable housing impacts of the development, based on its actual characteristics, to be returned to HOST with the form.
- Any additional documentation in support of the waiver or reduction, as invited at the end of Part V.
- Additional pages for the Part III project description, if the space on the form is not enough; the form says to attach additional documentation if needed.
How to fill out Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request – Denver, CO
Enter applicant and owner contact details
In Part I, write the name(s), phone number, email(s), the applicant/owner business address and, if applicable, the business name.
Identify the project
In Part II, enter the project name, the project address and the project record number(s) with their type, such as Project Master, Concept or Zoning.
Leave the market area block blank
The applicable market area (Typical Market Area or High Market Area) and the date of determination are filled out by City staff, not by you.
Describe the project
In Part III, describe the development. The form says to attach additional documentation if needed.
Choose reduction or full waiver
In Part IV, check either the reduction or the full waiver of the linkage fee, and enter the requested reduction amount or waiver amount in dollars.
Explain and justify the request
In Part V, describe the request and justify how the required fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing created by the development. Refer to the characteristics of the workforce, the structure's use or the residents, as the form's examples suggest.
Attach supporting documentation
Add any documentation that supports the waiver or reduction, as Part V invites, so it travels with the form to HOST.
Sign the applicant certification
In Part VI, print the name, sign and date. The signer must be the Applicant or a duly authorized agent, certifying the information is true and correct to actual knowledge.
Leave the HOST decision to HOST
Do not complete Part VII. HOST records its approval or denial of the reduction or waiver amount and its comments there.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the amounts, record numbers and signature, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and return it to HOST as described under How to submit.
How to submit Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request – Denver, CO
The form says to complete it and return it to HOST along with the supporting documentation for review. It does not name an online portal or a separate filing address in its instructions; HOST's contact details are printed in its footer.
- Department: Department of Housing Stability, 201 W. Colfax Avenue #1101, Denver, CO 80202.
- Phone: 720.913.1999.
- Web page: www.denvergov.org/affordablehousingfee.
Include the signed Part VI certification, the Part V description of the request with its justification, and any additional documentation supporting the waiver or reduction. Do not complete the city-staff market area block or Part VII, the HOST decision. Call HOST before sending if you need to confirm how it wants the package delivered. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the agency's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Checking both the reduction box and the full waiver box in Part IV; the form offers one or the other, each with its own requested dollar amount.
- Leaving the requested reduction or waiver amount blank in Part IV after checking a box.
- Writing a Part V description that asks for relief without justifying how the required fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing.
- Sending the form without supporting documentation, when the form says to return it to HOST along with that documentation.
- Filling in the market area block or Part VII, which are reserved for City staff and HOST.
- Leaving Part VI unsigned, or signed by someone who is neither the Applicant nor a duly authorized agent of the Applicant.
- Assuming a granted reduction removes the fee at permit time; the City's page says a reduced fee is still due when the building permit is issued.
- Omitting the record number or its type (such as Project Master, Concept or Zoning) in Part II.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request?
It is the Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) form for asking the HOST Executive Director to reduce or waive the affordable housing linkage fee on a project. The applicant must show that the required fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing the development creates.
Who can get a linkage fee reduced or waived in Denver?
An applicant who can demonstrate that the fee exceeds the project's actual affordable housing impact. The form's examples are a distinctive workforce in a non-residential building, a structure used solely for a purpose with few or no employees, or residents unlikely to drive additional employment. The Director decides.
Can I fill out the linkage fee waiver request online?
You can complete the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service: it does not file the request or send it to HOST, so you still return the form and your supporting documentation to the Department of Housing Stability yourself.
Where do I send the Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request?
The form says to return it to HOST with the supporting documentation. HOST's address printed on the form is Department of Housing Stability, 201 W. Colfax Avenue #1101, Denver, CO 80202, and its phone number is 720.913.1999. Ask HOST how it wants the package delivered.
Do I request a reduction or a full waiver?
Check only one in Part IV: a reduction to the linkage fee, with the requested reduction amount, or a full waiver, with the requested waiver amount. Part V must justify the choice by showing the fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate actual demand for affordable housing.
Who can sign the linkage fee waiver request?
The Applicant or a duly authorized agent of the Applicant signs Part VI. The signer certifies that the information provided is true and correct to their actual knowledge. The HOST decision block is signed by the Department of Housing Stability, not by you.
If HOST reduces my linkage fee, when do I pay what remains?
The City's page says a reduced fee is still due at the time of building permit issuance. Linkage fees in general are due before a building permit is issued, except in cases of excavation and shoring.
Is this the same as the EHA Linkage Fee Exception Request?
No. The City of Denver's page lists the Linkage Fee Waiver/Reduction Request and the EHA Linkage Fee Exception Request as separate forms. This request asks HOST to reduce or waive the fee by showing that it exceeds the project's actual demand for affordable housing.
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