The Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee is the Denver Department of Housing Stability (HOST) form on which an applicant asks the HOST Executive Director to reduce or waive the affordable housing linkage fee on new development. It is one of the forms tied to getting a Denver permit, because the linkage fee is assessed alongside standard permit fees and is due before a building permit is issued. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the City and County of Denver at the official source link.
Last updated
What is Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO?
The Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee is the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) form used to ask the HOST Executive Director to reduce or waive the linkage fee that would otherwise be imposed on new development in Denver.
The form rests on the Affordable Housing Permanent Funds Ordinance, codified at Article V, Chapter 27 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code (DRMC). That ordinance requires a linkage fee for all new non-residential development and for residential development of up to nine units. An applicant who asks for a reduction or waiver must demonstrate that the required fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing created by the development. The form gives three examples of what the request can show: the unique characteristics of the workforce in a non-residential building, a structure built solely for a specific use with few or no employees, and residents of a residential building whose spending patterns will not drive additional employment.
The form has seven parts: contact information, project information, project description, the reduction or waiver request, the exception request narrative, applicant approval, and a HOST decision block that HOST completes. The revision printed on it is September 21, 2022.
This is not the exception process. The agency page lists separate forms, including the EHA Linkage Fee Exception Request and the Request for Waiver of High Impact Designation, and a Housing Linkage Fee - Request for Reduction or Waiver that may be used only for projects subject to prior linkage fees.
Who needs to file Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO?
The applicant or owner of a new non-residential development, or a residential development of up to nine units, who believes the linkage fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the affordable housing demand the project creates. The form says that if any of its three examples apply to your project, you complete it and return it to HOST with supporting documentation.
- Applicants and owners: Section I collects the name, phone, email and business address of the applicant or owner, and the business name if applicable.
- Authorized agents: the certification in Section VI is signed by the Applicant or by a duly authorized agent of the Applicant.
- Mixed-use projects: the agency page says that in a mixed-use building with 10 or more dwelling units, the non-residential portion must pay the linkage fee unless an exception applies.
You do not need this request for new residential development of 10 or more units that is subject to the mandatory affordable housing requirement; the agency page says the linkage fee applies to all new development except that category. Exceptions to the fee are handled through a separate exception request listed on the agency page.
When to file Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO
The form prints no due date of its own. You complete it when you want HOST to consider reducing or waiving the linkage fee on a project, and you return it with your supporting documentation.
The agency page states that linkage fees are due prior to issuance of a building permit, except in cases of excavation and shoring, and that the fee is assessed alongside standard permit fees, all of which are due in full before building permits are issued. Because the fee must be settled before a Denver building permit is issued, plan the request ahead of that point. Section VII is completed by HOST, which records whether the requested reduction or waiver was approved or denied. The form states no processing time.
Documents you need
- Supporting documentation for the request: the form tells you to return it to HOST with documentation showing the reduced affordable housing impacts of the development, based on its actual characteristics.
- Additional documentation for Section V: the form asks you to provide any additional documentation in support of the waiver or reduction request.
- Additional pages for the Project Description in Section III, only if the space on the form is not enough; the form says to attach additional documentation if needed.
How to fill out Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO
Read the criteria on page 1
Review the introduction, which lists the three examples of reduced affordable housing impact. The form says to complete it only if one of them applies to your project.
Complete Section I contact information
Enter the name(s), phone number, email(s) and the applicant/owner business address. Add the applicant/owner business name if applicable.
Enter Section II project information
Write the project name, project address, and the project record number(s) with their type, for example Project Master, Concept or Zoning. Leave the applicable market area and date of market area determination to city staff.
Describe the project in Section III
Summarize the project and its actual characteristics, such as who will occupy it or its specific use. Attach additional documentation if the space is not enough.
Choose reduction or full waiver
In Section IV, check either the reduction to the linkage fee or the full waiver of the linkage fee, and write the requested reduction or waiver amount on the line provided.
Write the Section V exception request
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. Note any additional supporting documentation you will provide.
Sign the Section VI applicant approval
Print your name, sign and enter the date. The signer certifies that the information is true and correct to their actual knowledge, and must be the Applicant or a duly authorized agent.
Leave the HOST decision blank
Section VII is for the Department of Housing Stability to record whether the reduction or waiver is approved or denied, with comments, signature and date.
Review, download and assemble
Check each section, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Assemble it with your supporting documentation and submit it through the channels described under How to submit.
How to submit Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO
The form says to complete it and return it to HOST (the Department of Housing Stability) along with the supporting documentation for review. It names no portal, email address or other channel.
- Return to HOST: the contact details printed on the form are Department of Housing Stability, 201 W. Colfax Avenue #615, Denver, CO 80202, phone 720.913.1999.
- More information: the form points to www.denvergov.org/affordablehousingfee.
- What to include: the completed form, signed in Section VI, and any additional documentation supporting the request. If Section III needs more room, the form says to attach additional documentation.
Leave the market area block in Section II and the HOST decision block in Section VII for city staff. Call HOST at the number above if you need to confirm how your project's package should be delivered. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Requesting a reduction or waiver without demonstrating that the required fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing created by the development.
- Returning the form without supporting documentation showing the reduced affordable housing impacts, based on the actual characteristics of the development.
- Checking both the reduction box and the full waiver box in Section IV; the form presents them as alternatives, separated by "Or".
- Filling in the market area block in Section II; the form says city staff fill out the market area information.
- Writing in the HOST DECISION section (Section VII), which is for the Department of Housing Stability's approval or denial, comments, signature and date.
- Giving a project record number without indicating its type, such as Project Master, Concept or Zoning, as the form asks.
- Signing Section VI when you are neither the Applicant nor a duly authorized agent of the Applicant.
- Using the request for new residential development of 10 or more units that is subject to the mandatory affordable housing requirement, which the agency page says is not charged the linkage fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Denver linkage fee reduction or waiver request?
It is a Department of Housing Stability (HOST) form on which an applicant asks the HOST Executive Director to reduce or waive the affordable housing linkage fee on new development. The applicant must show the fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the affordable housing demand the project creates.
Who can ask for a linkage fee reduction or waiver in Denver?
The applicant or owner of new non-residential development, or residential development of up to nine units, who believes the project's actual characteristics reduce its affordable housing impact. A duly authorized agent of the Applicant may sign the certification in Section VI.
What do I have to show to get a reduction or waiver?
You must demonstrate that the required linkage fee exceeds the amount needed to mitigate the actual demand for affordable housing created by the development. The form's examples include a workforce with unique space use, a structure suited solely to a use with few or no employees, or residents whose spending will not drive added employment.
Where do I send the linkage fee reduction or waiver request?
The form says to return it to HOST with your supporting documentation. It prints HOST's address, 201 W. Colfax Avenue #615, Denver, CO 80202, and phone number, 720.913.1999, and names no other channel, so call HOST if you need to confirm delivery.
Is there a deadline for this request?
The form prints no deadline. The agency page says linkage fees are due prior to issuance of a building permit, except in cases of excavation and shoring, so the request should be made with that timing in mind.
What is the difference between a reduction and a full waiver on this form?
Section IV lets you check one option: a reduction to the linkage fee, with the requested reduction amount, or a full waiver of the linkage fee, with the requested waiver amount. The two are alternatives, and HOST's decision block approves or denies the amount requested.
Can I fill out this form online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not submit the request to HOST; you return the completed form and your documentation to HOST yourself.
Is this the same as a linkage fee exception request?
No. The agency page lists the EHA Linkage Fee Exception Request as a separate form, and its exceptions, such as projects with a pre-existing affordable housing agreement, have their own required documentation. This form asks HOST to reduce or waive the fee based on the project's actual affordable housing impact.
Ready to fill out Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO?
Fill out Reduction or Waiver Request From The Affordable Housing Linkage Fee – Denver, CO now