What is an Equity Priority Building?

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Equity Priority Buildings serve and/or house climate vulnerable communities. These communities tend to have less access to resources. They may face more barriers adapting to a changing climate.

What Buildings Qualify as Equity Priority?

We developed criteria to determine which buildings qualify as Equity Priority Buildings. These buildings are eligible for extra support from a variety of Denver programs. Buildings that meet the criteria below may qualify as an equity priority building.

Multifamily Affordable Housing

These are defined as multifamily buildings where at least 2/3 of the units are classified as deed-restricted affordable housing.

In order to verify that your building falls into this category, your application must include:

A copy of the regulatory agreement OR affordable housing covenant that specifies the number of units in the building that are deed-restricted affordable housing.

See an example affordable housing covenant

Affordable Apartment Buildings

These are apartment buildings where at least 2/3 of residential units have rents at or below 80% of the HOST rent limits.

In order to verify that your building falls into this category, your application must include:

A rent roll (in Excel spreadsheet format) that lists the following for all rental units:
- Unit number
- Monthly rent
- Number of bedrooms
- End-date of current lease

See an example rent roll

Income Qualified Residential Condominiums

These include individual condo unit owners who meet certain income requirements and are installing equipment in their individual condo unit OR whole residential condominium buildings where at least 2/3 of unit owners meet one of the following criteria:

A household income at or below 80% of Denver's area median income
Enrollment in a public assistance program

In order to confirm that the building falls into this category, one of the following is required for each unit owner that meets the above criteria:

Cover page of the previous year's Form 1040, line 9
Your Form SSA-1099
Proof of enrollment in Xcel Energy income-qualified demand side management program
Proof of enrollment in Xcel Energy’s income-qualified Community Solar Gardens program
Proof of enrollment in the Denver Property Tax Relief Program
Proof of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
Proof of Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Proof of Old Age Pension (OAP)
Proof of Support from any of the following:
- Aid to the Blind (AB)
- Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Section 8 Housing
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)
- LEAP (Utility Bill Assistance)

See an example of Form 1040

Condominiums subject to the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy can qualify if they are located in a census one of the census tracts identified in the image below*:

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*If you cannot see the map above, please reach out to us at energizedenver@denvergov.org, and we will verify which census tract your building is located in.

Buildings that meet this additional criterion will also be required to self-certify that they meet the following two secondary criteria:

No part of the building is owned by a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)
A minimum of 80% of the building’s individual units (non-common areas) are occupied by the owner (i.e. not rented to non-owner tenants)
- If less than 80% of units are owner-occupied, rented units must be at or below HOST rent limits.

Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofits must meet both of the following criteria:

Have a 501c(3) Letter of Determination from the Internal Revenue Service OR IRS Form W-9 including an Employer Identification Number (EIN) that can be verified as tax-exempt using the IRS tax-exempt organization search tool
Offer critical services in the City and County of Denver, such as, but not limited to:
- Advocacy organizations (such as Community Advocacy, Social Service Advocacy, or similar)
- Affordable housing or housing service providers
- After-school providers, childcare centers, or family support organizations
- Community financial institutions (like credit unions, non-profit lenders, etc)
- Disability service providers
- Domestic violence centers, women's centers, or children's centers
- Emergency service organizations
- Food pantries
- Homeless shelters, transitional housing, or supportive housing
- Hospitals, healthcare facilities, mental or behavioral health facilities, clinics
- Immigration service providers
- Job training and workforce development services
- Law/legal centers (non-profit and pro-bono services to income-qualified communities)
- Libraries (not owned by the City and County of Denver) or community centers
- Places of worship
- Rehabilitation providers
- Senior centers (not owned by the City and County of Denver)

In order to verify that your building falls into this category, your application must include:

Your 501c(3) Letter of Determination from the Internal Revenue Service OR IRS Form W-9 including EIN
A written description of what your nonprofit organization does. Narratives should include:
- Number of people served annually
- Types of critical services offered
- Neighborhoods you serve

See an example Letter of Determination

Commercial Buildings

We will consider commercial buildings with operating revenues less than $800,000 in the previous tax year.

In order to verify that your building meets this criteria, your application must include a copy of the previous year’s tax return that details the building owner’s total operating revenues, typically a Form 1040 Schedule C. Personal info such as social security number should be redacted.

See a sample Form 1040 Schedule C

What are Climate Vulnerable Communities?

Climate vulnerable communities feel the effects of climate change more than others. This can be due to:

Heightened sensitivity to heat or pollution
More frequent exposure to pollution
An inability to cope with climate-related hazards

This can be due to a combination of factors like social, economic, and geographic factors. These communities often face greater risks from the effects of climate change, such as

Extreme weather events
Drought
Extreme heat

Key characteristics of climate vulnerable communities include:

Socioeconomic Status. Low-income communities can have limited resources to recover from climate impacts. This can look like poor access to healthcare, housing, and emergency services.
Geographic Location. Some communities are at a higher climate risk due to their physical location. This can be places near coastlines or close to industrial buildings and highways.
Health and Age. Elderly individuals, children, and people with pre-existing health conditions are more vulnerable. They can suffer more from heat stress, respiratory issues, and disease outbreaks.
Infrastructure Quality. Poor infrastructure can increase exposure to climate hazards. This is most true in communities with aging buildings or inadequate utilities.
Limited Access to Information. Lack of access to information can prevent timely response and adaptation efforts. This often most impacts marginalized communities.
Cultural or Language Barriers. Communities that do not speak English may face barriers to accessing resources.

These communities are our priority as we work to make Denver more sustainable and resilient.

The Equity Priority Buildings Equity Index

To better identify potential Equity Priority Buildings, CASR developed the Equity Index. It is a robust tool that ranks each census tract in Denver based on key indicators.

We created the tool in collaboration with community members and Denver's Office of Social Equity and Innovation. It has proven invaluable in prioritizing areas of greatest need. It helps us target outreach efforts and guides the development of equitable policies.

The Equity Index helps ensure we direct resources where they are most needed. This fosters a more just and resilient Denver.