Housing Master Plan

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The Thornton City Council adopted the Thornton Housing Master Plan in 2000. The Housing Master Plan takes the basic housing issues identified in the Comprehensive Plan and refines those topics by describing the current housing situation and by developing specific recommendations and actions to achieve the City�s housing vision.

As the City ages, existing programs that address the physical condition of the housing stock will need to be strengthened, and new programs will need to be created. Thornton will also need to provide increased housing choices to the aging baby boom generation as they seek to adjust their living conditions to their lifestyle. The City faces the challenge of keeping seniors in single- family homes that require a level of maintenance and up-keep that can be difficult for an older person. The City is looking to provide more housing choices by increasing diversity in the construction of new housing units for persons ranging from first-time homebuyers to empty nesters and by examining programs to provide assistance to seniors to enable them to age in their homes.

The Denver metropolitan area has experienced dramatic increases in housing prices during the last 10 years. Home prices and rents for homes in Thornton have mirrored the increase of the Denver region. These increases have meant that many families have had to postpone the purchase of their first home or a �move up� home. And for some families and individuals, increased housing prices have severely limited their choices to rent an apartment. The Housing Master Plan has identified specific actions to help provide increased housing choices to those citizens who have few by securing HOME funds from Adams County when appropriate and working with non-profit housing providers on projects such as the Creekside Place Apartment redevelopment.

Conversely, Thornton has made strides in providing a balance of housing choices. The City has tried to diversify the housing stock to include larger homes with more amenities to balance the predominance of starter homes that were constructed prior to the 1990s. The City also has strengthened architectural standards in an effort to enhance the identity of the City and to strengthen housing values. The Housing Master Plan recommends that the City continue to seek a balanced housing inventory, which includes enhanced design elements to ensure demand for homes as they age. The Master Plan also examines issues related to neighborhood design and function due to the influence these issues have on housing demand and neighborhood stability. Changes to the Thornton City Code identified in the Housing Master Plan include increasing trail and street connections between subdivisions, adjusting street design to reduce speeding and to improve conditions for pedestrian and cyclists and creating mixed use standards.

Since this is the first Housing Master Plan completed by the City of Thornton, the Plan includes a great deal of data and exhibits intended to provide a base which can be utilized to study changes in housing related issues over time. The Plan includes an Implementation Plan to facilitate enactment of the goals, policies and recommendations set forth. It is anticipated that this Plan will be utilized by elected officials, citizens, developers and City staff to ensure that Thornton provides a variety of quality housing opportunities for all persons who want to call the City of Planned Progress home.