Press Release

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is excited to announce the hiring of Kate Watkins as its new State Demographer. Watkins will join DOLA part time starting November 4, 2024 and will take over the role full-time starting Monday, December 2. Watkins comes to DOLA with nearly two decades of experience in applied economic and socioeconomic analysis, including serving as the Chief Economist for Colorado’s General Assembly, and most recently, as President and Chief Economist at Bright Fox Analytics.

The State Board of Equalization (SBOE) will have a meeting on October 30, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., via remote access only, and is sending notification to the media per statutory requirements.

On November 1, the Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) State Demography Office (SDO) will host its 42nd Annual Summit. This year’s event will cover newly released population and employment estimates and forecasts, new methods being used for calculating municipal population estimates, the recently announced Census 2026 Test in Colorado Springs. Attendees will also learn about the newest tools and visualizations released by SDO.

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through the Division of Housing's (DOH) State Housing Board, awarded $19.62 million to create or preserve 600 rental units, all aimed at making housing more affordable for Coloradans.

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is excited to announce the appointment of Maulid “Mo” Miskell as its new Deputy Executive Director, effective December 1, 2024. Miskell brings almost 25 years of state government experience in Colorado and Washington D.C., including a deep commitment to making housing more affordable, process improvement and regulatory oversight.

Today, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), through the Division of Local Government (DLG), has reached the first significant milestone in implementation of land use and housing legislation passed during the 2024 legislative session. DLG published the final maps for minimum parking requirements as required by HB24-1304: Minimum Parking Requirements and the final transit-oriented communities maps as required by HB24-1313: Transit-Oriented Communities after months of feedback from interested parties.

The State Board of Equalization (SBOE) will have a meeting on October 10, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., via remote access only, and is sending notification to the media per statutory requirements.

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) announced today that September’s round of rental assistance will open for pre-applications starting at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Pre-applications will be open to the public until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

After two decades of dedicated service, Elizabeth Garner, Colorado's State Demographer, has announced her retirement effective November 29, 2024. Garner’s work and commitment have significantly shaped the state’s demographic understanding and planning, leaving an indelible mark on Colorado’s development.

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is proud to announce that its Southeast Economic Development Grant Program (SEED Grant Program) has been selected as one of 20 projects nationwide to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Transmission Siting and Economic Development Grants Program through the Grid Deployment Office.