As Colorado’s legislative session draws to a close this week, it’s hard to imagine any issue will have been as divisive as Gov. Jared Polis’ land use bill. The proposed legislation was, initially, designed to tackle the state’s affordable housing crisis by reforming zoning ordinances to allow for more density in Colorado’s largest cities.

Since its grand unveiling, though, the bill has been gutted, with the most recent amendment removing all upzoning requirements and instead creating a state board tasked with helping municipalities assess their housing needs.

We took issue with some elements of the bill but applauded the ambition at the effort’s heart. The affordable housing crisis besetting our state is in dire need of ambitious, innovative solutions, and for all the flaws in Polis’ bill, it has ignited statewide debate and further highlighted the need for action.

Thankfully, Boulder is continuing to act. The city, as it is known for, has kept up efforts to create innovative methods to take on our housing crisis. The most recent endeavor, an unshowy and ostensibly simple down payment program, is just the sort of tool that local communities should be embracing in the fight to provide equitable housing to all.

In 2019, Boulder residents overwhelmingly passed Ballot Issue 2I, with nearly 70% voting “yes.” The measure sought to give the city the ability to accrue $10 million in debt in order to provide down payment assistance to middle-income earners in Boulder.

Unfortunately, the implementation of the corresponding program quickly hit the brick wall of COVID and was put on pause — like most everything else.

Now, though, the city is seeking to get a pilot program off the ground.

The Middle Income Down Payment pilot program has a twofold objective: to offer down payment assistance to middle-income households and to place permanent deed restrictions on homes purchased with the down payment assistance.

Under the program, first-time buying, middle-income households — defined as households earning up to 120% of the area median income — could receive up to $200,000 in down payment assistance, though no more than 15% of the purchase price, in the form of a 0% interest loan from the city. Repayment of the loan would be due after 15 years or when the home is sold. (Boulder would cover interest payments on the loan.)

To qualify, homebuyers must have a connection to Boulder, either by currently living here (in a rental) or already working here. In fact, one target population is the city’s own staff. When the ballot measure passed in 2019, only 37% of city staff lived in Boulder — it’s not a stretch to imagine that more would choose to live here if they could afford to.

With the city approved for $10 million in debt, reporting from 2019 presumed the program would provide assistance to roughly 10 homebuyers each year. The pilot program currently getting off the ground is aiming to test the waters with just four or five homebuyers, according to Hollie Hendrikson, a senior project manager with Housing and Human Services.

The impetus of the program is to provide a foundation for Boulder’s middle-income earners and families to have the ability to plant roots here, while also adding to the city’s affordable housing stock through the deed restrictions — which appear to be a strong tool to put some limits on the sort of unfettered growth we have witnessed in the past few years. Under the current proposal, the deed restriction on purchased homes would cap appreciation at a percentage pegged to the methodology in the city’s permanently affordable program, around 4.2%.

At the moment, though, there are no income requirements worked into the deed restriction for the next buyer of the home, which, to an extent, negates the value of a deed restriction. Income limitations should be put on subsequent buyers to ensure the property continues serving its purpose of providing housing to Boulder’s missing middle.

Similarly, the pilot program must be operated carefully to ensure participants are chosen in a fair manner. Any appearance of impropriety must be avoided.

Of course, in discussing a program targeting middle-income homebuyers, it is imperative to highlight that the lack of middle-income housing is not Boulder’s only housing problem. And while there is a valid argument that any available funds at the city’s disposal should go to those whose needs are the most acute, we can and should be able to work toward lifting our entire community up together.

In a city where the median home price is hovering near $1.2 million, according to Realtor.com, saving up for a down payment could take years, if not decades. Especially for young homebuyers who are likely saddled with student loan debt and facing a housing market unlike anything in history.

According to one analysis, the national median home price would be just $177,788 if home prices had grown at the same rate as inflation since 1970. Instead, the median national price is $408,100 — which would be a bargain in Boulder. Being able to buy a home today is nothing like it once was — and that is no fault of the young workers and families striving to build a life in our community.

If we want to see our city thrive in the future, we need programs to help homebuyers all over the income spectrum. The existence of a program to help middle-income earners should not negate the existence of a program to help anyone else. To meet the needs of a diverse population, we need a diverse array of tools.

Colorado’s housing crisis is complex and multifaceted and will require a variety of ambitious initiatives to meet the needs of our neighbors around the state. Boulder’s housing crisis is similar. We need aspirational state efforts, but we also need low-scale, innovative projects like the Middle Income Down Payment pilot program.

Everyone here deserves the chance to plant roots and flourish in the community they call home.

Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board