The city isn’t allocating enough money to affordable housing and safety net programs, some Fort Collins City Council members said Tuesday while reviewing the proposed budget for the next two years.
The city is setting its budget for 2025 and 2026, and City Council is conducting work sessions and public hearings now.
During their first work session to review the recommended budget, Mayor pro-tem Emily Francis said she wants to see the city to do more to fund programs that address affordable housing.
“I don’t think we’re increasing funding really for housing at all,” she said. “We are not funding land bank programs, we’re not funding legal eviction funds, homeless foundation programs, affordable housing funding program increases.”
“This continues to be the No. 1 need in our community that we continue to hear over and over again. And the budget, if it’s a reflection of the city’s values, this to me is a huge miss,” she said. “We need to figure out how to add more resources to the No. 1 need in our community.