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Local Affairs

Department of Local Affairs
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Vision

Strengthen Colorado's communities.

Mission

The Department of Local Affairs is responsible for strengthening Colorado’s local communities and building capacity by providing strategic training, research, technical assistance, and funding to localities.

Summary

The Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) serves as the primary interface between the State and local communities. The Department provides financial support to local communities and professional and technical services (including training and technical assistance) to community leaders in the areas of governance, housing, and property tax administration. While all state governments provide such services through various Departmental structures, Colorado’s approach is unique in that these local community services are gathered into one Department of “Local Affairs” which has a central focus on strengthening those communities and enhancing livability.
 
DOLA makes financial resources available to support community infrastructure (e.g. water, sewer, road and bridge projects) and services (e.g. housing) either through statutory formula distributions of state and federal funds (e.g. energy impact direct distribution, Community Service Block Grants, Conservation Trust Fund) or through state and federal grants (e.g. Energy Impact, Limited Gaming Impact, Community Development Block Grants).
 
In addition to providing assistance and services to local governments and communities, DOLA provides technical assistance and services for individual citizens. DOLA assists property owners to ensure their property taxes have been determined in a fair, accurate and consistent manner in accordance with property tax laws. DOLA also helps citizens obtain Section 8 rental assistance through local housing authorities and non-profit service organizations. Additionally, DOLA channels federal aid for disaster recovery. In these ways, DOLA is a direct point of contact for many Coloradoans and other Colorado property owners.
 
Further, all four Divisions of DOLA perform a variety of regulatory functions as assigned by the Constitution and statutes. These range from ensuring proper implementation of state property tax laws, implementing safety and related policies regarding manufactured housing, enforcing requirements on local governments regarding public access to key government documents, and many others.
 
DOLA has established a culture within the Department that encourages collaboration and efficiency, both internally and in relationships with our customers (communities, community leaders and other partners) in advancing the interests and capabilities of local governments.

Performance Plans