Linkage Fee Nexus Study

The City of Wheat Ridge is soliciting proposals from qualified individuals, institutes, firms, or organizations to complete a Nexus Study for a Housing Impact (Linkage) Fee. The goal is to assess the demand for affordable housing generated by both residential and commercial development and to explore a legally defensible fee structure. The study should evaluate the potential impact on future development activity in Wheat Ridge and whether a linkage fee would be economically viable. This study will directly support the implementation of the City's Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan (AHS) by exploring a linkage fee as a secondary revenue source for the City’s Housing Fund. City Council provided this direction based on the results of a consultant-led Inclusionary Housing Zoning (IHZ) Feasibility Analysis, which indicated that an IHZ program may not be the most appropriate tool for Wheat Ridge at this time due to market constraints and development patterns.