Denver Pauses Multifamily Development in Westside Neighborhoods Amidst Gentrification Concerns

A “quietly released” memo from the Denver Community Planning and Development department signals a plan to stop approving higher-density projects in some West Denver neighborhoods. According to an article by Joe Rubino in Governing, the move is an effort “to stem the tide of gentrification trends in the historically Latino area.”

The memo announces a pause on rezoning approvals until “more affordability tools to preserve and/or create affordable housing are available to be paired with rezonings to higher intensity districts.”

Proponents of the moratorium say it will help slow the displacement of residents in the area, while critics argue that limiting the development of multi-family housing is exacerbating the housing crisis. “Home values in the West Area Plan neighborhoods increased 155 percent, on average, from 2010 to 2022, a period when home values skyrocketed citywide. But that spike has corresponded with a rapid decline in ethnic diversity in the area,” Rubino explains. 

Advocacy group YIMBY Denver says the best way to limit the impact of gentrification is not to stop development in certain neighborhoods, but to eliminate single-family zoning to make it easier to build new housing everywhere in the city. “In 2025, CPD is undertaking a “missing middle housing” project aimed at fostering a more gentle increase in density in appropriate places.”