(The Center Square) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis updated an executive action to push more affordable housing for Colorado.
This comes just months after he first issued the initial executive order.
“We are building more housing now and breaking down government barriers to new homes. It is more important than ever to lower the cost of living,” Polis, a Democrat, said. “This action will lead to more housing that people can afford.”
The amended executive order directed state agencies to prioritize grant funding to local communities that are “leading on the effort to create more housing that Coloradans can afford.”
Community leadership is defined as compliance with a number of state laws, titled strategic growth laws, which include:
• HB24-1007: Restricts local governments in Colorado from limiting how many people can live together in one dwelling, exceptions include health and safety.
• HB24-1313: Establishes a “transit-oriented community” category for local governments, which promotes affordable housing development near transit hubs.
• HB25-1273: Requires certain municipalities to update building codes to allow up to five-story multifamily buildings to use a single exit under certain conditions.
• SB25-002: Aims to remove regulatory barriers and streamline the approval process for modular and tiny homes.
“I am directing relevant state agencies to ensure state grant support goes to communities that are stepping up to be part of our housing solution,” Polis said.
The executive order called on more grant funding from departments such as the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado Energy Office and others to go to communities that are “working to ensure that every Coloradan has an affordable place to call home” by “meeting Colorado’s housing goals and complying with strategic growth laws.”
In Colorado, there is a severe housing crisis that has been exacerbated in recent years by increasing costs.
Currently, one in four renters in Colorado spends over 50% of their income on housing, and homelessness is steadily increasing, as previously reported by The Center Square.
From 2020 to 2024, Colorado’s homeless population grew by 90%, the fourth highest growth rate in the country. This is something local politicians say is exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing, leading to the state and cities like Denver to launch many different housing programs.
Polis said in the executive order that the state’s shift in grant funding will be especially important as federal funding remains unpredictable.
“The strategic growth laws … provide mechanisms to foster a stable quality and quantity of housing for Coloradans of all income levels in all parts of the State,” the order stated. “Especially at a time of economic uncertainty and federal policies negatively impacting State revenue, it is important to ensure that State funds are spent on local projects that lower the cost of living for Coloradans, including housing and transportation costs, and ease the pressure on our climate and natural resources.”
