Committee Advances Moreno’s Landmark Bill to Cut Red Tape, Create More Housing Options Coloradans Can Afford
SB23-213 will implement a comprehensive plan to help create more housing now for every Colorado budget
DENVER, CO – The Senate Local Government & Housing Committee today voted to advance Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno’s, D-Commerce City, bill to cut red tape and create more housing options now that Colorado families can afford.
SB23-213 is a comprehensive bill that establishes a framework for more housing in municipalities while providing flexibility for local leaders to implement standards that meet their community's needs. The proposal establishes ways for the state and local communities to work together to develop strategies to meet Colorado’s housing goals more broadly and to avoid regional imbalances in housing production.
“Every Coloradan deserves a safe and affordable place to live, and this proposal will create a smart, holistic approach to expand the menu of housing options families and communities can choose from,” said Moreno. “I’m pleased to see this bill move forward, and I’m excited to continue fighting to cut red tape, expand our housing supply, and improve affordability so that more Colorado families have a place to call home.”
The proposal also includes opportunities for local communities to implement solutions that address unique circumstances and build on prior local efforts that address housing abundance and affordability. By creating more housing supply, this proposal will lead to increases in home options for every budget so that Coloradans can live in the communities they want without being priced out. The plan also helps improve air quality, protect open space, conserve water and plan for future growth while helping prevent displacement.
The plan outlines strategies to create more housing now including:
Legalizing the ability to build more affordable housing types like ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, or townhomes.
Incentivizing more multifamily housing in or near transit-oriented and walkable communities to lessen the number of cars on the road, improving air quality, reducing pollution, and saving people money on commutes.
Cutting red tape and reducing building limitations to decrease building time and cost and giving more options and flexibility for homeowners to build on their land.
Assessing statewide housing needs and identifying affordability strategies tailored to local and regional needs. The bill will provide a framework for state, regional, and local agencies to strategically align investments and policies and track progress.
Constructing more homes and creating jobs by eliminating arbitrary laws that prevent property owners from building the housing units local communities need.
The bill was amended in committee to provide more flexibility for municipalities, among other changes. Tier 1 municipalities will now need to allow middle housing in at least 30 percent of the areas where they allow single-unit dwellings, or the total area of their key corridors and transit-oriented areas, whichever is greater.
Municipalities will gain the flexibility for where to locate zones for middle housing, but must do so based on their displacement risk analysis, and are encouraged to locate middle housing near transit and in walkable neighborhoods.
SB23-213 will now move to further consideration before the Senate Appropriations committee. Track the bill’s progress HERE.