Pair of Bills to Address Homelessness, Save Coloradans Money on Housing Clear Senate

Legislation will respond to and prevent homelessness, preserve housing affordability for mobile park residents

DENVER, CO - The Senate today approved a pair of bills to improve access to affordable housing and respond to and prevent homelessness in Colorado.

HB22-1378, sponsored by Senator James Coleman, D-Denver, and Senator Chris Hansen, D-Denver, would provide $50 million in federal pandemic relief funding to fund a homelessness navigation campus in the Denver-Metro area.

“The homelessness crisis has hit our communities hard, and addressing it requires all hands on deck, which is exactly the approach this legislation takes,” Coleman said. “This bill will connect folks without stable housing to the services, care and housing they need, and give more Coloradans support to help them move forward and thrive.”

“Too many of our neighbors are struggling to find a place to call home, and they need assistance,” Hansen said. “Our bill will provide significant new resources to support folks experiencing homelessness, and give nonprofits and local governments more capacity to address this crisis and help more Coloradans get back on their feet.”

HB22-1378 will direct funding through a request for application to local governments and nonprofits in the Denver-Metro area to build or acquire and then facilitate a regional navigation campus to holistically respond to and prevent homelessness. 

The new campus will integrate emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing with behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, medical care, case management, employment, skills training and more – all in one location.

This legislation is part of a series of bills aimed at preventing and responding to homelessness across Colorado, and is funded by the Economic Recovery & Relief Cash Fund.

The Senate also passed HB22-1287, sponsored by Senator Faith Winter, D-Westminster, that would extend critical protections for mobile home park residents in Colorado. The legislation aims to drive down the cost of housing, hold landlords accountable, and ensure residents can remain in their homes. 

“Housing prices are skyrocketing for all of us, including our mobile home residents who are continually displaced by out-of-state investors,” said Winter. “With this bill, we’re working to ensure that we don’t lose Colorado’s largest source of naturally-occurring affordable housing while extending protections to residents so they can remain in their homes. This legislation will protect affordability and increase stability for mobile home residents while holding landlords accountable.” 

HB22-1287 increases stability for residents by ensuring mobile home park residents are given substantial notice if an entity would like to purchase the park, and also by empowering residents to purchase the land they reside on. 

It also preserves housing affordability by enhancing protections for mobile home residents and helping them pay for potential relocation and other costs. Finally, it gives the Attorney General and the Division of Housing the authority to address violations of mobile home park protections. 

HB22-1287 and HB22-1378 now move back to the House for concurrence on Amendments. Track the progress of HB22-1378 HERE, and HB22-1287 HERE.