DENVER — Just before midnight on Tuesday, Colorado lawmakers passed SB23-213 out of the Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee on a 9-4 vote. The Land Use Bill is a big piece of legislation this session, as it targets affordable housing in Colorado in a number of ways.
A goal of the bill's sponsors in the House of Representatives was restoring some of the power the bill lost through amendments made in the Senate.
“The amendments that were made in the Senate were really taken out of fear," said Representative Iman Jodeh, D-Arapahoe, who is a sponsor in the House. “A lot of the things that I've mentioned around transportation and ADUs, those are really important to us as the House sponsors. And it was really important to the original intent of the bill.”
Amendments related to reinstating Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and density development near key corridors and transit passed as part of the bill on Tuesday.
“Having unattainable, affordable housing is plaguing our state," said Representative Jodeh. “This bill is really taking an approach to make sure that we're solving it in a holistic manner that allows all of these things to be taken into consideration, so people can actually call Colorado home.”
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Representative Rose Pugliese, R-El Paso County, said the bill does not address the issues that are stressing the housing market in Colorado.
“When we are ready to have a real conversation about affordable housing, there are plenty of people in and outside of this building that are ready to have those conversations. But it is not this bill," said Representative Pugliese, who is a member of the Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee. “One statewide solution to a Denver metro area problem is not really what's good for the whole state.”
The Mayor of Breckenridge, Eric Mamula, agrees with Representative Pugliese that local control is critical when it comes to housing decisions. He said initially, the city was in a position where they wanted to see the bill amended, but now they oppose it.
“Part of the problem with things like ADUs by right...—those without any serious affordability measures, which none of these bills contemplate, do nothing but create more vacation rental homes. That's all that would have done to us. So, you're not helping the problem, you're exacerbating the problem," said Mamula. “We just don't have any room for more density. We're infrastructure poor. We're not the Front Range."
Alongside opponents of the bill, proponents also showed up for hours of testimony before lawmakers in the committee on Tuesday. One of those in support of the legislation was Mackenzie Kemp, who is in school to be a nurse practitioner. She commutes at least 30 minutes to and from work every day, and said a big reason for that drive is a lack of affordable housing.
“A lot of people are just not able to afford living in Denver anymore. So, they are moving to other states that are more affordable," said Kemp. “It's important that health care workers are encouraged to stay in the Denver area. There's a growing need for nurses and other nursing personnel to care for the growing population.”
Representative Jodeh said the next step for the bill is the Appropriations Committee before the House floor, and then it would head back to the Senate.
“We have been working in consultation with the Senate and the members to make sure that what we are sending back is in fact something that they can adopt," said Representative Jodeh. "It will be a tight turnaround, but we are incredibly confident in the process and of our stakeholders that we are going to pass a bill that is truly reflective of sustainable growth for Colorado.”
The legislative session ends on Monday, May 8.
