Gov. Jared Polis signs bill into law that clarifies occupancy limits in cities across Colorado

Gov. Jared Polis signed HB24-1007 into law on Monday which prohibits residential occupancy limits. The new law takes effect July 1 and is designed to eliminate discriminatory occupancy limits in Colorado while expanding housing opportunities. 

"I am thrilled to take this bold step today to cut red tape and get the government out of the business of telling people who they can live with. This is one of many comprehensive steps Colorado is taking to ensure Coloradans can live in the communities they choose, near jobs and transit hubs. I thank the sponsors for their work on this legislation to create more housing options Coloradans can afford," said Polis in a statement.

Those limits may have forced some to pay more for rent instead of splitting the cost among multiple roommates. 

The law prohibits cities from creating or enforcing laws that limit the number of people allowed to live in a home purely based on their relationship with others. Fort Collins has a "you plus two" ordinance that was created decades ago which prohibits more than three unrelated people from sharing one home no matter the size of the home or the number of bedrooms. 

The mayor of Fort Collins told CBS News Colorado that the definition of family has changed over time as has the size of the city. 

During the signing, Polis said the occupancy limits are an artificial barrier to more housing opportunities and said it is not the government's business who your roommates are.