Gov. Jared Polis unveils legislation to address state's affordable housing crisis
Gov. Jared Polis unveiled sweeping legislation on Wednesday that addresses the state's affordable housing crisis. The bill has a wide range of support from business and labor to environmentalists and developers.
But the "Colorado Municipal League" calls it a power grab, claiming land use is a "local control issue."
Under the bill, the state's biggest cities would have to adopt building codes that allow for accessory dwelling units, duplexes and triplexes in residential areas and multi-family housing along transit corridors.
Polis said it's about leveling the playing field.
"You have communities that have contributed to the housing crisis by making it very hard to build anything in that community. You have other communities that are forced to shoulder an unfair amount of the burden because the community next to them is not part of it, so we really succeed or fail as region and state and this will help Colorado succeed as a state," said Polis.
The bill allocates $15 million to help local governments with implementation. They would have until December of next year to create a building code with minimum standards or they would be subject to a state code.
