In the 2019 legislative session, we worked to address the issue of affordable housing to increasing the supply and creating more protections for renters.
Major Bills
- Expanding Colorado’s Affordable Housing Supply: HB19-1322
- One of the largest investments in affordable housing Colorado has made in recent memory, this bill requires a transfer of up to $30 million per year for three years from excess reserves in the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund to the Housing Development Grant Fund.
- Affordable Housing Tax Credit Expansion: HB19-1228
- This bill focuses on addressing the lack of affordable housing in our state in two ways: by doubling the tax credits available to incentivize the development of more affordable housing units, and by helping hopeful first-time homebuyers afford to buy a home through down payment assistance grants.
- Rental Application Protections: HB19-1106
- Creates common-sense protections for prospective tenants during the rental application process. Landlords may now only charge an application fee to cover the administrative costs of running tenant screening reports and are limited in reasons they can deny a prospective tenant’s application.
- Warranty of Habitability: HB19-1170
- Increases the protections under Colorado’s warranty of habitability law to ensure renters live in safe homes and that landlords can be held accountable by allowing tenants to withhold rent when a landlord refuses to fix an issue that makes it unsafe or uninhabitable.
- Affordable Housing Funding from Vendor Fee Modifications: HB19-1245
- This bill invests in affordable housing by changing a tax rebate for businesses in Colorado, tailoring it to better help 98% of Colorado businesses, and putting savings from capping the benefit for the very largest businesses towards efforts to ease the housing crunch for hardworking Colorado families.
- Improved Protections for Mobile Home Owners: HB19-1309
- Expands county authority to regulate mobile home parks to improve the safety and well-being of mobile home park tenants and extend the time a mobile homeowner has to sell or relocate their home following an eviction. The bill also establishes a statewide alternative dispute resolution program that both park owners and residents can use to resolve disputes. There are more than 900 mobile parks in Colorado.
- Time Period to Cure Before Evictions: HB19-1118
- Extends the time a tenant has to remedy a minor lease violation or pay unpaid rent before an eviction may be filed, to give tenants a chance to prevent unnecessary evictions and help prevent homelessness.
- Eviction Legal Defense Fund: SB19-180
- Sets up a grant program to assist low-income tenants who have an eviction proceeding filed against them navigate the legal process. Evictions are a leading cause of family homelessness and can often trigger a job loss or a decline in physical and mental health.
- Enhancements to Colorado’s Property Tax and Heat Grant Program: HB19-1085
- Enhances the benefits of Colorado’s property tax, heat and rent rebate program to help low-income seniors and Coloradans with disabilities mitigate the costs associated with Colorado’s affordable housing crisis. This program can help keep people safe and potentially save a life when temperatures plummet.