Colorado Governor Vetoes Affordable Housing Bill

The bill would have given cities the right of first refusal when multifamily housing projects come up for sale if the city wants to preserve them as affordable housing.

1 minute read

June 11, 2023, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Colorado Governor Jared Polis vetoed a bill that would have let local governments have the first chance to purchase multifamily housing properties for sale if they pledge to maintain them as affordable housing

According to a story by Michael Brady in Smart Cities Dive, “Polis said he vetoed House Bill 23-1190 because it was mandatory and might have led to higher rents, delays and confusion.”

A statement from the bill’s co-sponsors, Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Emily Sirota and Sens. Sonya Jaquez-Lewis and Faith Winter, accuses its critics of waiting until the last minute to voice their opposition. “Backroom conversations and last-minute veto letters should not usurp the public and lengthy legislative process,” the statement says. The bill’s co-sponsors said “The Governor has sided with the interests of private equity, hedge funds, and their powerful corporate lobbyists over and against the affordability concerns of people in our state.”

Yet the state’s legislature recently reined in the proposed “More Homes Now” bill, which included statewide upzoning and which local leaders said eroded local control.

Thursday, June 8, 2023 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

7 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation