In a move to see the building of more houses in Colorado and at a quicker pace, Governor Jared Polis has signed an executive order that, as the official document says, is designed to “support strategic growth.”
Noting that the Centennial State has become the eighth most unaffordable state in the country, Polis maintained that as things stand today, “many Coloradoans are not able to live close to where they work or close to transit, which leads to more congestion on our roads, more money spent on commuting, more pollution, and more inequitable outcomes.”
Matters are only made more challenging by forecasts that Colorado, which already has a population of around 5.8 million—up from 4.3 million two decades ago—is expected to add another 1.7 million in the next generation.
Although the state has invested more than $2.5 billion in new housing in just the last four years, Polis said more is needed, and as part of his executive order is directing the Colorado Department of Local Affairs to turn grants around for residential projects much more expeditiously.
Polis said the goal is to reduce a current 240-day average turnaround to 90 days.
Polis additionally is pushing for a variety of state agencies, including the departments of economic development, transportation, natural resources, and public health, to evaluate “everything they do that touches on housing: grants, policies, plans, procedures, rules, including utilization of state land.”
“Neither the state nor local governments should be a barrier to housing development,” continued Polis, “and state programs must support and align with the state’s strategic growth goals.”
The Governor’s order comes weeks after members of the Colorado State Legislature failed to agree on a measure requiring cities and towns in the state to zone for greater housing density.
In a statement, Brian Rossbert, executive director of the nonprofit Housing Colorado, remarked: “We are confident that the governor and the legislature will continue to keep the issue of housing top of mind as we move toward 2024.”
Although Polis’ executive order does not allocate any new funding for housing construction, notes the Denver Post, “it will boost housing development,” while also increasing housing density.
By Garry Boulard
