To increase the affordable housing stock in Colorado, a bill proposing that certain entities should be able to bypass local zoning regulations may soon be approved by the Colorado State Legislature.
The bill, called the Home Act, would specifically allow housing developers, as well as public schools and universities, to proceed with housing projects without having to face the hurdle of zoning approval.
Democrat Representative Andrew Boesenecker, who is heading up the effort to pass the bill, has said that if passed, it will bring about more “affordable housing to our communities.”
Speaking to the Colorado Sun, Boesenecker said housing developers, schools, and universities were specifically chosen for the zoning exemption because they are “already doing really good work in this space.”
Late last year, Colorado Democrat Governor Jared Polis numbered himself as a supporter of the legislation, saying it will “get government out of the business of blocking new housing, and in doing so, unleashing the free market to build more homes Coloradoans can afford.”
The legislation additionally calls for removing barriers for home projects located near transit stations on underutilized land.
Boesenecker has said that Colorado needs at least 100,000 homes to meet the demand for affordable housing.
An earlier version of the bill, which won approval in the House, died in the Senate last spring.
The Colorado legislature convened this week and is expected to remain in session until May 13.
January 16, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of State of Colorado
