Lots of middle housing progress in Colorado! - Lakewood legalized MH citywide in 2025 - Denver developing a policy now - Boulder exploring the same in comp plan update + more 5 recent surveys: - Lakewood and COS: ~2:1 - Boulder: 70-80% for 3-8 units - Denver: 58:31 for 6 units | 62% for du/triplex

"Builders have been constructing bigger and bigger homes during the past half-century. Homes with four or more bedrooms made up nearly half of all new construction in 2022, according to Census Bureau data. That compares with 1 in 5 in the 1970s." How starter homes are disappearing: wapo.st/4prLnEm

Some good news: Americans aren't as committed to car ownership as you might think!

Housing Forward Colorado@housingfwdco.bsky.social · 9mo ago

This new study found that 18% of urban and suburban US car owners express a definite interest in living car-free, and an additional 40% are open to the idea -- in addition to the 10% of urban and suburban US residents already living without a car! humantransit.org/2025/12/many...

Wildfire risk, intensified by climate change and sprawling development patterns, is driving up home insurance costs in Colorado -- where costs are the 4th highest in the country. Smart growth can help reduce this risk and lower costs! www.denver7.com/news/local-n...

Rising homeowners insurance costs add new pressure to Colorado housing market

Rising homeowners insurance costs are becoming a new challenge for Colorado homeowners and buyers, adding pressure to an already-expensive housing market.

denver7.com

Sprawl is more than cookie cutter subdivisions. It drives up housing, energy, and infrastructure costs, emissions, and risk. A new DOLA report compares “business as usual” to smart growth, and the results aren’t even close. We break it down in our latest blog: housingforwardco.org/colorado-at-...

Colorado at a crossroads: Why smart growth beats sprawl

We must be more strategic about the kinds of housing we choose to build and where we choose to build it.

housingforwardco.org

Colorado is short 106,000 homes and will add 1.5M people by 2050. The question isn’t whether we grow—it’s how. DOLA’s new report shows smart growth and infill beat sprawl on costs, climate, and resilience. Read our full analysis: housingforwardco.org/colorado-at-...

Colorado at a crossroads: Why smart growth beats sprawl

We must be more strategic about the kinds of housing we choose to build and where we choose to build it.

housingforwardco.org

Our latest blog post by HFC lead @mattfrommer.bsky.social and economist Luke Teater crunches the numbers on how housing construction affects low-income renters in #Denver: housingforwardco.org/denvers-hous...

Denver Housing Construction Benefits Low-Income Renters

Denver’s recent experience shows that when we build more housing, rents fall – and they fall the most for households that need the greatest relief.

housingforwardco.org

"The burden of soaring housing costs is primarily driven by the fact that the United States does not have enough housing to meet demand." We agree, AND the new construction needs to be where infrastructure already exists! New from CAP: www.americanprogress.org/article/buil...

Build, Baby, Build: A Plan To Lower Housing Costs for All

CAP’s plan would focus federal efforts on building homes and lower housing costs.

americanprogress.org

Single-stair buildings allow for more homes in the same amount of space -- a design tweak that can help us solve the housing shortage. Recognizing these benefits, Denver is going beyond the state requirements to allow more single-stair buildings: archive.is/2025.11.17-1...

Lakewood Colorado is now a leader in housing reform and legalizing more attainable and affordable homes. When will Denver and other cities across the Front range catch up?

Housing Forward Colorado@housingfwdco.bsky.social · 10mo ago

(1/4) Lakewood just adopted one of Colorado’s most significant zoning updates: legalizing middle housing citywide and making room for the kind of compact, affordable homes the city has been missing.

Big congrats to Grand Junction, Superior, Larimer County, Glenwood Springs, Fruita, Brighton, and Longmont on being the first to receive grant money from Colorado's Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Grant Program! www.cpr.org/2025/11/19/c...

Cities around the state get funds to help encourage more ADUs

The grants are part of a larger effort to expand the state’s supply of smaller, more affordable housing options.

cpr.org

👏 We applaud the state on launching Housing Hub Colorado: A centralized resource for accessing federal Housing Tax Credits, plus state and local gap funding, to build affordable rental housing. We hope this functions as a streamlined, one-stop-shop for accessing that money! housinghubcolorado.com

Housing Hub Colorado – A centralized resource for affordable rental housing utilizing Housing Tax Credits and gap funding.

A centralized resource for affordable rental housing utilizing federal Housing Tax Credits and state and local gap funding

housinghubcolorado.com

Big pro-housing win: Last week, Denver City Council voted to allow five-story single-stair buildings! This design tweak is equally safe from a fire perspective and enables us to fit more homes in a given building -- making them all more affordable! www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/d...

Denver City Council approves single-stair building ordinance

Members of the Denver City Council approved an ordinance on Monday that adds provisions allowing five-story single-stair buildings into Denver’s building and fire code amendments.  The ordinance also…

coloradopolitics.com

Kudos to Brighton for streamlining its accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permitting process by offering pre-approved building designs! Brighton is funding this initiative through a $38k grant from the state's new ADU Grant Program. #HousingPolicy #AccessoryDwellingUnits www.denver7.com/news/local-n...

Brighton to streamline permitting process for ADUs by offering pre-approved plans

As recent state legislation has required more communities to allow accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, some local governments are trying to make it easier for homeowners to built one on their property.

denver7.com

"The multigenerational living setup is a dream made possible by the Denver Housing Authority's ADU program." Learn how one family is benefitting: www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...

Denver Housing Authority sees increase in ADU assistance program

A state law requiring cities to allow accessory dwelling units on properties with single-family homes went into effect back in June, and a Denver Housing Authority program that helps Denverites build…

cbsnews.com

@cocoalition.bsky.social plans to renovate the 216 studios and SRO units it already owns in the Downtown Denver YMCA building-- and build additional homes in the remaining 40k sq ft, turning the building into an affordable housing complex. Love this adaptive reuse! denverite.com/2025/12/01/d...

Downtown Denver’s YMCA to close this month, become affordable housing

The YMCA of Metropolitan Denver plans to sell the last 40,000 square feet of its downtown facility to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

denverite.com

@ezraklein.bsky.social lays out the argument that we have a nationwide housing shortage on our hands. In Colorado, we're 106k homes short - and counting. What Klein doesn't mention is that we need new housing built in urban areas, where infrastructure already exists. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/o...

Big win in Lakewood: middle housing is now legal citywide + smaller lots, parking reform and more! A win for climate, affordability, and pathways to homeownership, and a model for other Colorado cities. Read about it here 👇

Housing Forward Colorado@housingfwdco.bsky.social · 10mo ago

(1/4) Lakewood just adopted one of Colorado’s most significant zoning updates: legalizing middle housing citywide and making room for the kind of compact, affordable homes the city has been missing.

Check out my latest blog post on the climate argument for smart growth ⬇️

Housing Forward Colorado@housingfwdco.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Colorado’s 2024 land use reforms on ADUs, parking, and TOD were a big step. But the real climate and affordability gains come when cities go beyond the minimums. Let’s double down on smart growth to cut emissions, costs, and wildfire risk. Here's our breakdown: housingforwardco.org/five-ways-sm...

(1/2) The CO Energy Office modeled how smart land use policies impact GHG emissions &climate risks. The results: 🏘️ -31% building emissions 🚗 -15% household transpo emissions 🌲 +30% of new homes shifted from greenfield development to infill 🔥 -Tens of thousands fewer homes in wildfire-prone areas

Transportation is Colorado’s largest source of GHG emissions, and one of the hardest to decarbonize. EVs help, but we also need to reduce driving. Compact, walkable neighborhoods can cut household transportation emissions by 15% in fast-growing areas. Learn more: housingforwardco.org/five-ways-sm...

Five ways smart land use policies tackle climate change in Colorado

Strategic growth policies can reduce emissions from transportation and buildings while saving residents money and protecting open lands.

housingforwardco.org

Great new op-ed from State Rep Stewart on the benefits of Lakewood's zoning code proposal to expand housing choices by legalizing "missing middle housing". These housing options cost $230k less than single detached homes. They also reduce driving & energy/water use. coloradosun.com/2025/08/07/o...

Opinion: Lakewood’s attempt to increase “middle housing” would be big step to address crisis in Colorado

With updates to zoning laws, Lakewood officials can lead other communities down a path to fixing housing shortages and costs.

coloradosun.com

New press release from SWEEP & partners: Environmental and housing groups support new executive order rewarding local governments for tackling the housing affordability and climate crises. www.swenergy.org/conservation...

Conservation and housing groups support new executive order rewarding local governments for tackling the housing affordability and climate crises - Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

swenergy.org

I'm so proud to have played a tiny part in helping make this happen! This is the most impactful land-use policy change for enabling more housing in urban areas -- not to mention important for fighting urban heat islands and protecting watershed quality! 🏘️☀️💧🌄

@mattfrommer.bsky.social · last yr.

After a long night, Denver city council voted 9-3 to eliminate minimum parking requirements for all uses citywide! 👏

SWEEP's latest report in the Colorado Sun: "The cities that aren’t fighting Jared Polis’ housing agenda - Many Colorado cities are taking steps to obey the state’s new land use laws — and some have gone even further than they’re required." @maxnardoco.bsky.social coloradosun.com/2025/05/30/t...

The Unaffiliated | The cities that aren’t fighting Jared Polis’ housing agenda

Plus: A voter presses Michael Bennet on why he’s running for governor. Michael Dougherty on the offensive.

coloradosun.com

Great thread and blog post from Max Nardo with a summary of the results from Portland's middle housing legalization and how a similar policy might play out in Colorado:

Max Nardo@maxnardoco.bsky.social · last yr.

Colorado faces a shortage of affordable, diverse housing options. Our new blog looks to Portland, Oregon, for lessons on how middle housing reforms can help fix that🏘️ From SWEEP and our new Housing Forward Colorado campaign

Big shout out to Wheat Ridge City Council for getting rid of parking minimums for all multifamily development across the city. Motion passed last night 7-0! @rachelhultin.bsky.social www.youtube.com/live/FqvVCaT...

Wheat Ridge City Council 6-23-25

YouTube video by Wheat Ridge Channel 8

youtube.com

Berkeley - the city that literally invented single-detached-only zoning – passed landmark zoning reform on Friday. Berkeley will now allow 70 homes per acre across all residential zones (~8 homes per 5k sf lot). 🔥🔥🔥 Huge congrats to @eastbayforeveryone.bsky.social & their coalition!

East Bay for Everyone@eastbayforeveryone.bsky.social · last yr.

Celebrating Berkeley's Middle Housing upzoning win. 🎉 #berkmtg

Essential reading for Coloradans interested in housing & land use. “The state’s lot size and parking requirements are “really at odds with this notion of Colorado being an environmentally friendly state, a state where people care about the land, where a lot of attention is paid to land management.”

The Colorado Sun ☀️@coloradosun.com · last yr.

Nearly 70% of Colorado land zoned for housing prohibits the most affordable types of homes, study finds

Proud to have worked on this! Check the thread for some key takeaways. Basically, progress is happening to make CO more affordable and sustainable!!

@mattfrommer.bsky.social · last yr.

Today, our Housing Forward Colorado campaign published an updated Colorado Land Use Progress Report, which tracks local action to comply with the 2024 state land use laws. June 30 was a major deadline & we reviewed dozens of city ordinances. housingforwardco.org/colorado-lan... A few takeaways: