Affordable housing

When Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic allies sought to overhaul land use rules in the state last year in hopes of spurring more housing development they faced immediate blowback from municipalities intent on protecting their local control. Seeking housing solutions From the mountains to the prairies, Colorado’s housing crisis is squeezing state residents in ways that make drastic choices an all-too-common part of their cost-of-living calculus. Click here to read more from this series. But one Front Range city publicly…

From the mountains to the prairies, Colorado’s housing crisis is squeezing state residents in ways that make drastic choices an all-too-common part of their cost-of-living calculus. Colorado faces a shortfall of 100,000 homes and apartments, the second worst deficit of any state after California, according to a study last year from Up for Growth. A homebuyer misery index from the Common Sense Institute found households in the state’s largest counties facing record-high levels of stress. When The Denver Post put out a call…

Decades ago, Colorado’s mountain communities, struggling with sky-high real estate values, implemented “inclusionary” ordinances that required developers to set aside a share of the units they built at a lower price or lower rent. Aspen, Colorado, consistently tops the list of the most expensive places in the world to live on March 4, 2024. Nestled in the Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen boasts one of the highest concentrations of ultra-expensive real estate globally, intensifying the struggle for affordable housing options…

The studs of Jennifer Miller’s Erie dream home carry in them her family’s hopes for the future, with messages literally inked with permanent marker onto the bedroom beams while the two-story house was under construction in 2019. But the dream home turned into a money pit for the family of four as they tapped savings and equity from their down payment to fix problems she said were caused by rushed construction. The soil under the foundation wasn’t properly prepared, Miller said, causing the house to twist and stretch as…

Homeowners associations’ foreclosure filings on thousands of Coloradans’ houses over unpaid fines and fees have spurred fresh attempts by lawmakers to better regulate HOAs and metropolitan districts with the hope of preventing more people from losing their homes. Lawmakers have introduced several reform bills that would restrict foreclosures from delinquent fees and require HOAs and metro districts to adopt written policies, enhance notifications to homeowners and add licensing requirements for professional managers. The…

Colorado is in the midst of an ongoing housing crisis. The Denver Post is looking at some of the policies and programs that individual cities have enacted to drive more affordable housing development within their borders. Reporters Joe Rubino, Seth Klamann and Aldo Svaldi are looking to talk to people living in affordable housing or who are cost-burdened and would benefit from affordable housing. If you’re interested in sharing your experience for an article, please fill out the information below. Colorado is in the…

Becky Brazell is a matchmaker extraordinaire. Her successful pairings don’t dilly-dally. They move straight in with one another. She isn’t matching for love but to outwit Colorado’s volatile housing market and a lack of options for aging residents, she said. Brazell is the programs manager for the nonprofit Sunshine Home Share Colorado, which pairs people seeking affordable housing in metro Denver with older residents in search of companionship, help around the house and rent contributions who are up for a roommate.…

For inhabitants of the country’s most sought-after ZIP code, the unwelcome news came in December: In a move to pressure the city to zone for more affordable housing, a restrictive ruling by a Superior Court judge put a moratorium on Beverly Hills‘ right to approve any new home additions or project proposals by residents pending the approval of new homes for lower-income locals. In this ultra-exclusive community, where home remodeling is practically a sport, the notion that all renovations — from simple…

Many community members who turned out to a Boulder Planning Board hearing last week voiced strong opposition to a developer’s concept plan that would tear down the historic Dark Horse Tavern and build a mixed-use commercial and residential development on the property. The Dark Horse has been a Boulder landmark since 1975, known for its selection of bar food and drinks as well as its assortment of Colorado Buffaloes memorabilia, unique décor and fun atmosphere, according to its website. Not to mention the bar’s infamous…

Since November, Joe and Sarah Webber have searched for a larger home to replace the small bungalow they own near the University of Denver in the Corey-Merrill neighborhood. They want to stay in that part of Denver, with its spacious parks, but doing so will cost them at least $1 million for a basic home large enough to accommodate future kids. They are realizing that $1 million, even $1.2 million, doesn’t buy what it used to, much less what they hoped it could. “We are feeling like prices are high, which we knew. But it…