What is Senate bill 23-213?
A proposal to reform Colorado’s land use code for the first time in decades failed to pass the state legislature.
Introduced by Gov. Jared Polis in March, the bill would have allowed property owners to build accessory dwelling units or convert single homes into duplexes even when their land was zoned for single-family housing. Additional provisions would have encouraged denser building near public transit, eliminated occupancy restrictions outside of those required by fire and building codes, removed parking mandates for developers, and more.
The legislation’s goal was to boost housing availability and affordability while cutting down on urban sprawl, but several municipalities said it infringed on local control. The bill went through several rewrites, and the Senate and House of Representatives couldn’t reconcile two different versions by the end of the legislature’s session.
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A statement from the governor’s office said he was “deeply disappointed that politics and special interests continue to delay delivering real results.”
“Polis will continue his fight to better protect the property rights of homeowners and make Colorado more affordable to purchase or rent homes because changing the status quo isn’t easy,” the statement said.
