Denver, CO – The House Committee of Transportation, Housing & Local Government passed HB24-1152 in a 9-2 bipartisan vote last night to legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in order to address the housing crisis and protect rights for property owners in the state. Centennial State Prosperity hosted a press conference in support of the bipartisan bill ahead of the hearing with bill sponsors, an ADU builder, an ADU owner, AARP Colorado, and the Boulder Chamber.
“In Colorado, many homeowners find themselves grappling with the challenges of maintaining their properties or coping with the rising costs of homeownership,” said Christy Silva, owner of Little Home Builders. “In HB24-1152, I see a glimmer of hope – a chance to streamline regulations and make ADUs more accessible to those in need. I think of my own kids, in their early twenties, who won’t be able to afford to live in Colorado like my daughter who moved to Wyoming because she can’t afford to buy or rent here. I respectfully request lawmakers to continue to support HB24-1152 and its efforts to expand access to ADUs across our state.”
“I am in support of this bill because of my personal experience with having an ADU built on my property,” said Gerald Horner, Denver ADU Owner. “Like many Coloradans, we also faced the fact that, because of lack of affordable housing, we would be unable to stay in our neighborhood if we did not have this option. We did face challenges in building our ADU – the cost was quite high and we had to dip into our retirement savings. Additionally, the permitting process was lengthy and cumbersome. Our hope is that this bill will save others time and money and streamline the process to allow more homeowners to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”
ADU small business owner Christy Silva penned an op-ed in the Greeley Tribune in support of the bill ahead of its committee hearing.
HB-1152 will create more housing supply by giving homeowners the right to build an ADU on their property. More ADUs can help Colorado families stay in the homes and communities they grew up in by providing extra income in the form of rent, helping an older family member age in place, or providing a home for a family member just starting out who is struggling to afford housing.
This common-sense proposal supports Colorado’s local governments with grants to help them provide support to low and moderate-income Coloradans building an ADU, property owners renting their new ADU at an affordable rate, or ADUs intended to address housing needs in the community (like workforce housing or providing increased accessibility for Coloradans with disabilities), as well as remove burdensome red tape.
An ADU is a smaller, separate living space on the same property as a main house – sometimes located above a garage or in a separate structure. They are also known as “granny flats” or casitas. A January poll released by Keating Research shows that 78% of Coloradans support a state law to allow ADUs to be built on single family home properties.