Denver, CO – Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Local Government and Housing passed HB24-1152 to legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in order to address the housing crisis and protect rights for property owners in the state. HB24-1152 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.
The Denver Post Editorial Board recently came out in support of HB-1152 stating that ADUs “could slowly have an impact on bringing down rents and purchase prices.”
Centennial State Prosperity, AARP Colorado, Conservation Colorado, Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Good Business Colorado, Denver Streets Partnership, Vibrant Littleton, Conservation Colorado, YIMBY Denver, YIMBY Fort Collins, Signal Tech Coalition, Colorado Fiscal Institute, Thrive Economics, Gary Community Ventures, ProgressNow, and The Bell Policy Center released the following joint statement:
“With the Senate committee’s nod of approval, we’re celebrating a major stride towards empowering Colorado families to thrive in their beloved neighborhoods. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) provide invaluable opportunities for homeowners, from generating extra income to supporting multigenerational living arrangements. By expanding ADU permissions, we’re not just defending property rights; we’re also expanding housing options to meet our state’s growing needs. Huge gratitude to our bipartisan bill sponsors for pushing this through, and now, let’s rally behind its swift passage. Colorado families are counting on us to deliver.”
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. ADUs tend to be more energy efficient and are more affordable options near where people work, live, and play, which limits exurban sprawl and transportation emissions.
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.
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