Capitol Connection: March 1, 2019
House Bill 19-1096: Colorado Right to Rest
Earlier in the week, HB19-1096, titled Colorado Right to Rest, died in the Senate Finance Committee by unanimous decision. The bill would have allowed individuals to occupy public spaces for any duration without penalty, prohibiting state and local governments from enacting or enforcing laws, ordinances, rules or regulations related to public camping. CAR’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) understands the breadth of the affordable housing crisis residents continue to face across the state. This legislation, however, does not provide a viable solution to end homelessness, nor does it provide communities with the resources needed to assist individuals and families in finding stable housing or to provide more diverse and affordable housing units to the market. Therefore, LPC opposed the bill. On Tuesday, bill sponsor, Rep. Jovan Melton (D-Aurora) asked the Committee to postpone indefinitely his bill to allow Denver voters to decide this issue at the ballot box this May.
On the May 2019 ballot, Denver voters will be asked to consider Denver Initiative 300, commonly referred to as the Right to Survive Initiative that is a proposed policy change to the city’s municipal code. If voters approve this initiative it could repeal Denver’s urban camping ban, allowing individuals to reside in any public space throughout the City and County of Denver for any duration of time. Common Sense Policy Roundtable (CSPR) released a detailed study analyzing how Homelessness is currently being addressed in Denver, and the impacts and unintended consequences of granting unimpeded access to public space. Read full report here.
House Bill 19-1145: Primary Residence Exempt Liens for Medical Debt
Sponsored by Rep. Kerry Tipper (D-Lakewood) and Rep. Sonya Jaquez Lewis (D-Longmont), HB19-1145 exempts a person’s primary residence from the attachment or execution of a lien from unpaid medical debts. REALTORS® strongly believe in homeownership and protecting property owners’ rights to own, use and transfer real estate; therefore, CAR’s Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) supports this legislation. Purchasing a home is one of the most significant investments a person makes during their lifetime. That equity and ability to build wealth and a better future for Colorado families should not be extinguished or diminished as a result of a catastrophic medical emergency. CAR believes this bill protects the values of homeownership for all Coloradans. HB19-1145 will be heard next in the House Finance Committee on Mar. 11th.
CAR’s 50-State Research Aims to Identify Nation’s Most Innovative Housing Solutions
The Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR) completed a 50-state research analysis, designed to identify the most innovative and successful programs being implemented to address affordable housing across the United States. The research focused on the entire spectrum of housing needs including low-income populations, workforce housing, first-time homebuyers, and senior citizens.
From affordability and product type to inventory needs, CAR’s research set out to help identify what state and local governments, public and private businesses, and individual communities are doing to tackle a housing supply and the nexus of surrounding issues impacting every state. The analysis revealed distinct common attributes of the most successful programs that included bold, innovative, out-of-the-box thinking to address housing shortages, as well as a clear cooperation and participation in program implementation from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors to address the full spectrum of housing issues. Read full report here.
CAR Spring Summit (April 23-25, 2019)
The 2019 CAR Spring Summit is almost here. Spring Summit is packed with business meetings, new ideas, vendors, networking and fun. The Four Seasons in Vail is the place to be Apr. 23-25, 2019. Also, during Spring Summit, join us to celebrate 50 years of RPAC at our annual Spring RPAC Reception with a special theme to be announced very soon. Registration for Spring Summit opens on Monday, Feb. 25th at 12 p.m. Click here for more information and the link to register.
NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings (May 13-18, 2019)
The REALTORS® Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo allows NAR members an opportunity to take an active role in advancing the real estate industry, and public policy directly. REALTORS® come to Washington, DC, for special issues forums, committee meetings, legislative activities, hill visits and the industry trade show. Registration is now open. Click here for more information.
For Colorado, we have nine hill visits to complete and as we approach May, CAR Government Affairs staff will be in contact with attendees regarding the hill visits meeting schedule for their specific congressional district.
Colorado Project Wildfire
Developed by the Colorado Association of REALTORS®, Project Wildfire is designed to help reduce the destruction of land, property, and lives. Working in partnership with other like-minded fire prevention organizations across the state, local REALTOR® associations are bringing education and awareness, as well as access to resources, directly to residents in their local communities. To learn more about Colorado Project Wildfire, click here.
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More than 50,000 REALTORS® from across the country have already signed up for REALTOR® Party Mobile Alerts – have you? Text REALTORS to 30644 to stay up to date on REALTOR® issues! You’ll be among the first to know about NAR Calls for Action and more! Click here for more information.