Capitol Connection – January 27, 2023
Legislative Advocacy this Week at the State Capitol
The third official week of the session has wrapped up with more bills moving through the legislative process. The Colorado Association of REALTORS® is tracking around 31 bills relevant to the real estate and business community; we anticipate more housing-related bills to be introduced in the coming weeks. As always, Colorado Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs staff continue to monitor and work with relevant stakeholders and legislators on potential legislation that affects the real estate industry and private property rights. A few bills of importance are summarized below.
Bill Updates
Repeal of Statutory Provisions Prohibiting Local Governments from Enacting Rent Control on Private Residential Property or a Private Residential Housing Unit (House Bill 23-1115) – Sponsored by Representative Javier Mabrey (Denver and Jefferson Counties), Representative Elizabeth Velasco (Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin Counties), Senator Robert Rodriguez (Arapahoe, Denver, Jefferson Counties)
In state statute, local governments have a blanket prohibition against enacting rent control ordinances. House Bill 1115 proposes to repeal that ban and allow local governments to pass any form of rent control in their jurisdiction. This bill was introduced in the House on January 23rd and has yet to be calendared for a legislative committee.
Pet Animal Ownership in Housing (HB23-1068) – By Representative Alex Valdez (Denver)
Section 4 in House Bill 1068 prohibits a landlord from demanding or receiving a security deposit or rent in exchange for allowing a tenant to house a pet on the rental property. Section 5 creates a pet-friendly landlord damage mitigation program in the Department of Local Affairs. Under the program, a landlord can receive reimbursement of up to $1,000 for damages caused by a renter’s pet on a first-come, first-serve basis. If a landlord receives reimbursement from the fund, this bill will prohibit a landlord from taking legal action against the tenant for damages from a pet. Finally, section 7 prohibits the existing Colorado affordable housing tax credit from being allocated unless the tenants can keep pet animals at a qualified development where the tenant resides. This bill has yet to be calendared for a legislative committee.
In Case You Missed It
National Association of Realtors® President Kenny Parcell issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s tenant-centered action plan:
“Rents are rising, driven by inflation and exacerbated by the housing supply shortage. We encourage the Administration to look more deeply at how it can address the root causes of rental affordability—namely, affordable housing supply.
“To immediately address the lack of housing affordability, NAR encourages the Administration and Congress to examine providing rental assistance through a range of channels, including grants, state and local fiscal recovery funding, and a variety of HUD programs that can be better funded and improved.
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