Denver Bans 'Slot Homes,' But Not Before They Changed Neighborhoods

Monday night, the Denver City Council voted unanimously in favor of a zoning code amendment that will effectively shut down further development of the "slot home," a popular but widely derided building type that has proliferated in the city since a major zoning overhaul in 2010.

It's a victory for planners, designers, and neighborhood activists, but an article—with aerial photos—published in The Denver Post just before the vote shows how drastically the enormous number of slot homes in a few areas has changed the character of neighborhoods.

Like many U.S. cities, Denver is struggling to provide enough affordable housing for everyone who wants to live there, and the advantage of slot homes is they allow a maximum number of units per lot. But at half-a-million dollars each, slot homes aren’t exactly a solution for the city's most struggling residents, and as its real estate market continues to boom, Denver is also looking at creative financing and granny flats to address affordability.