The bill would have given cities the right of first refusal when multifamily housing projects come up for sale if the city wants to preserve them as affordable housing.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis vetoed a bill that would have let local governments have the first chance to purchase multifamily housing properties for sale if they pledge to maintain them as affordable housing.
According to a story by Michael Brady in Smart Cities Dive, “Polis said he vetoed House Bill 23-1190 because it was mandatory and might have led to higher rents, delays and confusion.”
A statement from the bill’s co-sponsors, Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Emily Sirota and Sens. Sonya Jaquez-Lewis and Faith Winter, accuses its critics of waiting until the last minute to voice their opposition. “Backroom conversations and last-minute veto letters should not usurp the public and lengthy legislative process,” the statement says. The bill’s co-sponsors said “The Governor has sided with the interests of private equity, hedge funds, and their powerful corporate lobbyists over and against the affordability concerns of people in our state.”
Yet the state’s legislature recently reined in the proposed “More Homes Now” bill, which included statewide upzoning and which local leaders said eroded local control.
FULL STORY: Affordable housing bill vetoed by Colorado governor, sparking backlash from legislators
New Washington State Law Lets Cities Give Social Housing Developers City-owned Land
In its current form, HB 1687, which authorizes local governments to assist social housing agencies with land or other resources, only applies to Seattle.
How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years
The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.
DC Residents Want Affordability Over ‘Character’
A poll finds that most residents want to see changes in zoning and land use laws that unlock more housing construction in the District and improve affordability.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association