Colorado is in a housing crisis. Employers need sufficient affordable housing in their communities to foster a vibrant economy, and to recruit and retain employees who can focus on their work and not on keeping a roof over their heads. Business owners in some Colorado cities and towns cannot find workers because housing is simply too expensive or unavailable in their areas, and many business owners struggle with housing costs themselves.

We need multiple strategies to address this housing crisis, including removing the red tape that keeps homeowners from building accessory dwelling units (ADUs aka granny flats) on their property. As a smaller housing unit, ADU's are inherently less expensive, and having more of them means that more people can afford to live where they work.

This year’s bill, HB24-1152, will remove burdensome regulations and provide funding to local governments helping working people afford housing. It incorporates best practices from Urban Institute so that ADUs being built benefit working people, while ensuring local governments can retain the flexibility to regulate short-term rentals, authorize the construction of larger or smaller ADUs, apply impact or similar fees, and apply historic district standards.

On behalf of Good Business Colorado and it's members, I urge you to support HB24-1152, a bill to encourage the use of Accessory Dwelling Units.