Overlapping Housing Regulations Are Undermining Affordability Across Colorado

As Colorado lawmakers kick off the 2026 legislative session, a new bipartisan effort is urging policymakers to take a closer look at how increasingly complex housing regulations are affecting affordability, housing stability, and the day-to-day renter experience across the state.  

The Bringing Affordability Home campaign, led by the Colorado Apartment Association, focuses on how layers of uncoordinated housing legislation — often enacted with good intentions — are creating uncertainty that discourages investment, delays new housing development, and limits reinvestment in existing communities. Over time, these pressures constrain housing supply and contribute to rising costs for renters and families across Colorado.

Over the past decade, Colorado has experienced periods of rapid population growth followed by a slowdown in housing development, leaving the market struggling to adjust. While many housing policies were designed to improve renter protections, their cumulative impact has included delayed projects, tighter supply, and reduced flexibility for housing providers to respond to demand.

Bringing Affordability Home emphasizes that improving cost of living in Colorado depends on policies that work together and reflect real-world outcomes. When regulations become increasingly layered and unpredictable, investment slows, fewer apartments are built, and long-term affordability challenges intensify.

The campaign is designed to foster a pragmatic, bipartisan conversation about how housing policy intersects with both housing affordability and the broader cost of living. It highlights the need for clearer, more coordinated regulations that expand housing supply, preserve existing housing, and improve affordability without unintended consequences.

Through digital outreach, earned media, and engagement with renters, homeowners, businesses, and policymakers, Bringing Affordability Home will elevate data-driven solutions that balance affordability, accountability, and housing stability.

For more information, visit bringingaffordabilityhome.co.