Polis wants 'more housing now.' Here's what his plan could mean for Fort Collins

In his State of the State address earlier this year, Gov. Jared Polis made clear he wanted to do something about Colorado’s housing crisis, saying that by 2026 he wanted it to be a place “where housing is affordable for every budget.”

On Wednesday, Polis introduced his comprehensive housing plan, which mostly consists of one, 100-plus page document deemed the More Housing Now bill. It's focused on “increasing housing options by cutting red tape and allowing and incentivizing efficient housing production that meets the needs of local communities.”

In Fort Collins, some of that language might sound familiar after City Council attempted to update the city’s land use code last winter using similar techniques to what Polis has proposed.

City staff and council are set to begin public outreach next month to start drafting the new round of land use code updates after the latest round was repealed. But if Polis’ housing proposals pass the Democrat-controlled General Assembly, there might not be much local leaders could change with regard to some elements that residents opposed to the Fort Collins changes found upsetting.

What does the plan seek to do?

The state is trying to find ways to increase housing stock and increase housing affordability.

“Many Coloradans are being forced out of their neighborhoods with no hope of ever living close to where they work, which means more congestion on our roads, more money spent on commuting, more pollution, and greater economic challenges,” read the state’s release.

To combat the current housing struggles, the plan’s broad goals are:

• Allow accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes or townhomes throughout big cities and mountain communities.

• Incentivize more multifamily housing near transit and walkable communities.

• Cut “red tape and (reduce) building limitations” to allow for faster builds, lower costs and increased options for what can be built.

• Identify affordability strategies tailored to local and regional needs and give agencies a framework “to strategically align investments and policies and track progress.”

• Build more by “eliminating arbitrary laws that prevent property owners from building the housing units local communities need.”

More:Affordable housing can be a complex topic. Here's what to know about it in Fort Collins

What would Fort Collins have to do if Polis' housing proposal passes?

The plan would require many Colorado municipalities — including Fort Collins — to create a plan to address housing issues from a menu of options the state will provide by the end of 2024. If a city were to fail to meet the minimum standards outlined by the government, the state would step in and override local zoning rules by enforcing a standardized code.

As a larger urban city — per the proposal — Fort Collins would also have to allow ADUs, allow duplexes/triplexes, encourage transit-oriented housing and development, remove square footage requirements, remove occupancy restrictions (locally known as U+2) and have strategic planning around growth and water.

“If we don’t act now, we risk facing the point of no return and becoming like California,” read a press release announcing the plan. “This is not a problem that can be solved by one city, town or local government alone. This is a statewide crisis that needs a state-level solution.”

Neither Fort Collins City Council, nor its legislative review committee, has taken a formal stance on the bill at the statehouse.

Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt told the Coloradoan that "Fort Collins stands ready to respond to whatever the state tells us to do, just like with every other law. And we're going to monitor (this) bill closely through the rest of the session."

Does the bill require ADUs and duplexes be built?

No. While the proposed legislation allows different housing types to built in areas where they previously weren’t, it doesn’t require that communities build them.

Would all Colorado cities be impacted the same?

No. The plan largely focuses on urban areas, areas directly surrounding urban areas and resort communities, which face some of the strictest requirements in the proposed plan.

In the plan, Colorado towns and cities are broken down into:

• Urban areas “tier 1”

• Urban areas “tier 2"

• Rural resort municipalities

• Non-urban municipalities

• Statewide land (counties or other small areas)

From there, each designation would have to implement different levels of the plan.

Fort Collins, as a tier 1 urban area, would have to do all that was mentioned in the bullet points above to meet the requirements of the law. Around Fort Collins, other cities deemed to be tier 1 would include Greeley, Loveland and Windsor.

Timnath would be a tier 2 town, so it would need to submit a housing plan to the state and couldn't restrict ADUs, but could restrict duplexes or triplexes and wouldn't have to focus on transit-oriented housing, per the bill.

A non-urban municipality would only have to allow ADUs, remove square footage requirements and occupancy requirements and have strategic planning around growth and water.

Who created the plan?

The plan was created by Polis with many top Democrats, including Sen. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, and environmental leaders; local government officials; and housing, business and labor leaders.

No Fort Collins representatives stood by Polis’ side while he announced the plan, though a number of mayors expressed support for it in press releases prior to or following the announcement.

When would these policies take effect?

Like all things, housing solutions take time. And municipalities will need to take time to create what the state is asking for.

The deadlines in the plan, most notably the deadline for municipalities to submit their housing plans and adopt policies that meet the minimum standards (not yet outlined by the state), is Dec. 31, 2024. If plans aren't in place by mid-2025, the state's model code will be automatically implemented.

Polis told the Denver Post that he doesn’t expect these changes would happen overnight. Rather, he hopes to see new housing addressing the state’s issues within five to 10 years.

But before anyone gets to work, the proposals have to make their way through the legislature.

Molly Bohannon covers Fort Collins government for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at mbohannon@coloradoan.com. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How Jared Polis' plan for Colorado housing could impact Fort Collins