Colorado
Colorado lawmakers revive renter and eviction protections while adapting to political realities
As the clock neared midnight on the penultimate day of last year’s legislative session, a core piece of progressive housing policy sputtered toward a bitter, procedural end.
The bill would have granted “just-cause” eviction protections to Colorado renters, essentially giving them the ability to renew an expiring lease even if their landlord wanted to move them out. The measure had cleared the House but then languished in the Senate amid opposition from moderate Democrats.
As the bill’s House sponsors watched through the glass in the Senate lobby, the clock ran out, and the measure died.
Nine months and more than 35,000 Colorado eviction filings later, the bill is back — albeit in a more limited form. Now dubbed “for-cause” eviction after undergoing changes, the revamped measure joins a half-dozen other proposals that seek to preserve affordable housing and keep renters in place. They also aim to realign the relationship between tenants and landlords in an era of record evictions.
The bill’s new version is sponsors’ acknowledgment of the complicated politics of housing policy, even in a legislature largely under one-party control.
“We are trying to make sure there’s a critical mass of us here in both chambers who are trying to make sure that renters aren’t left out of the conversation,” said Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Denver Democrat and eviction defense attorney who’s sponsoring the for-cause eviction bill. “When we hear the conversation about housing, a lot of it is about property tax cuts. A lot of it is about building more. But people who are renting right now need relief.”
The for-cause bill generally would require that landlords have cause, such as failure to pay rent, before evicting a tenant. As with last year’s version, the bill still would require that tenants be given first choice to renew their leases, but it no longer would require landlords to offer a new lease that’s substantially similar to the expiring one.
The revised bill also would give landlords a handful of exemptions — for instance, if a landlord was trying to move into the property or significantly renovate it. Last year’s bill was more restrictive on landlords, prompting concern it could protect “problem” tenants. The Colorado Apartment Association opposed it.
Other bills seek to limit eviction court fees, to ban software that uses algorithms to set rents and to improve local governments’ ability to retain affordable housing.
The package comes amid a parallel and similarly renewed push by Gov. Jared Polis to reform the state’s approach to land use.
The death of several housing bills last year sparked criticism that the legislature hadn’t done enough to help tenants, despite sizable Democratic majorities. Several legislators note that the crisis has only worsened: Eviction filings continue to surge in Colorado, hitting record levels in Denver last year.
Seeking help for rent-burdened residents
Nationally, a record high 22.4 million renter households — half of renters nationwide — spent more than 30% of their income on rent in 2022, according to new research from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.
State lawmakers’ scramble to blunt the impact of this year’s property tax increases helped fuel the desire by Democrats to direct relief to tenants, too.
After Proposition HH’s defeat by voters in November, a special session saw the passage not only of property tax relief bills but also of a measure to flatten the state’s tax refunds, providing $800 to each income-tax filer. That move predominantly helps lower- and middle-income earners.
The legislature also passed a special session bill that directed $30 million to the state’s rental assistance program for tenants facing eviction. That money, which must be spent by June 30, has still not begun to flow but state officials expect that to happen this week.
Another bill that had been discussed ahead of the special session was introduced this week. It would give tax credits to single renters who make up to $75,000 and to couples who file taxes jointly and make up to $150,000.
The credits — up to $1,000 for singles and $2,000 for couples — would decrease as income rises toward those limits.
Legislators said they learned lessons from last year’s losses and from the broader debate about how to address Colorado’s housing crisis.
They didn’t revive another defunct bill that would have allowed local governments to enact rent-control policies. Instead advocates and legislators are aiming to consolidate their efforts, increasing the odds of achieving a win on another landmark policy that’s closer in reach.
Limiting the for-cause measure was “a hard pill to swallow for our members,” said Carmen Medrano, the executive director of United for a New Economy. But “it was something we decided to do because the substance of the rest of the bill can be life-changing for our grassroots members.”
The new for-cause bill largely nixes a contentious requirement that would have forced landlords to pay relocation fees to tenants who are displaced. That change may help smooth some moderates’ ruffled feathers.
Another lesson? Some policies take years to achieve, legislators said, and require shifts in strategy and scope.
“The eviction crisis and the housing crisis continue to plague us, so we have to act,” said Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat who’s sponsoring the for-cause bill, plus a second measure to bolster regulations around the habitability of apartments.
“For-cause is a different bill than it was last year because we listened to feedback from stakeholders,” she said. “I still think it will be a meaningful policy, should the governor sign that bill into law.”
Asked about his position on the for-cause bill in January, Polis didn’t directly respond. He said only that he would support bills that lower the cost of housing while being skeptical of anything that does the opposite.
Some bills likely to be more contentious than others
Other bills are less controversial or have support from both Democrats and Republicans. Those include a bipartisan measure to eliminate the fee that tenants pay when they respond to an eviction filing.
But some legislation is still likely to be contentious. The revamped for-cause bill remains a top concern for Republicans, not to mention the Apartment Association and its allies. Another bill, which would prohibit rent-setting software that tenants’ groups have argued is used to fix prices in the market, also will likely trigger opposition.
Republicans and property owners alike have accused Democrats of over-meddling in the rental market, arguing increased regulation risks driving up costs and pushing landlords out. Democrats argue that renters, whipsawed by rent increases and dwindling units available to lower-income people, need direct help.
“I’m still going to ask the question that I think we were asking last year: What problem are we trying to solve?” said Rep. Lisa Frizell, a Castle Rock Republican. “Are we trying to legislate a few bad actors in this space when it comes to landlords, or are we trying to create a labyrinth of rules that landlords and tenants are going to have to navigate?”
Last year, it was infighting among Democrats that hampered both progressive and moderate bills. Those dynamics appear to have softened this time around: House Majority Leader Monica Duran has joined Mabrey as a co-sponsor on the for-cause bill, and Speaker Julie McCluskie — who voted against the bill last year — called it “a significant priority for our caucus” at a news conference last month.
Across the aisle, Frizell called out another bill that’s back for a redo this year: a measure that would grant local governments a right of first refusal to buy for-sale apartment buildings. The bill squeaked out of the legislature in May, only to be vetoed by Polis a few weeks later.
The bill, now revised, would limit local governments’ first-refusal purchase right to only subsidized housing units. Local officials would be able to step in and buy an apartment building that was funded with specific federal tax credits, for instance, before it was sold to a private buyer.
But for regular market-rate units, the bill would give local governments only the right to submit a first offer.
“Sometimes you take a big swing and try to get the policy through that you want, and then you adapt to make sure it passes,” said Rep. Andy Boesenecker, the Fort Collins Democrat sponsoring the bill. “That’s our goal this year.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Colorado
Suspect arrested after fatal shooting of 7-year-old boy on Colorado tribal reservation
A 23-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting a 7-year-old boy on a tribal reservation in Colorado earlier this month was captured on Tuesday afternoon in Utah. That’s according to officials from the Navajo Police Department who said Jeremiah Hight is now in federal custody.
Hight is suspected in the Dec. 11 shooting at a home in Towaoc on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in the Four Corners region, where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado meet. The boy who died was identified as Zamias Lang, Montezuma County coroner George Deavers said Tuesday. Hight is a member of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe.
The FBI investigates serious crimes on the reservation. The agency announced on Monday that a $10,000 reward was being offered in the search for Hight. It said an arrest warrant was issued for him on Thursday after he was charged with murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. A search for him that started over the weekend ended Tuesday afternoon “on top of a mesa, west of Oljato,” the Navajo Police Department wrote in a news release. They said a law enforcement team that included K-9s captured Hight.
Authorities have not released any details about what led up to the shooting, and Hight’s arrest warrant so far is sealed. The FBI’s wanted poster for Hight said the shooting was “targeted at a residence.”
An online fundraiser to raise money for Lang’s funeral described him as a “bright and loving” child.
In a video message after the shooting, tribal chairman Manuel Heart called the shooting “senseless” and urged people to let authorities investigate the shooting rather than retaliate on their own. Heart also said he was working on a resolution to ask the federal government to hire more police officers for the reservation and another to ban shooting within either of the reservation’s two communities – Towaoc and White Mesa, Utah.
“We are not going to have any more of these type of events where somebody gets shot,” he said.
Colorado
Last-minute Christmas shoppers flood Northern Colorado stores
Last-minute Christmas shoppers made the best of Christmas Eve on Tuesday, as thousands of people flooded Colorado stores to pick up their final gifts before the holiday. Among the many stores filled with customers was the Scheels in Johnstown.
“The last few days here at Scheels have been pretty crazy,” said Michael Petersen, assistant store leader. “You can definitely tell the panic on people’s faces. The last-minute shoppers are definitely out. I am one of them, too. They are out in full force today.”
Petersen said he believed one of the main reasons the store was so busy was due to their wide range of products they offer. The company doesn’t specialize in one specific topic or product, but rather seems to sell a little of everything.
They sell everything from food to guns, clothing, sporting goods, furniture, art, shoes and even homemade baked goods.
“We are kind of like your one stop shop, especially for your Christmas list,” Petersen said. “Anything, top to bottom on your Christmas list, you can find them here.”
Some Northern Coloradans said they took note of the wide range of products and intentionally came to the location to look for their items.
“We are out doing some last minute shopping. And we are enjoying it and spreading the spirit. We are out to do smiles and find those last hidden gems,” said Hahn Ainsworth, a local shopper.
Sporting a Christmas-decorated suit jacket, Ainsworth said he was happy to be helping others enjoy the holiday spirit.
“Yeah, lots of compliments and lots of fun. Just trying to bring the joy where you can,” Ainsworth said.
Taylor, Paula and Blair Johnson brought their puppy with them to shop on the final day before Christmas.
“They have a lot of everything,” Taylor said. “We will find something for sure.”
“I love Scheels, it’s an awesome place to be,” Paula said.
“They have a little bit of everything,” Blair said.
Taylor joked that the last-minute gifts they bought were intentionally saved for last.
“We are doing some last-minute Christmas shopping for some of our loved ones that were bottom of our list,” Taylor said.
Scheels closed down their store at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, meaning they won’t reopen until Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m., when many other local businesses will also reopen.
With her shopping for Christmas 2024 officially complete, Paula Johnson said she was looking forward to relaxing for the rest of the holiday.
“I can’t wait to relax and have a nice little cocktail tonight,” Paula said.
Colorado
No white Christmas in Fort Collins, but here’s when Northern Colorado could get snow
Large elk herd congregates in Loveland in winter
Around 1,000 elk migrate in winter from the Estes Valley to the west side of Loveland, creating a unique wildlife viewing opportunity.
It’s looking to be a warm and dry Christmas in Fort Collins, but there may be a glimpse of winter weather ahead.
Fort Collins is in for a sunny Christmas Eve with an expected high of 54 degrees, with clouds and light wind forecasted heading into the evening and an overnight low of 27, according to the National Weather Service. Christmas Day will likely be much of the same, with some clouds, a high of 50 and low of 24 expected.
After another warmer day Thursday with a high of 50 degrees, we could get a glimpse at some winter weather Thursday night. There is a slight chance of rain after 11 p.m. that could mix with snow after 1 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. The chance of precipitation Thursday is 20%.
After another warmer weekend — with a high near 47 degrees expected Friday, 54 on Saturday and 57 on Sunday — there’s another chance of rain and snow accompanied by wind Monday, according to the National Weather Service, despite the high temperature Monday expected to be near 52 degrees.
Colorado’s mountains have a much better chance of a white Christmas, with 1 to 3 inches of snow expected around the holidays.
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