Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Announces High Level of Local Government Compliance with Colorado Law

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STATEWIDE - The Colorado Department of Local Affairs is pleased to report a high rate of compliance and compliance in progress among subject jurisdictions with various laws related to strategic growth, in many cases well ahead of the statutory deadline. As required by Governor Polis' May 16, 2025 Executive Order (EO) Regarding Strategic Growth through Compliance with State Laws (D 2025 005), DOLA made an initial determination of the compliance status of local governments subject to seven laws included in the 2024 and 2025 strategic growth legislation.

Additionally, there is significant voluntary participation and early engagement among local governments that are not subject to these strategic growth initiatives, and who see the importance in moving forward to gain access to and/or receive priority for funding programs that support local strategic growth work.

"Coloradans want more housing we can afford in the communities we want to live in, and we have taken important steps forward over the last few years. It's clear that communities across the state are removing obstacles and regulations that prevent housing from being built and expanding housing options. I applaud these local leaders and look forward to this continued work to make housing more affordable in our state. I'm particularly excited that a number of cities have gone above and beyond the state law including by eliminating parking requirements altogether," said Governor Jared Polis.

"We are seeing local governments, like Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Longmont, Wheat Ridge, Larimer County and Fort Collins to name a few, implement these strategic growth laws at a high level, which showcases the sheer amount of work already done by these communities to build more housing for Coloradans," said Maria De Cambra, DOLA Executive Director. "We know that getting this right is so crucial for Colorado, and we will continue working closely with local governments to support them in the successful implementation of these programs that will have positive effects for generations to come."

"We are pleased that the City of Colorado Springs is in compliance with the state's executive order. This confirmation maintains our eligibility for state funding for the projects that help make housing more affordable and attainable for our residents. Our ongoing partnership with the state has been vital in driving these initiatives forward. Much of this progress began years ago through our own efforts and code changes, even before my time in office, and we'll continue to collaborate with the state while leading with solutions that reflect our community's values and our home rule authority," said Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade.

"There is no silver bullet when it comes to solving the affordability crisis in our state.  Addressing this crisis requires strong partnerships and utilization of an array of planning tools and development approaches. Here in Larimer County, we saw the promise of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and wanted to take advantage of the state's grant program to incentivize the building of these housing units," said Larimer County Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally.

"As advocates for efficient and climate-friendly urban growth, we are heartened to see so many municipalities embracing planning best practices by aligning their codes with the state's 2024 housing and land use laws. Expanding housing choices and removing excessive parking mandates are smart moves that will make Colorado communities more affordable and environmentally sustainable," said Matt Frommer, Transportation & Land Use Policy Manager with the Housing Forward Colorado campaign at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.

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"Homebuilding is a costly endeavor - fraught with risk and cultural pushback - but zoning and building code innovations, once adopted at the local level, can help reduce that risk and, in turn, the cost of housing. When state and local governments align to create clear, reliable pathways, they make it possible for builders to deliver mortgage- and rent-capacity-aligned homes that meet the needs of Colorado families. The communities that have embraced these land use laws are helping to de-risk the very act of building homes - especially the affordable and attainable homes Coloradans can truly afford," said Peter LiFari, Executive Director of Maiker Housing Partners.

"Coloradans have said for years that the cost of housing is the top issue facing our state. Getting more housing Coloradans can afford requires builders, community members, and state and local governments to work together to address the vast number of barriers to housing development. We are thrilled to see this early evidence of Colorado's leadership at all levels making it easier to build housing and address Colorado's affordability," said Zach Martinez, Director of Policy and Advocacy Gary Community Ventures.

The 2024 and 2025 laws signed by Governor Polis and passed by the legislature aims to increase Colorado's housing supply, reduce housing costs, and provide homes for different budgets and life stages by enabling communities to build more housing near transit, and reduce regulatory barriers to housing such as minimum parking requirements, discriminatory occupancy limits, and lengthy review processes for housing solutions like Accessory Dwelling Units.

Compliance with state laws will serve as a factor in scoring and grant prioritization (not a condition for eligibility or withholding of funds) for 34 grant opportunities across multiple agencies, including DOLA, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) identified by the August 13, 2025, Executive Order (EO) D 2025 011, which updates and supplements EO D 2025 005. The EO excludes projects necessary solely for public health or safety as well as disaster relief programs. Under EO 2025 005, DOLA must update jurisdictions' compliance status at least once per quarter, and jurisdictions may submit new information to DOLA at any time to move towards compliance.

Additional data-driven housing steps like these strategic growth laws are necessary to address our State's ongoing housing challenges and help mitigate the problem from getting worse. Recently, the State Demography Office released an analysis of Colorado's housing shortfall for 2023, the most recent year for which data are available. The estimated 106,000-unit shortfall shows that while the State has made gains to narrow the housing gap since its peak in 2019, so there is still work to be done.

Compliance as of October 3, 2025

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Per the EO, subject jurisdictions are designated as Strategic Growth Compliant, Strategic Growth Compliance in Progress, or Strategic Growth Noncompliant. More information about how these determinations are made is available in the Compliance Framework and Guidelines.
  • Compliant: means timely and satisfactory completion of each requirement set forth in the laws listed in Section I of the Executive Order
  • Compliance in Progress: means means non-timely or non-satisfactory completion of a requirement set forth in the laws listed in Section I of the Executive Order but where good faith effort is being made to comply in a timely manner
  • Not Compliant: means means non-timely or non-satisfactory completion of a requirement set forth in the laws listed in Section I of the Executive Order
  • Voluntary Compliance: means a jurisdiction not subject to the requirements of one or more of the laws listed in the Executive Order chooses to take action (or report previously taken action) that demonstrates compliance, and submits reporting to DOLA.

Compliance for laws with reporting requirements

LegislationReporting Deadline% Compliant Subject Jurisdictions% Compliance In Progress% Not Compliant# Voluntary Compliance
HB24-1152 Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU)June 30, 20259% (6 jurisdictions)73% (49 jurisdictions)18% (12 jurisdictions)5 (including 1 fully compliant)
HB24-1313 Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) - Preliminary Report onlyJune 30, 202560% (19 jurisdictions)9% (3 jurisdictions)31% (10 jurisdictions)N/A
SB24-174 Housing Planning - Housing Needs Assessments requirement onlyDecember 31, 202624% (39 jurisdictions)76% (126 jurisdictions)N/A

(None Due until 12/31/26)		28 Voluntary, non-subject Juridictions

There are other laws that do not have reporting requirements. Subject jurisdictions are assumed compliant unless there is verified evidence to the contrary, such as a local government adopting a resolution or ordinance establishing a policy not to conform with the law.
Available Support for Local Communities

DOLA's Community Development Office (CDO) team remains committed to working with subject jurisdictions, as well as those that choose to opt in, to answer their questions and support local compliance efforts. Since June 2024, and in collaboration with CEO and CDOT, DOLA hosted 34 webinars, provided 155 direct technical assistance meetings, and hosted 50 presentations for local communities. The team has answered 272 questions through the website, performed 74 courtesy reviews, and developed 79 tools and resources for local communities. Additional resources and recordings of past webinars for subject jurisdictions can be found on our Tools, Guidance and Engagement page, as well as information on applicable grant funding programs.

On June 30, 2025, DOLA published the Compliance Framework and Guidelines as required by the EO. The material outlines the framework, criteria, and benchmarks that will be used to certify and determine compliance status.

Here is a link to the public compliance dashboard, and updates will be made quarterly, as directed by the EO.

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