Colorado's HOME Act Empowers Schools and Nonprofits to Bypass Local Zoning for Affordable Housing
Denver, Thursday, 26 March 2026.
Starting in 2028, Colorado’s HOME Act allows schools and nonprofits to bypass local zoning rules, a bold move to combat the state’s affordable housing crisis using underused land.
Pivoting from Preservation to Accelerated Development
As previously reported in a recent article, the state legislature has passed a series of bills aimed at addressing the housing crisis. The HOME Act is a key component of this legislative package.
Expanding Financial Tools and Bipartisan Support
While the HOME Act focuses on regulatory workarounds, the simultaneously signed Senate Bill 1 provides the financial mechanisms necessary to stimulate this new construction [3]. The implemented policy authorizes county governments to allocate property tax revenue directly from their general funds toward workforce and affordable housing initiatives [3]. Furthermore, it allows governmental entities to transfer middle-income housing tax credits to any taxpayer, expanding a program created in 2024 that injected nearly $5 million into housing projects across the state in 2025 [3]. The financial measure garnered notable bipartisan support, co-sponsored by Democratic Senators Dylan Roberts and Jeff Bridges, alongside Republican Representative Chris Richardson, passing the House with a decisive 53 to 10 vote [3].