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< Back May 10, 2019 GOV SIGNS PAIR OF BILLS TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITY FOR COLORADO STUDENTS Rep. Shannon Bird’s bill to incentivizes local education providers to provide innovative learning opportunities for high school students also signed into law (May 10) – Gov. Polis signed a pair of bills at Overland High School today that will increase educational opportunities for students across the state. House Democrats were committed to investing in education this legislative session. “It was always a priority of my late husband John to help students grow and succeed in their academia. This new law continues his legacy and will help kids realize their full potential.” said Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora. Rep. Buckner’s children and grandchildren joined the signing ceremony. The bill signing took place at Overland High School where the late John Buckner served as a dedicated school principal for 17 years. The school gymnasium is also named after him. Rep. Janet Buckner’s bill, SB19-059, creates a pilot program to increase the number of students taking advanced, honor, or accelerated courses. A grant program would be created under the Colorado Department of Education that will provide support for districts who want to automatically enroll students in advanced courses for subjects in which they have demonstrated proficiency or above on state assessments. During the third reading of the bill, Republican Reps. Colin Larson and Jim Wilson offered an amendment to rename the bill after former Rep. John Buckner. Rep. John Buckner passed away in 2015 after a battle with sarcoidosis, a chronic respiratory illness. Rep. Janet Buckner succeeded him and now holds the seat. SB19-059 passed unanimously in the House and Senate. Governor Polis also signed Rep. Shannon Bird’s bill, SB19-216, which incentivizes local education providers to provide innovative learning opportunities for high school students. “We live in a dynamic and evolving economy. Making sure our students are well prepared for college or entering the workforce requires every student we educate to have a rich educational experience,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “We need strong teachers teaching a strong curriculum in the classroom. We also need innovative learning opportunities like apprenticeships outside of the classroom. We can now incentivize our school districts to expand opportunities for students so that every child receives a quality education.” The bill creates the high school innovative learning pilot program to support school districts, boards of cooperative services, and charter schools in providing innovative learning opportunities to students enrolled in grades 9 through 12. Each local education provider that is selected to participate in the pilot program can count high school students who participate in innovative learning opportunities as full-time pupils, for purposes of school finance. SB19-216, also sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bridges, passed by a vote of 51-16 in the House and unanimously in the Senate. Previous Next

< Back February 3, 2022 HOUSE ED HELPS STUDENTS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS SAVE MONEY DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today advanced two bills that will save early childhood educators money and expand opportunities for Colorado students to participate in the ASCENT concurrent enrollment program. “By expanding the proven ASCENT program, we’ll prepare even more Colorado students for success and help even more students save money on their post secondary degrees,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “I’m thrilled we are moving forward to lift the cap on the number of students that can participate each year. This will make an enormous impact on the lives of young people all across our state.” “By expanding our concurrent enrollment program, more students across the state will more equitably be able earn postsecondary degree credits in less time than they otherwise would,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Expanding the ASCENT program makes it easier for students to earn their degrees with less student loan debt and more time to focus on their education instead of juggling the multiple jobs they may need to pay for it.” HB22-1002 , sponsored by Representatives Mike Weissman and Jennifer Bacon, passed by a vote of 6-3 and would lift the cap on participants in the Accelerating Students through Concurrent ENrollmenT program, which allows students to earn post-secondary degree credits while completing an additional year of high school. By earning postsecondary credits earlier in their educational pathway, students can earn their degree in less time, saving them money on their degree while they participate in a program that will prepare them for success. Under current law, a student participating in the program may enroll in postsecondary courses while also being enrolled and funded by their school district or charter school, and the number of students is capped. The bill also reduces the number of postsecondary credits a student must complete to be eligible to participate, making it easier for students to enter the program. The Education Committee also passed HB22-1010 by a vote of 8-1. Sponsored by Representatives Emily Sirota and Tonya Van Beber, the bill would increase and expand eligibility for the early childhood educator tax credit. The tax credit would help save early childhood educators money and encourage new providers to enter the field. Boosting the child care workforce will expand childcare options and ultimately lower the cost of childcare in Colorado. Child care providers are facing significant workforce challenges as workers leave the field for higher paying, less stressful jobs. “We’re working hard to give every child the tools they need to thrive and to save families money by making early childhood education available to every family in our state,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “Too many early childhood educators are leaving the field for higher paying jobs that frankly are a lot easier than providing child care. This has left childcare centers struggling to hire the people they need with parents in the lurch day after day. Our bill encourages providers to enter the field by saving them money on their taxes and may ultimately save families money on child care by creating more reliable options.” Previous Next

The House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation to expand wildfire prevention efforts through community education. < Back January 22, 2024 House Committee Passes Bill to Expand Wildfire Prevention Awareness DENVER, CO – The House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation to expand wildfire prevention efforts through community education. HB24-1024 , sponsored by Representatives Tammy Story and Elizabeth Velasco, passed by a vote of 10-2. “When it comes to reducing wildfire risk, we need every Coloradan, whether they live in the foothills, forested areas or rural areas, to know how they can protect their homes and businesses,” said Rep. Tammy Story, D-Conifer. “This legislation ensures communities receive information on effective wildfire mitigation strategies, such as reducing vegetation and fire fuels within 5 feet of our homes. Combating wildfires begins with good mitigation, and this bill also continues the Colorado State Forest Service’s efforts to educate Coloradans about these effective strategies.” “We’re taking steps to reduce destructive wildfires and protect our communities, businesses and homes,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “Colorado’s rural and mountain communities like mine are some of the most at-risk for wildfire damage, and this legislation extends an education and outreach campaign to increase residential mitigation efforts. Reducing wildfire risk in our backyards begins with awareness, and this legislation shares important tactics to help Coloradans protect their homes in the wake of a wildfire.” HB24-1024 would require the Colorado State Forest Service to continue its enhanced wildfire outreach campaign through 2027, as well as other outreach efforts that increase awareness of wildfire risk mitigation in the wildland-urban interface. This bill was created through the Wildfire Matters Review Committee , which spearheaded legislation to improve wildfire mitigation, bolster the forestry workforce, and increase wildfire awareness. Previous Next

< Back February 18, 2020 HOUSE PASSES COLORADO PARTNERSHIP FOR QUALITY JOBS AND SERVICES ACT Legislation would improve state services and allow state employees to join together to bargain for better pay and terms of employment DENVER, CO — The Colorado House today passed the Colorado Partnership for Quality Jobs and Services Act by a vote of 41-23. HB20-1153 , sponsored by Representative Daneya Esgar and cosponsored by the entire House Democratic Caucus, would allow state employees to collectively bargain on matters of pay, benefits, and terms of employment. “Today, the House passed legislation to support Colorado’s hard-working state employees, the men and women who serve our veterans, keep our prisons safe, protect our air and water and clear our roads in dangerous winter storms,” said Rep. Esgar, D-Pueblo, the prime sponsor of HB20-1153. “I’m proud that House Democrats are standing with our state employees to provide them the opportunity to fight for a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities. This bill will empower our frontline employees to innovate on the job to improve state government services, and it will help us recruit and retain the experienced and talented state workforce Coloradans’ deserve.” The legislation would allow state employees to collectively bargain on pay and benefit issues. It would foster new partnerships between frontline workers and the state that will lead to innovation and better state services. Furthermore, by helping to fill the nearly 1 in 5 vacant state positions, the bill will ensure that Colorado has the experienced and talented workforce needed to serve state residents. This legislation is critical to retaining and recruiting the state workforce Coloradans need and deserve. Stagnant wages have led to increased turnover and state employees working multiple jobs, which negatively impacts the delivery of state services. The bill would not permit state employees to strike, which is similar to collective bargaining laws for state employees in the states that have them. Under the bill, the state is required to participate in good faith in the formalized partnership process. All determinations regarding wage and benefit issues reached through the partnership process must be included in the governor’s budget and be approved by the Joint Budget Committee and General Assembly, a transparent process in which the public can engage. Membership in the union would be completely voluntary, but it’s clear that state employees overwhelmingly support union membership in WINS. For more than a decade, WINS has represented state employees who have been united in their desire to be part of an organization that fights to improve their lives. ### Previous Next

< Back July 20, 2021 GOVERNOR POLIS, SPEAKER GARNETT KICK OFF EFFORTS TO BUILD MEMORIAL STATUE OF ARMY GENERAL & COLORADO HERO MAURICE ROSE DENVER — Governor Polis and Speaker Garnett today held a dedication ceremony to kick off efforts to build and erect a memorial statue honoring Colorado’s 2-star General Maurice Rose. The Speaker signed HJR21-1012 , a resolution he sponsored with Representative Patrick Neville, Senate President Leroy Garcia and Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, which established the process to build the statue honoring General Rose. “We are proud to honor the life and memory of General Maurice Rose, a true hero who sacrificed so much for our country. General Rose is a towering figure in Colorado’s history of military service and we are commemorating his life, achievements, and sacrifice through a monument which will stand tall in Veterans Memorial Park,” said Governor Jared Polis. “General Maurice Rose was one of the most decorated military commanders in our nation’s history, and I couldn’t be more proud to help memorialize a true Colorado hero at our state capitol,” said Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “After attending Denver East, General Rose went on to serve his nation and become the highest ranking and most distinguished Jewish American soldier in United States history. I’m proud that school groups and visitors to the capitol will tour the newly renamed Lincoln Veterans’ Memorial Park and learn about the life and legacy of General Rose.” The project envisions a 10 ft bronze statue to honor Colorado’s 2-star General Maurice Rose, the highest-ranking US serviceman killed as a prisoner of war in WWII, and highest ranking and most distinguished Jewish-American soldier in US history. The most decorated Armored Battlefield Commander in US military history, Major General Rose was awarded: The Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Legion of Merit with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster, French Legion of Honor, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm. Today’s signing of HJR21-1012 kicks off the effort to build, erect, and maintain the memorial of General Rose. Funding is anticipated to be a community-driven initiative via www.RoseMonument.org . Internationally acclaimed sculptor George Lundeen of Loveland is the commissioned artist, and the statue will require approximately six months to complete once funds are raised. Previous Next

< Back June 16, 2021 SIGNED! FUNDING FOR CHILD CARE, SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND HIGH-IMPACT TUTORING DENVER, CO- – Governor Polis today signed three bills into law that will invest $100 million to expand access to affordable child care, fix and improve air quality filtration systems in public schools and provide Colorado students with high-impact tutoring to address disrupted learning from COVID-19. “Child care costs are overwhelming Colorado families and make it harder for parents, especially working moms, to get back to work and find a safe place for their children to learn,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood, a prime sponsor of both SB21-236 and HB21-1234. “By creating affordable child care options and supporting the child care professional workforce, we are going to boost our economy and help Coloradans get back to work while providing more young kids the early childhood education they need to thrive. I’m also proud that the governor signed critical legislation to provide $5 million to fund high-impact tutoring for K-12 students to address pandemic-related learning disruptions.” SB21-236 , sponsored by Representatives Kerry Tipper and Tonya Van Bener, provides $100 million to support child care providers and young families in Colorado. First, it creates the new innovative Employer-based Child Care Facility Grant Program and funds it with Colorado Comeback state stimulus dollars. The program would award matching grants to nonprofit, private, and government employers to retrofit and develop new, on-site or near-site licensed child care facilities. The bill also sets up a framework to ensure hundreds of millions of federal dollars directed to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) can be spent effectively and efficiently by the Department of Human Services. SB21-236 sets up several new programs and adequately funds several others to ensure Colorado’s youngest kids, as well as their parents and early childhood professionals, can thrive. HB21-1234 , sponsored by Representatives Kerry Tipper and Mary Bradfield, would create and fund the Colorado High Impact Tutoring Program. Data consistently demonstrates that high-impact tutoring, when administered during the school day to groups of four or fewer students by the same qualified tutor at least three times per week, is one of the most effective interventions to raise student achievement. This program would be administered under the Colorado Department of Education and would provide grants to local education providers for high impact tutoring programs designed to address COVID-related learning disruption. “Every student in Colorado should have a safe and comfortable school environment that is conducive to learning, but there are schools in our state that lack adequate air filtration and ventilation,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “We are going to build back stronger by using state stimulus funds to make critical school improvements that will create jobs and help provide more students with the school facilities they need to learn and excel.” SB21-202 , also sponsored by Rep. Colin Larson, would allocate $10 million for Building Excellent Schools Today grants to fund much-needed public school air quality improvement projects to improve air quality in as many public and charter school facilities as possible. Kids learn better in environments that are safe, clean, and healthy. Unfortunately, over the years, Colorado’s deferred maintenance of school facilities has grown, particularly in rural areas. These construction and capital projects will create good jobs, make long-term improvements to Colorado schools’ infrastructures, and provide safer, more constructive learning environments for students. Previous Next

The House today passed a bill that would expand housing application savings and protections for Colorado renters. < Back March 26, 2025 Lindsay, Zokaie Bill to Protect Renters Passes House DENVER, CO - The House today passed a bill that would expand housing application savings and protections for Colorado renters. “This bill will make the housing search process more affordable for Colorado renters,” said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora. “Colorado Democrats are committed to protecting renters and making Colorado a more affordable place to live. This legislation saves renters money on rental application fees and helps low-income renters find safe and stable housing.” “This bill supports people of color, women, and low-income Coloradans who have no credit score or a weakened credit history by helping them secure safe and affordable housing,” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins. “Searching for housing shouldn't be expensive, but currently Coloradans are paying duplicative fees just to have their same personal information collected and shared with potential landlords. With this legislation, we’re allowing tenants to receive and share their own screening reports and expanding protections for Coloradans on housing subsidies." HB25-1236 specifies that a prospective renter who receives a housing subsidy cannot be required to include a credit history report, a credit score, or an adverse credit event in their tenant screening reports. The bill also expands the definition of an “adverse credit event” to include past late rent payments and collections. The bill would remove a requirement that reports received by landlords from tenants be made directly available by reporting agencies, creating more options for providing this information. It would also expand the number of days that a prospective renter can reuse a rental application from 30 days to 60 days, reducing the number of times that this report must be purchased throughout a person’s housing search. Colorado Democrats passed a law in 2023 that allows prospective renters to reuse a rental application for up to 30 days without paying additional fees. Additionally, the law minimizes the number of times a credit score is pulled, protecting a potential renter’s credit score from being continuously damaged from credit score inquiries. Previous Next

< Back May 4, 2022 PROPERTY TAX BILL IMPROVES ASSESSMENT PROCESS DENVER, CO – The House State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Daneya Esgar and Representative Patrick Neville to make the property tax assessment process more transparent and accountable for all property owners. “From sending every taxpayer $400 or $800 early refund checks to reducing property taxes for families and businesses and free universal preschool, we’re making tremendous progress saving people money,” said Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “This week, we announced property tax relief that will save homeowners $274 on average. The bill we passed today makes important reforms to improve the transparency and accountability of the property tax assessment process to protect homeowners and businesses from errors that can cost them money.” “This bipartisan legislation will give homeowners and business owners more information about how their property values are assessed and more time to address errors that can increase their tax bills,” said Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock. “This effort will protect taxpayers, increase transparency, and improve how property values are assessed and appealed in Colorado.” HB22-1416 , which passed by a vote of 9-0, reforms the property tax assessment process. The bill would provide taxpayers with more information about their valuations and a longer period of time to appeal their values. Under the bill, the timeline to appeal property values would be extended by one week. It requires county assessors to provide property owners an estimate of their tax liability as well as information about how they can protest their assessed property values. Property owners would have the opportunity to fast track their appeal if the assessor is provided all the necessary information. Additionally, the bill would require property tax administrators to publish the assessors’ handbook, which includes appraisals procedures, and allow for public comment and review on the handbook and proposed changes. For commercial properties, the bill improves transparency in how they are valued by requiring the notice of valuation to notify property owners that they can obtain details from their assessor about how their property was valued. Previous Next

A new law goes into effect on August 7 to grant funding to community-based organizations that provide crucial services to new immigrants. < Back July 29, 2024 Law Goes Into Effect to Support New Immigrants DENVER, CO - A new law goes into effect on August 7 to grant funding to community-based organizations that provide crucial services to new immigrants. “Diversity makes our Colorado communities stronger. We must set up new immigrants for success so they can create a better and safer life for themselves and their families,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “By strengthening Colorado’s existing community-based resources, new immigrants will have a better chance of building a thriving life, just like the generations of immigrants before them did.” “Colorado’s immigrant communities make our state stronger,” said Senator Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora. “With the recent increase of new immigrants to our state, community organizations and local governments are struggling to keep up with the high demand for services. Increasing access to resources like employment and housing services will help new immigrants build successful lives in Colorado.” “Colorado has seen a significant increase in new immigrants, and counties and organizations across the state are struggling to keep up with the demand for necessary services and resources,” said Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Unincorporated Adams County. “Resources like referrals to housing, employment assistance, and school enrollment support have a significant impact on new residents achieving stability here. With our new law going into effect, we can better support the good work that community organizations are already doing to aid new immigrants as they transition to life in Colorado.” “Colorado has seen a recent influx of new immigrants, and they often arrive with very little and no knowledge or connections to help them integrate,” said Senator Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County. “This critical law will better resource existing community-based organizations so they can support new immigrants and provide them with the tools they need to thrive in Colorado.” HB24-1280 creates the Statewide Welcome, Reception, and Integration Grant Program to grant funds to community-based organizations that provide services to new immigrants within their first year in the United States. Grant money can be used for: Conducting an intake and assessment of needs, Providing cultural orientation and case management, Services or referrals to employment services, immigration legal assistance, housing-related services, transportation services, financial orientation, mental and physical health services, interpretation and translation services, and English as a second language courses, Distributing emergency and transitional supplies, and Assisting new immigrant parents to enroll their kids in public schools or summer programs. Previous Next

< Back May 10, 2021 COLORADO PROUD GETS A BOOST DENVER, CO– The House Agriculture, Livestock, and Water Committee today passed legislation by a vote of 11-0 to help Colorado agriculture producers increase sales in markets across the globe. “CO Proud promotes buying locally grown, raised, and processed food and Rural agricultural products. It teaches and educates consumers that when they buy Colorado Proud they are receiving high-quality fresh products and helping Colorado’s economy, farmers, ranchers, greenhouses, manufacturers and processors. Colorado Proud has helped our state’s agriculture producers sell their products all across Colorado, the US and the world,” said Rep Donald Valdez, D- La Jara. “This bill is going to help rural Colorado recover faster from the pandemic and build back stronger. I’m proud that we were able to come together in a bipartisan way to give Colorado Proud a boost and help our farmers sell their goods in markets all across the globe.” Colorado’s robust agricultural sector has been the backbone of our economy for decades, and the pandemic has burdened the industry with unique challenges that require additional resources to overcome. To accelerate the economic recovery of our agricultural and rural communities, SB21-203 , which is sponsored by Representatives Donald Valdez and Rod Pelton, provides $2.5 million to the Department of Agriculture for the Colorado Proud program. Colorado Proud provides new opportunities for Colorado’s food and agricultural producers to increase sales globally and helps support the growth and resiliency of Colorado food systems. Previous Next

< Back February 1, 2019 REP. MCCLUSKIE INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN BILL TO HELP LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR COLORADANS Reinsurance is a proven approach to helping cut health care costs (Feb. 1) – Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, introduced a bipartisan bill today to lower health care costs for Coloradans across the state. Coloradans on the individual market are struggling to keep up with the out-of-control costs of health care, particularly in rural areas of the state. By establishing a reinsurance program Colorado can stabilize the individual marketplace, increase health insurance participation and share the risks more broadly. “I heard in my own community–and in mountain and rural communities across the Western Slope–that access to affordable health care is the single greatest challenge for hardworking families,” said Rep. McCluskie. “The time for action is now, and we must continue working across the aisle to help lower the high cost of health care in our state.” Rising health care costs are driven in part by the underlying cost of care but are exacerbated by an insurance market that assigns the highest risks and highest costs to the individual market. This is particularly the case on the Western Slope and in rural Colorado, causing families and individuals to forgo health insurance coverage and putting them at major risk of medical debt if emergencies arise. Rep. McCluskie introduced the bipartisan bill in the House with Rep. Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction. Senator Kerry Donovan, D-Vail and Senator Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale are the Senate sponsors. This bipartisan HB19-1168 aims to reduce insurance premiums for individuals and families by January 2020 to provide much-needed relief to Coloradans, many of whom are paying up to a third of their income on monthly premiums. Our state, especially the Western slope, has some of the highest health insurance costs in the country. Reinsurance can be considered insurance for Colorado’s health insurers. The bill will establish three tiers, from the highest cost areas of the state to the lowest cost areas, in order to pass savings on to Coloradans. The first tier, consisting of regions in the state with the highest costs, will experience the greatest reduction in premiums, by 30 to 35 percent. The second tier will experience reductions in premiums by 20 to 25 percent. Finally, the third tier, regions with the lowest costs, will experience reductions in premiums by 15 to 20 percent. How a reinsurance program works: The reinsurance program will pay a percentage of claims, also known as the coinsurance rate, once the claim reaches the minimum amount required in order to be eligible for reinsurance coverage. This minimum amount is called the attachment point. The program will continue to pay up to an identified claim amount called the reinsurance cap. Claims costs exceeding the cap are not eligible for reinsurance coverage. By insuring this middle range of claims the bill will help reduce risk in the market. As a result, reinsurance helps drive down costs across the board. The initial premium savings for Coloradans comes from a reduction in the amount paid to hospitals and other providers, which leads to a reduction in the amount paid by health insurers. These savings are then passed along to people purchasing insurance on the individual marketplace. The state will request a section 1332 waiver from the federal government to implement and help fund the reinsurance program, like eight other states have done to implement similar programs. Previous Next

< Back March 8, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: INNOVATIVE BILLS TO SAVE PEOPLE MONEY ON HOUSING INTRODUCED Legislation will invest $65 million in pandemic relief funds to spur development of innovative housing and expand access to “missing middle” workforce housing DENVER, CO – Legislation to save people money on housing by building thousands more innovative homes, such as factory-built homes, and expanding access to critical workforce housing were introduced in the House and Senate yesterday afternoon. “This legislation is going to save people money on housing by boosting the construction of innovative housing units across Colorado,” said Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Federal Heights. “The homes we’re looking to promote with this bill can be built quickly, are affordable, and will create new manufacturing and construction jobs in Colorado. This bill will lead to thousands of new affordable homes across the state that will increase Colorado’s homeownership rate and drive down housing costs for hardworking families.” “Hard working Colorado families deserve to have a home they can afford,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village. “But too many Coloradans are getting priced out of the neighborhoods where they work, where they grew up, or really anywhere in the state. This bill will create good-paying jobs while quickly increasing our housing stock with quality, affordable homes that will help drive down the cost of housing and get roofs over heads as quickly as possible. I am proud to sponsor this critical bipartisan legislation as we continue fighting to make sure every Colorado family has a place they can afford to call home.” Innovative Housing Incentive Program: HB22-1282 , sponsored by Representatives Kyle Mullica and Mike Lynch, and Senators Jeff Bridges and Rob Woodward, deploys $40 million to attract, encourage and support the construction of innovative forms of affordable housing to be built all across Colorado. Examples include modular, pre-fabricated, manufactured and other innovative forms of housing. This will quickly boost the affordable housing stock in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, as well as increase the rate of homeownership in communities that have traditionally lacked access to affordable housing. The legislation will also create jobs by incentivizing new innovative housing companies to manufacture and place their homes in Colorado. “The lack of affordable workforce housing is devastating communities, employers and middle income Coloradans across the state, which is why I’m so excited to sponsor legislation that will inject funding into the state’s Middle Income Access Program,” said Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs. “The Middle Income Access Program has a successful track record of leveraging funds to foster the development of affordable workforce housing. This bill makes a meaningful investment to build off of that success, saving people money on housing through the creation of workforce housing across the state.” “Coloradans across the state are struggling to afford a place to live, and the time to act is now,” said Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada. “This bill will improve support systems for middle income families whose modest resources squeeze them between skyrocketing housing costs and ineligibility for assistance, save people money, and help more Colorado families thrive.” CHFA Middle Income Access Program: SB22-146 , sponsored by Senators Rachel Zenzinger and Denis Hisey and Representatives Marc Snyder and Marc Catlin, will expand critical workforce housing so that more Coloradans and communities have access to affordable housing where it’s needed most. The legislation provides $25 million for the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority’s Middle-Income Access Program , which serves middle income families and individuals with incomes too high to qualify for low income housing tax credits. Typically, the missing middle is made up of renters whose income is between 80 percent and 120 percent of area median income. Previous Next