FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 11, 2025

Contact:
Matt Frommer, Transportation and Land Use Policy Manager
mfrommer@swenergy.org, 908-432-1556 (c)

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Last Tuesday, pro-housing advocates celebrated numerous victories in local elections across Colorado. In multiple cities, voters showed a clear preference for candidates with pro-housing platforms and/or pro-housing groups’ endorsements. In Louisville, voters defeated two ballot initiatives – by wide margins – that would have made it harder to build housing within city limits. Meanwhile, Denver voters easily approved a bond with $59M for housing.

“The message is clear: Pro-housing platforms win elections,” said Matt Frommer, the Transportation and Land Use Policy Manager for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) and the lead for SWEEP’s Housing Forward Colorado campaign. “These electoral wins demonstrate that adopting smart housing policies isn’t a political risk, but a winning strategy.”

Colorado is 106,000 homes short of a stable housing market, giving it the fifth highest home prices and third highest rent in the country. Restrictive local policies frequently prevent construction of the housing needed to improve affordability. 

In Aurora, voters elected or re-elected a majority of council members who prioritize housing and affordability. New council members include Alli Jackson, who campaigned on “increasing funding for affordable housing (while) protecting Aurora’s natural spaces,” and Gianina Horton, who supports zoning reforms that “increase the availability of multi-family housing and mixed-use development that incorporate affordable units.”

In Centennial, the mayorship was cinched by Christine Sweetland, who has named housing as a top issue. One of her campaign promises was “to work with developers to ensure that those who work and want to live in our City can afford to do so.”

In Denver, newly approved bond money for housing includes: 

• $45M for the city to acquire land and buildings, prepare sites, and lease land and buildings for affordable housing;
• $11.4M for accessibility improvements (per the Americans with Disabilities Act) and deferred maintenance at permanent support housing and sheltering facilities; and 
• $10M for co-located affordable housing with a new library.

In Englewood, local pro-housing group Vibrant Englewood endorsed two candidates and recommended one candidate for city council (including the mayor) – and all three won. “This was our first election cycle as a pro-housing group, and our endorsed and recommended candidates won decisively,” said Sam Koenig of Vibrant Englewood. “Voters sent a clear message for practical, incremental progress. We are excited to work with Council on implementation.”

Fort Collins elected two new pro-housing City Council members, including a leader of local pro-housing group YIMBY Fort Collins, and a new mayor who campaigned on building more housing types to improve affordability, and creating a housing fund “that supports the creation and preservation of affordable homes.”

In Lafayette, four pro-housing City Council members were elected or re-elected, including Annemarie Jensen, who is a former executive director of the East County Housing Opportunity Coalition and ran on expanding affordable housing, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and expanding public transportation. New council member Adam Gianola emphasised that the cost of housing is a major area of concern in Lafayette. He pledged to prioritize adaptive reuse and infill, and to “look for creative ways to incentivize developers to provide housing that is truly affordable while preserving the character of our City.” 

Last month, the Lakewood City Council passed a transformative zoning code update to comply with new state housing laws and legalize more housing choices in single-family zones. Voters re-elected all four incumbents whose terms were up – three of whom voted in favor of the zoning reform. 

In Littleton, four candidates endorsed by pro-housing group Littleton Grows Together won seats on the city council, including the mayor. In a major setback, an anti-growth ballot measure also passed – but advocates are working to challenge its legality in the courts. “There are a lot of questions regarding the legality of this amendment, as it rolls back the recently expanded property rights in Littleton and puts the city in conflict with state law,” said Erin Roethlisberger of Littleton Grows Together. “We are confident our newly elected council will work to resolve these conflicts in the best interests of the community.”

Longmont voters elected a pro-housing mayor, a pro-housing incumbent on Council, and two new pro-housing Council members. The mayor, Susie Hidalgo‑Fahring, campaigned on “keeping Longmont affordable, sustainable, and inclusive as we grow.” Her policy platform includes expanding affordable and attainable housing options, preventing displacement, promoting climate-responsible development and infrastructure, and ensuring Longmont grows in a way that protects open space and natural resources.

Nearly 80% of Louisville voters rejected anti-growth Ballot Questions 300 and 301. 300 would have prevented the city from converting certain non-residential areas into residential use (with exceptions for income-restricted housing with strict requirements). 301 would have increased impact fees for builders and made new housing construction prohibitively expensive. 

“Louisville overwhelmingly defeated ballot measures that would have raised the cost of homes and blocked efforts to address affordability, with nearly 4 of 5 residents voting against them,” said David Pomeroy, founder of advocacy group Louisville for Everyone, which opposed 300 and 301. “This decisive outcome shows that Louisville residents want real solutions for affordable housing. We must build more homes to preserve the vibrancy of our city and protect our most vulnerable residents.”

Allowing more housing options near transit, jobs, schools, and other destinations – primarily within cities – will reduce pressure to sprawl into Colorado’s open spaces and natural lands. This type of “strategic growth” within existing neighborhoods results in shorter commutes, less pollution, lower land and water consumption, and more affordable homes for everyone.

In response to these pressing needs, the state passed a suite of housing and land use laws in 2024, which require local governments to remove barriers to the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), eliminate parking mandates and allow more housing near well-served transit stops, allow more housing near transit, and eliminate family-based occupancy limits. Many communities that elected pro-housing candidates are also communities that have taken action to align local codes with these laws. 

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Housing Forward Colorado (HFC) is a project of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency and environmentally sustainable policies across the Southwestern US. In spring 2025, SWEEP launched HFC to advance pro-housing and smart growth policies and support the effective implementation of the 2024 state land use laws.

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