By Ryan Gonzalez

Time and time again, we hear calls for “affordable housing” across party lines. Yet Colorado has failed to deliver meaningful reform that addresses the ever-rising cost of housing. Instead, the legislative majority has passed laws and policies that actively undermine affordability. From targeting landlords to eroding local control to failing to meaningfully reform construction defect laws, these policies drive costs higher and disproportionately harm underserved communities, low-income families, and those struggling to make ends meet.

Housing affordability is, at its core, a supply problem. When state policy discourages the construction, financing, and maintenance of housing, prices rise. Capital does not disappear, it leaves. Lenders, insurers, and investors respond quickly to increased legal risk and regulatory uncertainty by raising rates or declining to participate altogether. The result is fewer housing starts, fewer units, and higher costs for renters and buyers alike.

In recent years, the legislature has advanced policies that prioritize tenants while disregarding the role landlords play in maintaining a functional housing market. While tenants deserve protections, landlords also require reasonable safeguards. These policies do not primarily impact large corporate landlords. They fall hardest on small, local property owners who rely on rental income for retirement or to offset rising costs. Over the past year, countless landlords have shared the same message: they are leaving the market.

Local control is another essential component of housing policy. Yet the legislative majority has repeatedly chipped away at the authority of local governments. Zoning decisions should remain local. Granting the state sweeping authority over municipalities sets a dangerous precedent. What works in Denver may not work in Grand Junction, Aspen, or Greeley. One-size-fits-all mandates stifle housing supply and make otherwise viable projects unworkable, particularly in rural and mountain communities. These mandates often come without funding, forcing local governments to comply at their own expense.

The consequences extend beyond housing prices alone. Employers across Colorado report that housing costs have become the primary barrier to recruiting and retaining workers. Teachers, nurses, first responders, and service industry employees are increasingly unable to live in the communities they serve. When workforce housing disappears, entire local economies suffer.

Construction defect reform remains one of the most significant barriers to increasing housing supply, particularly condominiums. Since around 2010, litigation risk has escalated dramatically. Developers face constant exposure to lawsuits, many of them frivolous. Insurance coverage is difficult or impossible to obtain, and builders are unwilling to take on projects that carry excessive legal risk. While HB25-1272 represented a step in the right direction, many contractors, architects, and engineers remain skeptical. Without stronger reforms, professionals across the industry will continue to face costly litigation that discourages new development. I supported HB25-1272 because it moved policy in the right direction, but we are now firmly in a wait-and-see phase.

Each new housing regulation may appear well-intentioned in isolation. Together, they create a cumulative burden that makes housing more expensive, more complex, and harder to deliver. Seniors on fixed incomes are being priced out of their homes. Housing supply remains constrained. Regulatory burdens continue to grow. Building has become prohibitively expensive due to excessive mandates and legal exposure.

If the legislature is serious about addressing affordable housing, it must acknowledge the damage caused by its own past decisions. Real solutions require stronger construction defect reform, respect for local control, and an end to policies that punish landlords and drive small property owners out of the market. We must reduce regulatory barriers, restore predictability, and encourage housing supply so costs come down and quality can improve.

Ryan Gonzalez is the representative for Colorado’s State House District 50. He is the son of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation American.