Gov. Jared Polis held the first public bill signing of the 2026 legislative session on Wednesday on a pair of housing measures that, sponsors said, are aimed at affordability.

Part of Democrats’ “affordable” housing package this year, the bills — House Bill 1001 and Senate Bill 001 — were among the introduced in their respective chambers when the session began in January.

House Bill 1001 is a reincarnated version of a failed measure from last session that advocates nicknamed “Yes in God’s Backyard.” That legislation faced opposition from a number of municipalities across the state, including Aurora, Boulder County, Arvada, and Douglas County. It received the support of church leaders from across the Denver metro area and nonprofit housing developers.

This year’s iteration, dubbed the “HOME Act” requires governments to allow for residential property to be constructed on land owned by nonprofit organizations, school districts, higher education institutions, and housing and transportation authorities.

“We, as a state, by passing this bill, are saying we want our partners at the table for the housing solution,” Polis said. “We want that local creativity, driven by nonprofits and school districts and community colleges. We welcome you to be part of the housing solution, and this bill will help make it so.”

House Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, said the bills are “responsive to what we continue to hear across the state of Colorado, and that is that there’s not enough housing, and there’s certainly not enough housing that people can afford.”

He added, “This is about a basic agreement, I think, an agreement about who we are as a state, and that our state is open for all, welcome for all, and that we will continue to make bold steps forward in terms of how we are able to house everybody.”

House Bill 1001 passed on a 35-24 vote in the House and a 22-13 vote in the Senate. It was cosponsored by Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, and Sens. Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs, and Julie Gonzales, D-Denver.

The second measure, Senate Bill 001, allows counties to spend property tax revenue from their general funds on workforce and “affordable” housing, and to sell property for affordable housing development.

The bill also allows governmental entities to transfer middle-income housing tax credits to any taxpayer. Colorado became the first state to create a Middle-Income Housing Tax credit in 2024. Last year, the tax credit provided nearly $5 million to housing projects across the state.

“This bill is about local projects and working with our partners at the local level, whether it’s governmental housing authorities or nonprofits, to unlock local resources and get rid of red tape that has been standing in the way of affordable housing development in those communities,” said sponsor Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco.

Senate Bill 001 passed on a 28-6 vote in the Senate and a 53-10 vote in the House. It is cosponsored by Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, and Rep. Chris Richardson, R-Elizabeth.