Colorado Department of Local Affairs

DOLA’s Division of Housing team joined affordable housing leaders from across Colorado this week in Pueblo for the Colorado NAHRO 2026 Annual Conference. With a theme “The Art of Housing,” the conference was an opportunity for participants to learn together, connect with creativity, and find inspiration while crafting solutions that ensure all Colorado residents have a place to call home.

Several DOLA staff shared their expertise in the following session presentations:

• Office of Rental Assistance Director Katherine Helgerson presented Housing Choice Voucher Program Hot Topics
• Program Manager Maria Stein presented Preventing Eviction in Colorado: Advancing Housing Stability Through the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program
• Office of Homeless Initiatives Community Partnerships & Development Manager Zac Schaffner presented Permanent Supportive Housing Best Practices
• Office of Regulatory Oversight Director Sam Albrecht presented From Policy to Production: How Colorado’s Senate Bill 25-002 Advances Factory-Built Housing for Affordable Communities

Thank you to all other conference participants we connected with for sharing your insights and to NAHRO Colorado for hosting this conference that is so valuable to the housing space!

Happy Sine Die (Adjournment of the Legislative Session)!

This was Colorado’s 75th General Assembly, taking place the same year we’re marking Colorado’s 150th anniversary as a state and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence!

We’re celebrating that the following bills have officially passed, all of which will help to strengthen local communities and deliver on Colorado's commitment to safe, stable housing! 🙌

• SB26-109: Building Code Accessibility
• HB26-1192: Homeless Prevention Activities Program Restructure
• HB26-1313: Adjust Requirements Statewide Affordable Housing Fund
• HB 26-1224: Protections for Mobile Home Park Residents
• SB26-040: Affordable Home Ownership Program
• SB26-046: Property Tax Administrative Procedures
• HB26-1051: Extension of Microgrids Program
• SB26 -157: Determination of Town Abandonment

Local governments, partners, and other interested parties: please stay tuned for a series of posts next week highlighting what you need to know about each bill.

We thank each of the Colorado representatives and senators who sponsored these bills and are proud of the many DOLA staff members who testified in support.

Join our team! DOLA is currently hiring for a Board Clerk (Legal Assistant II) within the Board of Assessment Appeals.

Learn more about the position and find the latest list of new positions when they are added: https://cdola.colorado.gov/careers-at-dola

DOLA’s Metro Mayors Tour continues with a visit to Boulder today!

Our leadership team met with City of Boulder Colorado Government elected officials and staff to hear about their priorities, opportunities, and most pressing issues.

Thank you to Mayor Aaron Brockett, Boulder Mayor and City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde for hosting us. It was a pleasure meeting your dedicated team!

We look forward to our continued partnership with the City of Boulder! 👏

Calling all building contractors working on factory-built structures! 📢

DOLA’s Division of Housing is available to support you in meeting the new requirements of Senate Bill 25-002: Regional Building Codes for Factory-Built Structures!

Please sign up for our contact list to stay informed about the latest contractor registration and education requirements, including:

• Completing a training with the Division of Housing
• Registering with the Division of Housing or a local jurisdiction prior to performing installation site preparation or on-site construction work for factory-built structures

Learn more and register to receive email updates: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6iv8QZEKByRXIzIoyaJYcvFP2SwStRn7ksTh0HBfNfEn4-Q/viewform

Pre-applications for emergency rental assistance are now open until this Wednesday, May 13 at 5 p.m. Apply: https://doh.colorado.gov/emergency-rental-assistance

Las pre-solicitudes para asistencia de emergencia para el alquiler están abiertas hasta este miércoles 13 de mayo a las 5 p.m. Solicite en: https://doh.colorado.gov/asistencia-de-emergencia-para-el-alquiler

During Affordable Housing Month, Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) celebrated the City of Grand Junction becoming the largest city in Colorado to meet all Proposition 123 requirements by building 374 more homes people can afford. Learn more about Grand Junction’s commitment to building more housing people can afford 👇
https://oedit.colorado.gov/press-release/housing-victory-during-affordable-housing-month-grand-junction-becomes-largest-city?utm_campaign=OEDIT+Website&utm_content=1778263218&utm_medium=Colorado+Office+of+Economic+Development+and+International+Trade&utm_source=facebook

We’re continuing to stay highly engaged with the legislative session at the Colorado State Capitol—there was a lot of activity these past few weeks leading up to adjournment sine die next Wednesday!

Stay tuned to our feed for the most important takeaways of bills that pass! In the meantime, one highlight from this week is DOLA Executive Director Maria De Cambra testifying in support of SB26-157 (Determination of Town Abandonment) before the House Transportation, Housing, & Local Government Committee on Tuesday. The bipartisan bill passed on a vote of 12-0 and was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, where it also passed unanimously. It is now awaiting a second reading vote on the House Floor.

If passed, SB26-157 will allow for expedited town abandonment in instances where the town operates critical water infrastructure. Under current state law, abandonment cannot occur until five years after the last official town action. This bill is urgently needed because the town of Hartman in Southeast Colorado currently has no town governance or staff and its water system is failing. Without this legislative action, the community is likely to lose its water supply by early summer. Expediting abandonment will allow for the water system to be taken over by the county and placed under a new water authority, which cannot happen until the town has been dissolved.

Learn more about SB26-157: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-157

Happy Public Service Recognition Week!

We’re tremendously fortunate that our DOLA team is filled with dedicated and talented public servants who deeply care about providing the best service to Coloradans.

Thank you to all DOLA employees for your tireless public service! You not only drive our mission to strengthen local communities but also make DOLA an inspiring, positive, and fun place to work!

In Cañon City for Energy Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) Hearings this week, DOLA Division of Local Government staff and EIAF Advisory Committee members toured the Canon City Area Fire Protection District Headquarters.

The Headquarters site also functions as the District's training facility, which the EIAF program funded with a $100,000 award in July 2021.

This training facility is live-fire, providing opportunities for real-world training scenarios that improve the region’s emergency service delivery. It also serves several regional agencies, helping to fill the gap of limited local training venues.

Thank you to Battalion Chief Shane Roberts and Division Chief Daniel Mishler for such a comprehensive tour (who doesn’t love fire trucks?!). We also thank Hugo Fire Chief and Colorado Fire Commission Member Jess Solze for your insights on the challenges and opportunities around volunteer firefighting.