Committee advances bill to let counties use local funds and boost tax‑credit transferability for housing

The Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 1 and sent it to the Committee of the Whole, with sponsors and a panel of local officials and housing advocates urging the change as a way to give counties clearer authority and more financing options for workforce and middle‑income housing.

"It is permissive, not prescriptive," Representative Richardson said in opening remarks, describing SB 1 as a set of tools that would let counties use existing general‑fund resources — including property‑tax revenue already being collected — to support workforce housing and local housing authorities if they choose.

Multiple witnesses, including Summit County Commissioner Tamara Pogue and representatives of the Colorado Municipal League and Colorado Apartment Association, said the bill would remove barriers and attract private capital. Pogue told the committee that a Summit County project she had been tracking rose from an estimated $55,000,000 in December 2024 to more than $80,000,000 by March 2025, and that Summit's immediate pipeline includes a 172‑unit rental project and follow‑on projects of about 70 and 20 units.

Andrew Armstrong, testifying on legal authority, told the committee: "Currently, the prevailing interpretation of CRS 30‑11‑107 subsection s is that it expressly prohibits Colorado counties from using ad valorem tax revenues to fund affordable housing projects. This bill will eliminate that prohibition and clear up any uncertainties." Sponsors and witnesses said SB 1 does not raise new taxes or create mandatory spending; rather, it provides options and guardrails tied to local housing‑needs assessments and recapture rules intended to protect accountability.

After sponsor wrap‑ups, Representative Basonacker moved to report SB 1 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee approved the motion by voice and roll call and recorded a unanimous 12–0 vote.

The Committee of the Whole will consider the bill next; committee members requested follow‑up information from sponsors and offered to meet with them about possible technical amendments.