The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.

A proposed state bill in the Colorado legislature would wield the state’s financial power to encourage transit-oriented development (TOD).
As Andrew Kenney explains for CPR News, HB24-1313 would cut off access to the state’s Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF), which funds transportation infrastructure, to cities that don’t allow dense development near transit. “The bill sets a target number of housing units for each city, based on how many miles of high-frequency bus and train lines cross the city. The cities would then have to ensure that they have ‘zoning capacity’ for that level of density near transit lines — basically, that their own development rules aren’t preventing builders from reaching those targets.”
The bill would apply to cities that have high-frequency bus or rail service and includes some incentives including tax credits for affordable housing.
Critics of the bill say it amounts to regulatory overreach and could pose a danger to Coloradans traveling on local roads if cities have to cut back on maintenance and services like snow plowing. “If the HUTF provision were to be removed, the law still could include legal requirements for cities to revise their zoning, but the state would have one less option to gain compliance.”
FULL STORY: In a push for more housing density near transit lines, highway dollars have become a political football

New Florida Law Curbs HOA Power
The legislation seeks to cut down on ‘absurd’ citations for low-level violations.

New Tennessee Law Allows No-Cost Incentives for Affordable Housing
Local governments in the Volunteer State can now offer developers incentives like increased density, lower parking requirements, and priority permitting for affordable housing projects.

Planners’ Complicity in Excessive Traffic Deaths
Professor Wes Marshall’s provocatively-titled new book, "Killed by a Traffic Engineer," has stimulated fierce debates. Are his criticisms justified? Let’s examine the degree that traffic engineers contribute to avoidable traffic deaths.

Study: Housing Crisis is About Affordability, not Supply
New research shows that there is no overall shortage of housing units, but all U.S. metropolitan areas face a severe lack of affordable units for low-income renters.

Are Race-Based Lawsuits Affecting Community Lenders?
Shelterforce spoke with community lending leaders and experts about the current mood across the sector. What, if anything, are organizations doing to avoid becoming the next target of conservative activists?

New Park Promotes Community and Connectivity in Lewisville, Texas
The city of Lewisville just celebrated the opening of Glory Park/Parque la Gloria, helping to improve park access and the quality of life for residents.
City of Madera
City of Santa Clarita
Borough of Carlisle
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Colorado Energy Office
Pima County Community College District
City of Piedmont, CA
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