Local jurisdictions will no longer be able to limit how many unrelated adults can live in a household, a move that supporters say will help lower housing costs and help older adults supplement their incomes and stay in their homes.

A state law signed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis bars cities from restricting the number of unrelated adults that can live in one household.
As Asia Mieleszko explains in a post for Strong Towns, “Previously, different municipalities in Colorado were able to implement restrictions at their discretion. Fort Collins, for example, limited occupancy to three unrelated tenants, which meant that in homes with upwards of four bedrooms (not including basements and garages) tenants would be subsidizing empty rooms, whether or not they made use of them.”
When tenants went under the table to recoup their costs and sublet rooms, new tenants lacked legal protections. According to Gov. Polis, “For housing, the opportunity for people to officially be on the lease — it gives them protections, allows them to start establishing their credit, gives them the certainty that they get to live here.”
Supporters of the bill say it will benefit students, who make up the largest share of cohousing between unrelated people, as well as older adults who want to rent out spare rooms. “From housing scarcity to legal precarity, there was no shortage of reasons to scrap the roommate restrictions.”
FULL STORY: Colorado Banned Most Occupancy Limits. Here Is Why It Matters

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
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.