Housing Colorado director briefs board on 2025 state housing bills, budget risks

Brian Rossford, executive director of Housing Colorado, told the Boulder Housing Advisory Board on July that the 2025 legislative session produced a scattered but consequential set of housing bills and that the state budget poses near-term risks for housing funding.

Rossford said the session included bills addressing automated rent-setting algorithms, deceptive pricing practices and limits on local anti-growth measures. He described one measure, “the algorithm rent-setting bill,” as aimed at companies that use data-driven tools to set rents and noted the state is pursuing a lawsuit against a private vendor. He said that bill passed the legislature but was vetoed by the governor.

Rossford framed the session in three broader contexts: political control of state government, a constrained state budget and continuing tensions between state and local land-use authority. “Housing affordability still rises to the top,” he said, quoting the governor’s state-of-the-state language, and added that the governor and legislature continue to prioritize production while preservation remains a concern.

He summarized bills the board asked about in more detail. Among them: - A bill Rossford identified as 1004 addressing algorithmic rent-setting by companies that aggregate rents; he said the bill passed but was vetoed and the issue remains active through litigation. - A deceptive-pricing measure (referred to in the presentation as 1090) requiring landlords to disclose fees up front rather than surprise tenants after lease signing. - Short bills aimed at preventing local attempts to evade a prior prohibition on anti-growth ballot measures (referred to as 1093 in the presentation). - A bill described as 1169 (characterized in the briefing as an administrative review pathway for faith- or education-owned land) that failed after opposition from local governments.

He also reviewed items described as tech- and financing-related: a construction-defects reform package that created an opt-in pathway for contractors offering warranties; a regional code approach for modular construction (Senate Bill 2 in Rossford’s account) to speed modular production across climate zones; and an authorization to allow the state treasurer to invest in below-market bonds for affordable homeownership (referred to as Senate Bill 6).

Rossford warned that the 2025 budget environment could threaten housing funding. He said some funds that support affordable housing (vendor fees and other gap sources he cited) may be vulnerable in a special session the governor could call to balance the budget. He urged attention to upcoming budget actions and federal advocacy on vouchers.

Questions from advisory board members touched on whether modular code changes would speed factory production, the mechanics of construction-defects reforms and litigation over last year’s transit‑oriented and ADU bills. On the latter, Rossford said he expects ongoing challenges that could reach the Colorado Supreme Court. “I imagine this is a state Supreme Court” matter, he said in response to a board question about lawsuits challenging state land‑use preemption.

Rossford closed by pointing the board to Housing Colorado’s public bill tracker and offering to answer follow-up questions about specific proposals and potential impacts on local projects.