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Residents and housing advocates urge Aurora to drop lawsuit over state housing laws
Summary
Multiple residents and housing advocates told council that Aurora’s lawsuit against state transit‑oriented and parking reform laws risks losing state grant funds and urged the city to comply instead of litigating.
Several residents and housing advocates used the public comment period at the Jan. 26 Aurora City Council meeting to call on the city to drop litigation challenging state housing and transit-oriented community laws.
Juan Marcano described the city as “in the extreme minority of home rule cities” opposing the state framework and urged officials to drop the suit, update the Unified Development Ordinance, and pursue state grants. Caroline Leland of Housing Forward Colorado and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project told the council that “the vast majority of cities are complying” with the Transit-Oriented Communities and parking reforms and that Aurora risked forfeiting access to state grant programs, which she said total more than $280,000,000. Leland also cited Aurora’s approximately $21,000,000 budget shortfall and recommended minimal code tweaks and a report to the state to regain eligibility for grants.
Council members did not vote on litigation strategy during the meeting. The rezoning item (12a) tied to neighborhood planning was continued to Feb. 23 after public testimony both for and against the upzone. Advocates pressing the council argued that updating zoning and parking rules could accelerate affordable housing near transit and make the city eligible for state funds.
Next steps: The council continued a separate zoning item to Feb. 23; advocates recommended that council explore code updates and grant applications before pursuing further litigation.
