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Committee adopts amendments to Prop 123 rules and sends HB 13‑13 to committee of the whole
Summary
Senate committee amended and recommended House Bill 13‑13, which revises the Prop 123 baseline and incentive structure; the committee adopted changes to broaden affordability counting and to spread a prior funding cut across three years, and voted the bill to the committee of the whole 6–1.
Sen. Ball and Sen. Frizzell framed House Bill 13‑13 as a technical and policy update to Proposition 123, arguing the original 3% growth baseline is no longer realistic given current construction costs and economic conditions. "Since then, Colorado has built more than 11,000 affordable homes and supported nearly a 100,000 households," Sen. Ball said, and sponsors urged an amended formula tying local goals to recent permitting and job growth rather than the earlier census‑based baseline.
DOLA and nonprofit housing developers supported the revisions. Ashley Wiesner of DOLA said the proposed approach "is data driven, economically realistic and equitable across every corner of Colorado" and described amendment language that expands eligible affordability mechanisms beyond narrow deed restrictions. Housing and developer groups (Archway, Enterprise, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Colorado) praised incentives in the bill that would prioritize deeply affordable rental units, permanent supportive housing and home‑ownership opportunities.
The committee adopted two amendments: L14 replaces a narrow "deed restriction" test with a broader definition of formal affordability mechanisms and clarifies the proposed good‑faith waiver and counting rules; L16 instructs the treasurer to spread a prior diversion of Prop 123 funds across three fiscal years so the program receives partial backfill each year rather than a single lump‑sum shock. Zach Martinez (Gary Advocacy) and other witnesses described how the changes would make Prop 123 funding accessible to jurisdictions — including those with high levels of naturally occurring affordable housing — that would otherwise be disqualified under the prior baseline calculation.
After amendment votes, Sen. Ball moved HB 13‑13 as amended to the committee of the whole with a favorable recommendation. The committee approved the motion; the clerk recorded that the bill passed in committee on a 6‑to‑1 vote. Supporters said the changes preserve the intent of the voters who approved Proposition 123 while making the program more administrable and better targeted toward deeply affordable units and homeownership opportunities.
What happens next: HB 13‑13 will go to the committee of the whole for consideration with the committee's favorable recommendation and the adopted amendments.
