CAHB: Capitol Close Up
BUILD-PAC Honors Bob Peterson, Colorado Support;
Tell Congress to Repeal Biden's WOTUS Rule
BUILD-PAC, the NAHB's nonpartisan political action committee dedicated to electing pro-housing candidates, recognized CAHB member Bob Peterson and Colorado for their commitment to advocacy at the 2023 NAHB International Builders' Show.
In 2022, during one of the most competitive midterm election cycles in recent history, BUILD-PAC contributed nearly $2.8 million to candidates for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and ultimately had a 95 percent win rate for its endorsed candidates.
Bob Peterson, founder of Associates in Building + Design, Ltd., was named a 2022 BUILD-PAC Champion for raising $10,000 or more in new funds to BUILD-PAC by either recruiting new contributors or upgrading existing donors to a higher level.
“BUILD-PAC is one of the main reasons the business of home building is still a business,” Peterson said in an NAHB release. “The fact that NAHB and BUILD-PAC support good legislation from both sides of the political aisle – as well as candidates who support our mission – is necessary to keep our industry and businesses moving forward.”
Colorado was also recognized as one of 17 states that held an event that raised $10,000 or more for BUILD-PAC. Clearly, it was an impactful 2022 for BUILD-PAC and our efforts in Colorado to support federal candidates. Congratulations and thank you to Bob, and all Colorado donors, for all that you do to support our industry and association.
Read the full story from the NAHB.
Common Sense Institute Release “Homelessness in Denver” Study
The Common Sense Institute, a nonprofit think tank that focuses on key policy issues at the state and local levels, recently released a report summarizing the key issues surrounding homelessness in Denver. CSI’s report puts a spotlight on the homeless problem in Denver and the metro area and the immense resources going toward addressing the problem. Key findings from the report include:
Growth of the homeless population is outpacing the growth of the total Denver population.
• Over the last 5 years, Denver’s homeless population has risen by almost 44 percent—nearly 12 times faster than the city’s total population growth between 2016 and 2021.
• Total population in Denver declined by over 4,000 people in 2021.
Denver is on track to spend over $1 billion on homelessness over 3 years.
• CSI estimates that total budgeted homelessness spending in Denver will grow from $393.2 to $545.3 million in 2023 (38.7%) and total $1.45 billion over those three years (2021-2023).
• Estimated 2023 spending per person experiencing homelessness or in permanent supportive housing (according to a range of daily count estimates) in Denver is expected to be between $37,309 and $73,450. In contrast, a typical rent in Denver, according to Zillow’s rent index, is $23,580 per year.
The full report is available on CSI’s web site.
Colorado Energy Codes Update
The CAHB has been heavily involved with the Colorado Energy Code Board and following all updates closely. Drafts of the proposed Solar-Ready code and the EV-Ready code have been released and are up for review. The code board is currently taking written comments and the CAHB strongly encourages members to submit written comments individually in addition to those the CAHB is putting together. Public testimony will be heard on March 28th.
Please share your comments with the CAHB or directly at: https://energyoffice.colorado.gov/climate-energy/energy-policy/building-energy-codes/energy-code-board
GAC Update
The GAC met last Friday and took positions on four bills. To review a complete list of the CAHB's legislative positions -- including bills that the GAC supported, opposed and monitored -- please visit:
https://statebillinfo.com/SBI/index.cfm?fuseaction=Public.Dossier&id=31374&pk=142
The GAC took action on the following bills:
House Bill 23-1221—Support—This bill would require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to use quality-assured data to determine the maximum amount of a pollutant that can be discharged daily into state waters without exceeding applicable water quality standards. According to the bill, quality- assured data means scientifically accurate data related to water quality that has been collected in the past five years or in the most recent period of time in which comparable data was analyzed.
House Bill 23-1233—Amend—This legislation would require the state electrical board to adopt rules facilitating electric vehicle charging at multifamily buildings, limiting the ability of the state electrical board to prohibit the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, forbidding private prohibitions on electric vehicle charging and parking, requiring local governments to count certain spaces served by an electric vehicle charging station for minimum parking requirements, forbidding local governments from prohibiting the installation of electric vehicle charging stations, exempting electric vehicle chargers from business personal property tax, and authorizing electric vehicle charging systems along highway rights-of-way. The CAHB lobbying team will work to amend this bill to address the section that accelerates the timelines around EV code adoption and circumvents the work of the Energy Code Board.
Senate Bill 23-172—Oppose—This proposal would create the "Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights (POWR) Act” and set several protections for Colorado workers against discriminatory employment practices. The various provisions in the bill will create an environment for increased litigation for businesses.
Senate Bill 23-184—Oppose—This bill would prohibit a landlord from considering certain information relating to a prospective tenant's income or rental history, establishing a maximum amount that a landlord can require as a security deposit, allowing tenants to pay security deposits in installments, and allowing a tenant to assert as an affirmative defense in an eviction proceeding that a landlord violated anti-discriminatory housing laws.
