Statewide Housing and Land Use Survey

The results of a new statewide housing and land use survey conducted by Magellan Strategies are available HERE.

The key takeaways of the statewide survey include the following:

• Among all respondents, 73% believe that their local government should be doing more regarding their community’s affordable housing policies. However, 73% of respondents also do not think local affordable housing and land use policies in their community are effective and moving in the right direction.
• Even though respondents do not believe local affordable housing and land use policies are heading in the right direction, when asked who they trust more to address the problem of affordable housing in Colorado, 48% say local government, 29% say state government, and 23% are unsure or do not have an opinion.
• A majority of respondents, 56%, say the availability of rental and homeownership opportunities in their communities is a big problem, and 22% say it is somewhat of a problem.
• A majority of Coloradans, 55%, rate the speed of residential housing growth in their community as too fast, 30% rate it as too slow, and 9% say the rate of growth has been just the right amount. However, among those who rent their home, 43% say the rate of residential housing growth in their community has been too slow. In contrast, 70% of seniors aged 65 or older rate the speed of growth as too fast.
• 81% of Coloradans think local communities in Colorado have a “NIMBY” (not-in-my-backyard) or negative attitude regarding multi-unit residential developments and prefer single-family residential developments.
• Thirty-eight percent of Coloradans agree, and 49% disagree with the viewpoint that restrictive zoning and land use policies such as sewer capacity, water capacity, set-back requirements, minimum square footage, and height restrictions are the primary reason why Colorado has not been able to address the problem of affordable housing.
• Among all respondents, 60% support rent control policies for their local community, 32% oppose them, and 8% are undecided on this issue.