Denver Metro Chamber Of Commerce: Legislature Hones In On Affordable Housing Efforts

Denver CO

17 April, 2022

8:52 PM

Description

Press release from Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce: April 15, 2022 The Chamber and its Prosper Colorado initiative support efforts to increase the availability of affordable workforce housing. We understand that our city cannot continue to grow and develop without housing options for the talent that we are working so hard to attract. With the median home price for the metro Denver area rising more than 23% in the past year to 6.6 times the median household income, it's no surprise that those moving to Colorado often rely on renting rather than buying. Colorado cannot postpone addressing its need for affordable housing options, and the General Assembly has proposed a slew of bills to address affordable and workforce housing. The nation is holding its general election in November of this year. During this election, all of Colorado's executive offices, seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and a seat in the U.S. Senate are up for election. The November ballot will also feature a variety of ballot initiatives, which provide Colorado citizens with another avenue to impact statue for the state. Proposing any citizen-initiative measure to change property tax be decided through a local election, eliminating its inclusion on the statewide ballot House Bill 1244 In implementing the program, the commission has the authority to adopt rules that are more stringent than the corresponding requirements of the federal Clean Air Act. The bill also sets specified new deadlines and requirements that relate to new reporting and rules around toxic air contaminants. Some of the key findings from this research include: In 2020, Colorado experienced 540 fentanyl related deaths, an increase of 143% from 2019. In 2021, there were over 800 fentanyl related deaths, a 260% increase from 2019.The total lifetime cost of 1,104 opioid related deaths in Colorado in 2021 reached more than $15.2 billion, a 127% increase in costs from the prior 2017 CDC estimates. Since 2017, the share of opioid related deaths attributed to fentanyl grew from 19% to 73%, amounting to an $11.1 billion total lifetime cost in 2021.The full public and societal costs of fentanyl must be weighed against any potential benefits from state and local policy reforms. This press release was produced by the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. The views expressed here are the author's own.