FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2025

Contact:
Matt Frommer, mfrommer@swenergy.org

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[DENVER, CO] – The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is launching a new pro-housing and smart growth campaign called Housing Forward Colorado (HFC). This initiative aims to partner with policymakers, community groups, industry partners, and state and local governments to tackle key challenges in housing affordability, climate, and transportation, with the goal of creating a more affordable, sustainable, and resilient Colorado.

The campaign will develop and provide resources for pro-housing advocates and policymakers, serve as a central organizing hub for local advocates, and assist in designing, passing, and implementing environmentally-friendly housing and land use reforms across the state.

The campaign’s initial focus is on implementation of the state’s 2024 land use laws: 

• HB24-1152: Accessory Dwelling Units,
• HB24-1304: Minimum Parking Requirements,
• HB24-1313: Housing in Transit-Oriented Communities, 
• SB24-174: Sustainable Affordable Housing Assistance, and
• HB24-1007: Prohibit Residential Occupancy Limits.

In addition, HFC is working with local governments to develop and support policies that expand housing options and improve affordability in existing neighborhoods.

“Housing Forward Colorado is an exciting new initiative that builds on SWEEP’s existing work in energy efficiency and clean transportation, while helping to coordinate the robust local pro-housing advocacy efforts already underway across our fast-growing state,” said Matt Frommer, SWEEP’s Transportation & Land Use Policy Manager.

HFC’s launch is timely in the face of Colorado’s dire housing shortage, caused by years of underproduction. Colorado is roughly 105,000 homes short of a stable housing market. State demographers expect Colorado to add another 1.5 million people by 2050, growing to a population of more than 7.5 million – with most of that growth concentrated along the Front Range. This shortage drives affordability challenges, as limited housing supply leads to intense competition and rising prices. Moreover, the lack of new housing opportunities near transit, jobs, schools, and other destinations increases pressure to sprawl into open spaces and natural lands – resulting in longer commutes, more pollution, and higher land and water consumption.

HFC is working to implement solutions to these problems, ensuring that Colorado builds homes people can afford in the places they want to live. Recent publications include:

• Colorado Parking Reform Toolkit (April 16, 2025)
• Colorado Land Use Progress report (May 13, 2025)
• Expanding Housing Choices in Colorado: Lessons from Portland’s Middle Housing Reforms (June 16, 2025)

To learn more, visit housingforwardco.org and join the movement to build communities that are more affordable and accessible to all.

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Housing Forward Colorado is a project of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a public interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency, clean transportation, and beneficial electrification in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. swenergy.org