For many people, living in Colorado means spending a lot of time worrying about how they’ll be able to pay the rent or mortgage or whether they’ll be able to buy a home.

Housing costs across the state have been on a long and sometimes sharp rise. House prices in Colorado Springs increased by 119% since 2015According to the Common Sense Institute. Average sales price of homes in the Denver area this year $617,000from $304,000 ten years ago.

Rising costs and housing shortage causes great concern Among more than 7,000 respondents Voter Voices survey This year it was hosted in Colorado by more than two dozen media outlets, including The Denver Post. A lot Determined the cost of living in a broader sense as concernhowever, housing was a recurring theme.

The upward shift in housing costs has been driven by a long-standing mismatch in supply and demand with Colorado’s growth.

These trends have also affected tenants greatly. Denver’s average monthly rent increased eye watering by 82% Between 2009 and 2021, it rose from $856 per month to $1,554; this is one of the steepest increases in the country during that period.

If housing costs and zoning are the most important issues to you, this is where your vote will make the most impact.

presidential race

Both candidates We presented ideas to reduce housing costs. While the president works with Congress to pass larger-scale housing-related legislation, tax cuts and incentives, he may use regulatory authority for some of the moves.

the most important part Vice President Kamala Harris’ housing plan While the proposal aims to provide $25,000 in down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers, critics note it won’t address the shortage of starter homes on the market. Among other proposals, it also offers new tax incentives for developers focused on affordable housing and wants to increase funding to $40 billion by doubling the current program that supports local governments to pursue “innovative” approaches to affordable housing.

Former President Donald Trump’s housing plan contains fewer details. Trump in this campaign blamed the recent increase in immigration He called for higher housing costs and said plans for mass deportations would also help lower rents – which economists disagreed and warned would also likely significantly reduce the pool of construction labor needed to build housing.

Trump too He proposed building 10 “Cities of Freedom” on federal land from scratch. Although details of the proposal are scarce, most of the undeveloped federal lands are concentrated in Western states such as Colorado.

congressional races

Many of the presidential candidates’ housing proposals will actually depend on Congressional approval.

Colorado’s Republican and Democratic congressional candidates are blaming different causes and proposing different solutions to the housing crisis. Republicans tend to blame federal spending for increasing inflation, including on the housing sector, and advocate reducing spending in the housing sector. construction instructions They claim it increases the cost of new homes. Democratic candidates are using federal funding and tax incentives to support affordable housing construction.

Inside polls published in the online voter guideThe Denver Post asked congressional candidates what actions they would support to address concerns about the rising cost of living.

State legislative races

Housing has become one of the top issues of the Colorado legislature in recent sessions. pass a property tax abatement with Efforts by Gov. Jared Polis and many Democratic lawmakers Adding new zoning requirements to local governments in hopes of increasing density and reducing costs.

Legislative candidates in the election are discussing these moves and ideas for further action, as well as the limits of what the government should do. The Post’s legislative candidate polls online voter guide Includes answers to what the legislature should do to improve affordability for Coloradans.

Local Governments

Housing development policy, including zoning, is largely determined at the local level and is always a hot topic for local elected officials. While many cities don’t have municipal races this year, some metro Denver counties have county commission seats on the ballot.

Post’s candidate polls online voter guide asked these candidates what they would do to improve affordability for residents in their districts.