LOCAL NEWS Ask a VENDOR THIS COLUMN IS A PLACE FOR DENVER VOICE VENDORS TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF. Q What positive changes are you hoping to make in 2021? LAWMAKERS PASS BILLS TO ADDRESS ISSUES ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS BY ROBERT DAVIS HISTORICALLY, COLORADO HAS BEEN a landlord-friendly state. However, lawmakers recently have added numerous protections for renters, low-income earners, and communities to help alleviate housing and economic discrimination. The following laws will either take or remain in effect on January 1, 2021. A JERRY MULLENIX I want to get my camper running and to make a lot more money [vending the VOICE]. JERRY ROSEN I hope to make more sales in 2021. I hope to please more people by doing a really good job in many aspects. I also will make positive changes by thinking positive and being more productive. VIGGO WALLACE Positive changes I would like to make: setting and sticking with my short- and long-term goals, being consistent with my goals and following up... take the time to celebrate people while they’re living, showing appreciation for life, stopping to smell the roses every now and then, working on personal growth – mentally and physically. SPECIAL SESSION HOUSING SUPPORT AND PROTECTIONS Governor Jared Polis announced on November 23 that he was convening a special session for lawmakers to address housing instability and economic issues caused by COVID-19. A week later, lawmakers held their first session, introducing several key pieces of legislation that would become law by the weekend. Some of the bills passed include: SB20B-0052 Direct Housing Assistance Payments SB20B-003 Money for Energy Bill Utility Payment Assistance HB20B-0034 Food Pantry Assistance Programs In total, these bills make $70 million available in grant funding. Of that, $60 million comes from the direct assistance payment program. Effective upon passage, these bills are scheduled to sunset in June 2021. All funds appropriated by these bills must be spent before the deadline. HB20-1332 PROHIBIT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION SOURCE OF INCOME In 2019, Colorado prohibited landlords from rejecting a potential renter’s application because of the source of their income. However, the bill lawmakers passed left much to be desired. During the 2020 session, the General Assembly added protections for those who draw government or private rental assistance by defining them as a person’s “source of income.” It also prohibits a landlord from refusing to rent, limiting the duration or terms of a rental agreement, or falsely advertising a home’s availability for the purpose of discriminating against someone’s income. SB20-224 What do YOU want to ask? If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. 4 DENVER VOICE January 2021 IMMIGRANT TENANT PROTECTIONS ACT Over the summer, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers introduced the Immigrant Tenant Protections Act to help undocumented persons and families stay in their homes. The Act prohibits landlords from refusing to rent a unit or repossessing a unit based solely on a tenant’s immigration status, or demanding a current tenant prove their citizenship to avoid eviction. However, landlords are still required to comply with state and federal immigration laws. If a tenant brings a successful action against a landlord for violations under this Act, the tenant can be awarded up to $2,000 per offense and “other equitable relief the Court finds appropriate,” the bill says. HB20-1196 MOBILE HOME PARK ACT UPDATES Colorado adopted the Mobile Home Park Act in 1985 to regulate the relationship between landlords and their tenants. However, until 2019, these provisions were kept separate from the State’s other landlord-tenant laws and had no oversight authority enforcing them. Lawmakers updated the Act in 2020 to clarify notice requirements for landlords who intend to terminate a tenant’s occupancy. The bill increased the time a tenant has to cure instances of noncompliance from 30 days to 90 days. If a landlord intends to sell the property, the notice they must give tenants has increased from 60 to 90 days. Landlords must also give their tenants a 12-month notice if the property is rezoned for a different usage. Prior to the Act’s passage, mobile home management companies could charge up to two month’s rent as a security deposit. This law reduced that to no more than one month’s rent. HB21-1201 MOBILE HOME PARK RESIDENTS OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE The additional notice requirements give mobile home tenants time to make financial plans to purchase their units, if the opportunity arises. In an instance where a mobile home management company intends to sell their property, they must give tenants a 12-month notice. Tenants then have 90 days to submit an offer to the management company to purchase the unit the tenant currently occupies. If a sale occurs and the tenants are not the buyers, the company must send their city and county an affidavit of compliance with the law. SB20-106 CONSENT TO SHELTER FOR HOMELESS YOUTH Individuals who are at least 15 years old are now allowed to enter the homeless shelter system. Referrals can be made by county social workers or a host family. However, the stay cannot last longer than 21 days. Within 72 hours of intake, the shelter or care center caring for the youth must attempt to contact the youth’s parent or legal guardian and identify counseling options, the availability of longterm care, or a possibly refer the youth to a county department. Youths between the ages of 11 and 14 years-old, who return to a shelter or care facility, will automatically be referred to a county department. ■ To read more about these bills, visit: https://leg.colorado.gov/ special-session-bills-authorized-sponsors-pre-release.
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