FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Ray / 303-885-1881
DENVER—The Homeownership Opportunity Alliance—a broad coalition of
business groups, builders, elected officials and affordable housing
advocates—provided the following statements on reports that there will be no
construction-defects transparency legislation this session:
“We are disappointed that negotiations broke down today and that event was immediately turned into an effort to use the media to score political points. The Homeownership Opportunity Alliance has worked on this issue for three years, and we are committed to finding a resolution that will address Colorado’s housing needs, especially through the development of attainable condominiums,” said Tom Clark, Chief Executive Officer of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. “We understand the importance of this issue for our state, for working families, for first-time homebuyers and for anyone along the housing spectrum who is struggling to find a home. That's why we will remain committed to working on this issue.”
The Homeownership Opportunity Alliance’s diverse coalition includes
more than 50 organizations from across Colorado. The coalition also includes
individual mayors and 14 different communities that have passed local
ordinances to address attainable condominium development.
“Affordable and attainable housing has been a top priority of the
41-member Metro Mayors Caucus for decades,” said Lakewood Mayor Adam Paul.
“Throughout this process, we have partnered with affordable housing advocates
and the business community because we know that providing a spectrum of
housing, from millennials to seniors, is so critical to creating and
maintaining inclusive communities."
“While we are disappointed that we could not convince the other side to
increase transparency and give homeowners a voice in whether their most
precious asset—their home—is tied up in long and costly litigation, we are not
without hope,” Mayor Paul continued. “In more than 14 communities, representing
nearly 2.4 million Coloradans, we have taken steps to ensure that homeowners
receive information and have a say in whether their board engages in litigation
that could leave them unable to sell or refinance their home—and on the line
for costly assessments. We will continue to pursue transparency and
accountability at the local level through the passage of local ordinances.”
The coalition also has featured our state’s leading affordable-housing
advocates, including Housing Colorado, Habitat for Humanity and the Urban Land
Conservancy.
“Housing Colorado’s interest in this issue has always been—and will
remain—seeking reform that will result in more affordable, entry-level
homeownership opportunities for moderate income Coloradans,” said Sara
Reynolds, executive director of Housing Colorado. “We are profoundly
disappointed that once again, the opportunity for meaningful reform on
construction-defects litigation has failed due to long-standing and entrenched
political alliances."
“The construction defects issue is a complex one, but the tools were
available to provide a common-sense solution that would address many of the
flaws in our current system. The opportunity has been lost. With
median home prices leaping 12 percent in just one year alone, homeownership
will continue to get farther and farther out of reach for hundreds of thousands
of Coloradans,” Reynolds concluded.
Homeownership Opportunity Alliance Coalition
American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado
American Institute of Architects – Colorado Chapter
American Subcontractors Association
Apartment Association of Metro Denver
Associated Builders and Contractors, Rocky Mountain
Associated General Contractors
Aurora Economic Development Council
Building Jobs 4 Colorado
Cherry Creek Area Business Alliance
Colorado Apartment Association
Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry
Colorado Association of Home Builders
CO Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Contractors
CO Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Colorado Association of REALTORS
Colorado Bankers Association
Colorado BUILDS
Colorado Business Roundtable
Colorado Civil Justice League
Colorado Competitive Council
Colorado Concern
Colorado Contractors Association
Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association
Colorado Municipal League
Colorado Springs Business Alliance
Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Denver South Economic Development Partnership
Douglas County Business Alliance
Douglas County Commissioners
Downtown Denver Partnership
Economic Development Council of Colorado
Habitat for Humanity
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver
Hispanic Contractors of Colorado
Home Builders Association of Metro Denver
Hope Communities
Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs
Housing Colorado
Independent Bankers of Colorado
Independent Electrical Contractors
International Council of Shopping Centers
Land Title Association
Mechanical Contractors Association of Colorado
Mechanical Service Contractors of Colorado
Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation
Metro Mayors Caucus
NAIOP Colorado
National Electrical Contractors
NFIB—Colorado
Parker Area Chamber of Commerce
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors
South Metro Denver Chamber
Transit Alliance
Urban Land Conservancy
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