A recent addition to our library collection is the Colorado Division of Housing’s Home Modification Look Book. This publication provides helpful guidance on making accessibility modifications to the homes of people with disabilities and/or the elderly. Wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, and bathroom modifications such as grab bars and walk-in/roll-in tubs and showers are among the […]
Tag: housing
Interactive Data Tools from the State Demography Office
The State Demography Office (SDO) has recently updated several of their interactive online data and mapping tools. These tools provide easy access to information on population, industry, and more. For population data, check out their Demographic Dashboard. Here you will find data tables on net migration as well as population estimates and projections based on […]
Resources on Affordable Housing
With housing prices and rent so high these days, many people are talking about the need for more affordable housing and how to implement affordable housing programs. The Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Division of Housing (DOH) has numerous resources on their website that can help researchers, homebuyers/renters, and policymakers find information on affordable housing […]
Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community
A recent news story discussed a new state audit report assessing the Fort Lyon residential facility – but the news report failed to actually link to the report. You can view the report here. The report provides a cost-benefit analysis of the facility and an assessment of success rates. Fort Lyon, in Bent County, served […]
Is Your House on Shaky Ground?
Ground subsidence problems are very real in Colorado. Whether from naturally occurring elements in the soil or from the effects of Colorado’s mining history, the ground in certain parts of Colorado is susceptible to settling, collapsing, expanding, heaving, or swelling, all of which can have potentially hazardous effects on structures. So how do you know […]
New Resource for HOA Information
Colorado has 8,006 registered homeowners associations. Is your home – or a home you’re thinking of buying – part of an HOA? The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies has just debuted a new website dedicated to consumer information on HOAs. Part of their Take 5 to Get Wise consumer websites, the new HOA Information and […]
HOAs and Political Signs
Many homeowners wonder about their rights to display political signs if they are part of a homeowner’s association. Many HOAs have rules about political signs in yards or, for condos, in windows. This election season the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) offers the following advice: The Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act (CCIOA), addresses this […]
HOA Information and Resource Center
Many Coloradans live in properties controlled by homeowner associations (HOAs). Properties can include single-family homes, townhouses, or condominiums. Each HOA has its own rules and bylaws, but they all must comply with certain state and federal laws. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies has created a website, the HOA Information and Resource Center, to help […]
2010 Census Data for Colorado
The State Demography Office is in the process of compiling and releasing Colorado demographical information from the 2010 Census. Data currently available on their website includes urban/rural population, age, households, housing occupancy, housing tenure, and more. Also included are maps illustrating these population figures. The data is presented both statewide and by county. The site […]
Homeless Programs
The Colorado Governor’s Office, the Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs – Division of Housing, and various local nonprofits have teamed up to produce a new report, Pathways Home Colorado: Ensuring All Coloradans Have a Place to Call Home. The report takes a look at the various initiatives around the state that are working toward reducing […]
Homeowners’ Associations
In Colorado, homeowners’ associations (or HOAs) are under the control of the law known as the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act. The Act, passed in 1991, was recently updated with HB11-1124, which clarifies conflict of interest of an HOA’s executive board. Colorado’s HOA laws can be complex, but two publications have recently been issued to help […]
Apartment Rates and Vacancies
A story in today’s Denver Post reports that apartment rents are at an all-time high in Metro Denver. The story references a report produced quarterly by the Colorado Division of Housing and the Apartment Association of Metro Denver. You can find reports on apartment vacancies for Metro Denver, Colorado Springs, and Statewide at the Division of […]
New: Demography Dashboard
The State Demography Office (part of the Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs) has just released a new “dashboard” feature, with information presented for each county. According to the Office, “Our new Demography Dashboard shows graphs and charts for various datasets by county. Graphs include: Net Migration by Age, Population Estimates, Population Projections and Components of Change.” […]
Swelling Soils: Homebuyers Beware
If you’re looking at buying a home in the Denver Metro area, particularly in the area around C-470 near Bowles and Wadsworth in Jefferson County, or if you currently live in the area, make certain you read the Colorado Geological Survey’s Guide to Swelling Soils for Colorado Homebuyers and Homeowners, available for checkout from our […]
HOAs
According to HB10-1278 passed last year, all Colorado homeowners associations (HOAs) must register with the state by March 1, 2011. If you are in charge of an HOA and haven’t yet registered, click here to go to the Dept. of Regulatory Agencies’ registration page. The bill also created the HOA Information Office and Resource Center, […]
Foreclosures
In an effort to aid homeowners, the state legislature is introducing a “foreclosure timeout bill” which gives homeowners a 90-day moratorium on foreclosure so they have a chance to renegotiate their mortgages before losing their home. The text of HB 09-1276 is available on the General Assembly website. The Colorado Foreclosure Hotline (1-877-601-HOPE) is another […]
Carbon Monoxide
The General Assembly is considering a bill that requires carbon monoxide detectors be installed in all new residential construction, and in any properties that are sold, or leased to new tenants. In the last 2 months, 6 Coloradans have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. These incidents inspired the creation of the Lofgren Family Carbon Monoxide […]
Landlord/Tenant Rights
Yesterday HB08-1356 passed out of the House and will make its way to the Senate. HB1356 gives protections to tenants whose landlords fail to make necessary repairs to their buildings rendering the units unsafe or even uninhabitable for the tenants. With the passage of HB1356 tenants will be able to take their landlords to court […]
Foreclosure Hotline
The Colorado Division of Housing has a free service for Colorado homeowners who have questions about their home loans. The Colorado Foreclosure Hotline counsels people who have missed loan payments or are worried they may fall behind on future payments , as well as those in the middle of foreclosures. Housing counselors will outline options […]
Help Buying a Home
This is the time of year when many people make the decision to move, and the State of Colorado has information to help you. The Colorado Geologic Survey publishes a book, A Guide to Swelling Soils for Colorado Homebuyers and Homeowners, 1997, that every Colorado homebuyer should read, in addition to many other publications on […]