In a blow to Gov. Jared Polis’ pro-housing agenda, the Colorado state Senate on Monday night defeated a measure that would have given churches, schools and universities the right to build housing on their land.
The measure, House Bill 1169, would have overridden local zoning laws, continuing a long-running dispute between the state and local officials over the degree to which cities and counties should control housing policies in their communities.
The bill, which passed the House in March, was effectively killed by Senate leadership after supporters said it didn’t have the votes to pass the chamber. Lawmakers postponed a vote on the bill until Thursday — the day after the 120-day lawmaking session ends.
The proposal was inspired by the “Yes In God’s Backyard” campaign — or YIGBY — a religious-based movement that sprang up in response to neighborhood-level opposition to new housing.
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Colorado Senate rejects “YIGBY” measure to allow housing on church land
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10:00 AM MDT on May 6, 20259:39 AM MDT on May 6, 2025Polis and many legislative Democrats saw it as a tool to increase housing affordability, building on efforts in recent years to encourage local governments to enact denser land use laws and allow more housing construction.
Church leaders across the Denver metro area also supported the bill, which they said would allow them to better serve their charitable mission by providing housing to those in need. Nonprofit housing developers say local zoning laws frequently delay housing from being built on church land, and sometimes prevent such projects entirely.
Local officials, however, said the bill would upend their own efforts to plan for new housing in locations where it makes the most sense — with adequate roads and sidewalks, utilities, and access to amenities like parks, social services and transit.
Many churches are built in such areas already. But some are more remote, or surrounded by sprawling commercial or industrial developments that may not make for good neighbors, local planning officials said.
The measure also would have allowed child care providers to operate on church land.
This is a developing story that may be updated.
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