City Council public hearing coming February 8:
Here's final proposal & how to participate

The Denver City Council will hold a public hearing and vote next month on the final proposal to modernize rules that govern residential uses in the Denver Zoning Code. The proposed text amendment package would give residents more housing options and providers more flexibility to address the needs of vulnerable communities. It also fixes outdated and confusing language, and addresses long-standing equity gaps in the city's zoning code.

The final proposal is the result of three years of work and reflects thoughtful compromise from all sides after months of thorough review by the public, the Denver Planning Board and council members. 
How proposal would change current rules

Household living: The proposed text amendment would allow up to 5 adults to live together in households where not all residents are related; currently, only 2 two unrelated adults are allowed to live together in a house and 4 in a duplex or apartment. Any number of related adults may live together, as is currently allowed.

Residential care:
  • Facilities would be categorized and regulated by size instead of the types of services they offer; currently residential care rules vary according to who the facility serves (elderly residents, people experiencing homelessness, community corrections, etc.).
  • The land area available for community corrections would expand from about 3,210 acres primarily in industrial areas and downtown to about 19,000 acres throughout the city, primarily along commercial corridors, where there is better access to transit and jobs. Community corrections would still not be allowed in single-unit and two-unit zone districts, and some row house zone districts (RH-2.5).
  • The number of smaller facilities serving up to 10 people in a single area would be capped to avoid overburdening neighborhoods. 
Submitting comments & speaking at the hearing

City Council Public Hearing and Vote
Group Living Text Amendments
5:30 p.m., Monday, February 8, 2021
Virtual meeting via Zoom

To submit written comments ahead of the hearing:
  • Comments may be emailed directly to City Council members at [email protected].
  • If you would like your comments to be included in the staff report submitted to council members, email them to [email protected] no later than noon, Thursday, February 4.


To speak live at the hearing:

General information on how to participate in City Council public hearings is available on the City Council website, www.denvergov.org/citycouncil.
About the Group Living Project
Denver has an immediate need for housing. With the evolving needs of our residents in mind, the challenges of the ongoing pandemic, the renewed push for addressing issues of race and equity, and changes to other housing regulations, city planners has been working with an advisory committee to evaluate the Denver Zoning Code’s rules for “group living.” This evaluation has included a review of land uses and definitions for: households, community corrections facilities, shelters for the homeless, residential care homes, new uses like tiny home villages, and more. Based on this evaluation, planners will recommend updates to the zoning code for some or all of these housing types.