Council Committee to vote on updated proposal

After nearly four months of discussion, questions and revisions, City Council's Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure (LUTI) Committee will vote on an updated proposal to modernize the Denver's rules on residential uses at its meeting Tuesday, December 22. This vote is not the final decision on the project. Committee members will be deciding whether to move the proposal to the full council for a public hearing and vote in 2021. If the proposal moves forward, public comments will be accepted up to and during the final public hearing.

What is in the updated proposal?

Here are the key changes that were made in response to continued council and community input over the past four month:

  • Cap the number of adults allowed to live together in households where not all residents are related at 5.
  • Preserve existing provision for unlimited households when all residents are related.
  • Remove a proposed provision that would have allowed more unrelated adults in homes with more square footage.
  • Prohibit community corrections in single-unit, two-unit and some row house zone districts.
  • Reduce "type 2" residential care facilities from 11-40 residents to 11-20 residents in in single-unit, two-unit and row house zone districts (aligns with existing provisions) and permit only on parcels previously used for civic, public and institutional structures (like an old church that is no longer in use).
  • Establish a density limitation for smaller facilities serving up to ten people in an area to avoid concentrations in a single neighborhood.
How do I watch December 22 meeting?
Talk to a planner about group living

If you have questions about group living or want to share your comments directly with city staff, use the link below to sign up for virtual community office hours at upcoming sessions in January and February. 
Note on new website look: The city's website is undergoing a redesign to better serve residents. The Group Living project webpage is now organized slightly differently, but still contains all the same information as it did before. You may continue to use the web address www.DenverGov.org/groupliving to view the page, but if you are having trouble finding what you are looking for in the new layout, please email cpdcommunications@denvergov.org.
How will this help Denver residents?
One of the group living project's primary goals is to provide more housing options and more flexibility for those who need it. The following testimonials offer some insight into how more options can have a positive impact. See more at DenverGov.org/groupliving.
“I like going home to people who get it. I have a very loving family but they do not suffer from the same disease that I do. They don’t understand. Now I live in a household that does understand how that feels.”
Jill, former sober living resident and current manager of a recovery home
“Living in a Co-Op has impacted my life for the better in a huge multitude of ways. ... I don't think I would be able to afford living in Denver on a teacher's salary, definitely not in the neighborhood and beautiful home I live in.”
Samantha, cooperative housing resident and local school teacher
“The community knows about us. We give back to the community. We maintained the block, cleaning it up. We cut neighbors' grass, and we helped our neighbors move out furniture."
Maurice, formerly homeless, former community corrections resident, Denver Rescue Mission worker
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.