Rep. Pettersen Takes Major Steps on Housing Affordability For Coloradans, Passing Her Bipartisan Bills in Housing Package Which Now Heads to the Senate

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) today applauds the passage of a major bipartisan housing package on the House floor containing numerous Pettersen-led bills addressing housing affordability in Colorado and across the country. Rep. Pettersen was also a key negotiator in shaping the framework, successfully pushing to revise a harmful provision from the package that would have blocked Built-to-Rent homebuilding projects and undermined efforts to address the nation’s housing supply and affordability crisis. The Pettersen-led legislation in the package includes her Streamlining Rural Housing Act , which will streamline duplicative federal housing requirements that slow affordable housing development in rural communities; her Housing Supply Frameworks Act , which would develop best practices on zoning and land-use policies; and her amendment based on part of the VALID Act , which would improve the mortgage lending process for our nation's servicemembers and veterans. In Colorado, there is currently a housing shortage of over 100,000 homes and apartments. The state also needs to build over 30,000 units in the next decade to make up for the shortfall given the population growth. Due to this shortage, Colorado has seen median rents climb by more than 80% over the last decade. Pettersen’s bills take important steps forward to address that shortage and encourage policies that help new housing development. “All across Colorado, families are getting absolutely crushed by the cost of housing. Whether in the Denver metro area, or in our rural communities, there are not enough options, and out-of-state investors are driving up costs. Housing is the number one financial pain point I hear about from people, and I am so proud to use my position on the House Financial Services Committee to pass policies that will finally provide families with a lifeline,” said Pettersen. “From Trump’s tariffs to his billionaire tax breaks and his devastating cuts to our health coverage, no normal person can afford Donald Trump’s high-cost regime. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to tackle the affordability crisis, and that must include housing — including removing barriers to construction and expanding affordable housing options in communities across Colorado. I’m proud that despite the chaos and dysfunction in Washington, these bills are moving forward, and I’ll keep fighting to get them signed into law.” Pettersen’s legislation that passed the House are listed below: The Streamlining Rural Housing Act : Introduced alongside Congressman Stutzman (R-IN), the bill directs HUD and USDA to enter a memorandum of understanding, a formal interagency agreement to coordinate housing standards, reducing redundant reviews that increase costs and slow affordable housing development in rural communities. The Housing Supply Frameworks Act: Introduced with Congressman Mike Flood (R-NE), the bill directs the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop frameworks for best practices on zoning and land-use policies to confront barriers to housing development and construction. Pettersen's amendment to improve the mortgage lending process for our nation's servicemembers and veterans was included in the package that passed. The amendment ensures that lenders are made aware of a consumer's veteran status at the beginning of the lending process so they can make the consumer aware of their potential eligibility for a VA loan. Over her 14 years in elected office, Representative Pettersen has made expanding access to housing that families can afford a cornerstone of her work in Colorado and in Congress. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee and Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, as well as a Co-Chair of the Real Estate Caucus and the Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) Caucus, she is currently leading the charge to tackle the national housing shortage by championing policies that cut through regulatory red tape and streamline the development of innovative, low-cost homes. ### To access downloadable, high-quality photos, click here . To stay up-to-date on what Pettersen is doing in Congress, follow her on Twitter here , Facebook here , or Instagram here . Residents can also sign-up for her e-newsletter subscription here .