In 2025, Colorado municipalities continue to see significant activity in ballot initiatives related to housing and land use, with many measures scheduled for the November election. While the last few legislative sessions have seen a rising tension between state and local control of land use, these ballot measures signal another changing horizon—voters working to pull back zoning authority from their elected city leaders. From halting zoning changes to expanding development fees to requiring voter approval for larger projects, these proposals could significantly affect project timelines, feasibility and strategies for developers statewide.
Ballot measures addressing zoning and land use have grown steadily since 2020, peaking in 2023 with 11 initiatives statewide and still going strong in 2025 with several citizen-led measures on the ballot. Similarly, ballot questions targeting short-term rentals surged in 2022 (with 24 initiatives), declined in 2023–2024, and show renewed momentum in 2025, with the new focus being lodging tax or fee proposals being referred to voters by local governments.
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP – Caitlin Quander, Angela J. Hygh and Rami Jordan
October 8 2025