Summary of Colorado House Bill 25-1032
House Bill 25-1032 seeks to expand government control over homelessness policy by creating the Colorado Interagency Council on Homelessness under the Governor’s Office. The council would:
- Centralize and coordinate homelessness response across multiple state agencies.
- Develop statewide strategies for homelessness resolution and prevention.
- Increase access to public assistance, including housing, food, and healthcare benefits.
- Set up regional homelessness response districts, which could levy new taxes to fund government-led homelessness initiatives.
- Create a new bureaucracy that will meet monthly and produce an annual report with recommendations for legislative action.
The bill also allows county clerks to divert real estate filing fees to fund homelessness-related housing projects. Additionally, it enables counties and cities to form taxing districts, imposing new sales and property taxes to bankroll government-run homelessness programs.
My Thoughts on the Bill
Colorado Democrats have once again decided that big government and higher taxes are the solution to every problem—this time with House Bill 25-1032, a radical expansion of bureaucracy under the guise of “solving” homelessness.
Let’s be clear: this bill is not about reducing homelessness. It’s about growing government. Instead of tackling the root causes of homelessness—drug addiction, mental illness, and lax crime policies—Democrats are creating yet another taxpayer-funded bureaucracy that will do nothing but waste money and incentivize vagrancy.
The Truth About This Bill
🔴 Bigger Government, More Bureaucracy – The bill establishes multiple new councils, advisory boards, and committees, all filled with unelected bureaucrats who will decide how to “fix” homelessness. If we’ve learned anything from California, it’s that big government programs don’t fix homelessness—they create it.
🔴 New Taxes Incoming – This bill creates regional homelessness response districts with the power to levy sales and property taxes. That means more money out of your pocket to fund “solutions” that have already failed in places like Denver, Portland, and San Francisco.
🔴 No Accountability, No Results – These government councils will churn out reports and recommendations while homelessness skyrockets. Just look at Denver, which spent $250 million on homelessness in 2023 alone, yet the problem only got worse.
🔴 Housing First Doesn’t Work – The bill pushes the failed “Housing First” model, which gives free housing to the homeless without requiring drug treatment, mental health care, or personal responsibility. This is exactly why cities like Los Angeles and Seattle are in crisis.
Enough is Enough: A Better Approach
1️⃣ End taxpayer-funded homeless camps. Stop using public money to subsidize vagrancy.
2️⃣ Address addiction and mental health. Invest in treatment programs, not free handouts.
3️⃣ Enforce the law. Stop letting criminals and drug users overrun our cities.
4️⃣ Empower local communities. Let cities set their own policies without state-mandated bureaucracies and taxes.
HB 25-1032 is a massive government overreach that will raise taxes, waste money, and worsen homelessness. Tell your legislators to vote NO.
