LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Three metro‑area cities are now wrestling with how to meet Colorado’s new housing requirements after voter backlash and stalled policy discussions left each of them out of compliance.

In Lakewood, a few weeks after the results of a special election put the city out of compliance, there is not yet a clear path forward.

Voters approved to repeal pro-density changes that were part of the city's newly adopted and updated zoning code that included certain elements required by state law.

"There's going to be a lot of work that needs to go back into that to make sure that we're identifying something that does fit the needs of those residents. What that's going to look like? We don't know," said Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom.

She said the updated zoning code included more than 100 hours of work, research and public input over the course of several months.

"We are out of compliance with regards to the parking required in transit areas. We also have some shifts that need to be made to get into compliance, as far as the state requirements, for accessory dwelling units," Strom said.

She said any new code would also need density changes and an update to how many unrelated adults can live in one home to be compliant with law.

This challenge is not unique to Lakewood.

In Littleton, City Council there had just begun discussing the state requirements and what density increases might look like in their community, before tabling it after citizen pushback.

"We didn't want to make some policy changes that we felt like the whole community, or a portion of the community, didn't understand, and so that's why we paused that then," Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter told Denver7 back in August of 2025.

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Local governments caught between state zoning requirements and citizen pushback

At that time, citizens had begun campaigning for a charter amendment that would essentially freeze Littleton's zoning code as is.

Schlachter expressed concerns over the possible impact ahead of the election.

"If this charter amendment were to pass, we would be out of compliance with state law, and then we would have ramifications."

In the end, Littleton voters chose to freeze their code in their charter, and Littleton is currently out of compliance with state law as well.

Recently, the Mayor of Lone Tree has also spoken against the state housing requirements. Mayor Marissa Harmon told Denver7, "Any other municipality, large or small throughout the state, should also have the ability to decide what's best for their city and their future."

It's not clear how or if the state requirements will even be enforced. Denver7 reached out to Governor Jared Polis' office for a comment on the growing number of communities whose residents are pushing back against density requirements.

A spokesperson released the following statement:

"The Governor is committed to working with Lakewood and other local governments to reduce or eliminate government-imposed barriers and red tape that block or increase the cost of housing, and we are assessing the impacts of this election.”

Lakewood's mayor said she is optimistic that changes can be made to address the housing crisis in a way that residents can support them and that get the city back in line with state law. However, it is not clear how or when that may happen.

"We know that we have community members that want smaller spaces that fit budgets that are not for, you know, a $600,000 home," said Strom. "One of the things that makes me the most optimistic though, out of this, is the community outreach from several that have said, 'we want to be part of the solution.'"