Colorado takes a new – and likely more effective – approach to the housing crisis

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Brian J. Connolly, University of Michigan

(THE CONVERSATION) In recent years, Colorado has been a poster child for the U.S. housing crisis. Previously a relatively affordable state, it has seen home prices increase nearly sixfold over the past three decades, outstripping even Florida and California.

Once a problem confined to coastal cities, unaffordable housing has increasingly become an issue in the nation’s heartland.

Like elsewhere, there’s no single reason why real estate has become so expensive in Colorado. Instead, there are several: Demand is rising among millennials, seniors are remaining in their houses longer, investors are buying second homes and short-term rentals, and housing construction has failed to keep up. Then there are supply-chain disruptions and labor shortages.

The result? Colorado has been...