A Community’s Struggle for Affordable Homes: The Lakewood Zoning Story
Imagine a bustling town like Lakewood, where families have always dreamed of putting down roots and owning a piece of the American dream. For generations, that dream was largely tied to the classic single-family home. But times are changing, and so are our families. They’re often smaller, and the traditional path to homeownership – especially for first-time buyers – is looking more like an impassable mountain. We’re seeing a national trend where fewer and fewer people are able to buy their first home, and those who do are often older, having saved longer and harder. This isn’t just about personal finances; it’s a fundamental shift in how our communities are structured. In Lakewood, we’ve faced this head-on: our town is brimming with expensive single-family houses, yet what we desperately need are more affordable entry-level options. Think duplexes, townhomes – places where a young family, a single professional, or even an empty-nester can find a comfortable, accessible start. This isn’t about tearing down our community; it’s about gently reshaping it to better fit the evolving needs of its people, ensuring that the dream of homeownership remains within reach for more than just a privileged few. It’s about adapting so that everyone, from young professionals to growing families, can truly feel at home in Lakewood.
Last year, after much deliberation, Lakewood took a significant step towards addressing this housing crunch by updating its zoning code. The core idea behind these changes was surprisingly simple: to allow smaller residential buildings to be divided into a few units, creating more housing options. But this wasn’t a free-for-all developer’s paradise. The new code was carefully crafted with stringent protections. For instance, it incorporated a new 50% green space requirement, ensuring that our parks and open areas remain vibrant and accessible. Crucially, it also maintained tight restrictions on building size, height, setbacks, and other design elements. These are the details that ultimately preserve the unique character and feel of our neighborhoods. The intent was clear: increase affordability and housing supply without sacrificing the qualities that make Lakewood special. We’ve seen similar reforms work wonders in other cities, like Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon, demonstrating that such changes can genuinely help make housing more accessible. We’ve also learned from the mistakes of places like California, where heavy-handed housing mandates sometimes stifle overall supply instead of creating genuinely affordable choices. Lakewood’s approach is a balanced one, aiming to thoughtfully increase housing opportunities while meticulously protecting our community’s cherished green spaces and architectural integrity.
However, as with any significant change, this new zoning code has been met with considerable resistance, and unfortunately, a wave of misinformation. You can see it on yard signs splashed across town, ominously labeling the new code as “radical” and accusing it of being driven by “corporate greed.” Even more alarmingly, some claim that these changes will lead to the “bulldozing of neighborhoods” – a stark and completely unfounded assertion. And then there’s the online chatter, particularly on platforms like Nextdoor, where ordinary Lakewood residents who are simply trying to defend the zoning changes are unfairly painted as “corrupt outsiders” or “shadowy developers.” It’s a disheartening display of baseless accusations that do little to foster constructive dialogue. In reality, the truth is far less dramatic and far more community-driven. For over two years, countless dedicated residents rolled up their sleeves and participated in a rigorous public process. They poured their time and energy into crafting these zoning updates, meticulously balancing the urgent need for improved affordability with extensive protections for our parks, open spaces, and the architectural consistency that defines our beloved neighborhoods. Now, many of those very same community members are actively campaigning to defend these carefully considered changes against a tide of misleading claims.
This barrage of widespread, baseless falsehoods, however, isn’t just a local phenomenon confined to Lakewood; it echoes a broader, more insidious style of political rhetoric – one often associated with the “MAGA” movement. Perhaps the most egregious example can be found on the front page of the “Lakewood for All” campaign page, which propagates an utterly fictional narrative: “Lakewood is facing a radical rezoning plan that is handing over land and homes to private corporations who will force us all into a permanent rentership.” This statement is a fantasy, cut from whole cloth, with absolutely no basis in the actual content or intent of the zoning updates. It’s a deliberate attempt to sow fear and division, completely disconnected from the reality of what the code aims to achieve. Even when those advocating for a rollback try to distance themselves from the MAGA association, it’s not just a “style of lies” being called out; there’s a tangible, documented “MAGA housing agenda” at play. This isn’t a mere coincidence; it’s a recognizable pattern of misinformation designed to oppose efforts for more democratic and accessible housing. The tactics, from exaggerated claims to outright fabrications, are consistent with a larger national strategy, making it clear that Lakewood is not just battling local concerns but also confronting a broader ideological push against housing affordability.
To understand the deeper currents at play, we need to look beyond our community’s borders. The “Project 2025” document from the Heritage Foundation, a key resource for conservative policy, explicitly states on page 511 that “a conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning.” This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a clear directive. And the sentiment is echoed at the highest levels. In a January cabinet meeting, former President Donald Trump declared, “People that own their homes, we’re gonna keep them wealthy. We’re gonna keep those prices up. We’re not gonna destroy the value of their homes so that somebody who didn’t work very hard can buy a home.” This statement, devoid of empathy for those striving for homeownership, starkly reveals a central tenet of the MAGA movement: prioritizing the wealth of existing homeowners over the accessibility and affordability of housing for everyone else. In essence, the leader of the MAGA movement, and by extension, this agenda, actively seeks to maintain and even increase the unaffordability of homes. This direct correlation reveals that the lies and misinformation swirling around Lakewood’s zoning changes are not just random acts of protest; they are, whether intentionally or not, serving a larger, more national MAGA agenda. This agenda, sadly, dismisses affordability as a legitimate concern, viewing it as a threat to the perceived “wealth” of fortunate homeowners.
The lies and misinformation currently circulating in our community are doing more than just muddying the waters; they’re generating significant anxiety and fear, especially when viewed against the backdrop of a growing class disparity across our nation. While it’s hard to say if these falsehoods are intentionally aligned with such strategies, their effect is undeniable: they serve a MAGA agenda right here in Lakewood, much as they do in other places where housing affordability is conveniently ignored or dismissed. This agenda prioritizes the enrichment of current homeowners, aiming to keep them “wealthy” by maintaining high property values, often at the expense of making housing accessible and affordable for others. This stands in stark contrast to the fundamental purpose of a healthy housing policy, which should aim to ensure that everyone who lives and works in our city has the opportunity to achieve the financial stability and sense of belonging that homeownership can provide. I firmly believe that the sole purpose of our housing policy isn’t just to make existing homeowners richer. Every family, regardless of their current status, deserves the chance to own a home in our city. It’s entirely possible for homeownership to remain a solid pillar of lasting wealth without simultaneously disenfranchising our young people, our working class, or those struggling with poverty. Lakewood, in its heart, is tired of the deception. It’s a straightforward truth. In the upcoming special election on April 7th, voters face a clear choice. They can either endorse the regulatory environment that has undeniably fueled housing unaffordability, or they can decisively reject the misinformation, put a stop to the zoning rollback, and champion a housing affordability policy that could genuinely set a new standard across the entire Denver metro region and beyond. It’s a decision that will define the future of our community and its commitment to a more inclusive and prosperous future for all its residents.