Subscribe to Axios Denver

Metro Denver, which encompasses 1.4 million households, had fewer than 1,500 homes for sale at the end of 2021, compared to 2,541 last year, according to the latest data from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

What they're saying: "Demand is not slowing, it is only limited by what is for sale," Nicole Reuth, a producing branch manager for Fairway Independent Mortgage in Englewood, said following the DMAR report presentation.

Thousands of Denverites will come together Monday to honor the legacy of civil rights giant Martin Luther King, Jr. at the city's annual Marade, a combined march and parade.

Context: The event — one of the largest MLK celebrations in the country — is back in person this year for its 37th anniversary after going virtual in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Colorado's governor wants to temporarily suspend millions of dollars in new road fees he signed into law just months earlier.

• The request made this month would delay a 2-cent fee on each gallon of gas, and extend the timeout on vehicle registration surcharges.

A judge's ruling has removed a major roadblock to the sale of the Denver Broncos, which now appears imminent.

Driving the news: In 1984, Pat Bowlen bought the Broncos from Edgar Kaiser Jr., who secured a right of first refusal on a potential future sale. On Tuesday, a Denver judge ruled that agreement was no longer valid.

If you're looking for a home that's more affordable to buy than rent, consider broadening your search outside of the metro Denver area.

Why it matters: Even with home prices continuing to climb, the affordability gap is narrowing, which may signal the imminent end to what's been a steady run-up in home prices.

The strike that sent more than 8,000 King Soopers employees to the picket lines Wednesday could persist for nearly a month and expand to additional stores, according to the grocery workers union.

State of play: Nearly 80 Denver-area stores sat largely empty Wednesday as workers and supporters carried signs outside reading: "Please do not patronize."

In a significant shift from previous waves of the pandemic, Colorado is seeing fewer hospitalizations due exclusively to COVID-19.

Driving the news: But public health officials warned Wednesday that the virus is complicating those patients' other ailments and further straining understaffed hospitals, which are seeing more COVID-positive people than at any other point during the pandemic.

Colorado's General Assembly reconvenes Wednesday with Democrats and Republicans outlining the same priorities: affordability, public safety and education.

"I've never seen a state as laser focused on these three issues … as they are right now," said House Speaker Alec Garnett (D-Denver).