Some of that is attributed to skyrocketing costs and too little inventory, difficulties with land use and development and residents’ opposition to projects or shelters close to their homes. The majority agreed that gaps remain in affordable housing options, permanent supportive housing and transitional housing. Nonprofit and political leaders interviewed for this story identified programs that have worked in their cities or how data has shown to be effective. The Denver Post spoke to political leaders and homeless service providers and reviewed programs in Portland, Oregon Austin, Texas Seattle Houston and New York City to find out what has worked and what hasn’t in places facing similar problems as Denver. So what can Denver’s next mayor do about it? His administration cites public safety as the reason for the sweeps, but homeless advocates point to evidence that sweeps just move people around and don’t help reduce homelessness or get people closer to services or housing. Hancock, however, has faced pushback for how long it’s taken to implement some of these programs and for enforcement of the city’s camping ban - conducting “sweeps” to break up outdoor homeless encampments. ![]() Denver mayor Michael Hancock arrives at Denver’s Homeless Commission meeting in the Parr Widener room of Denver City and County building in Denver on Thursday, April 19, 2012. And the city saw success with its Social Impact Bond Initiative, working with private investors to provide housing and services. 25% homelessness sales tax increase in 2020. It now owns or leases three shelters, has purchased motels and hotels for transitional housing, operates sanctioned outdoor camping spots and works with nonprofits to provide services. Denver created the Department of Housing Stability, the Affordable Housing Fund and programs for permanent supportive housing and outreach. It’s going to take us a while to get out of.”ĭuring Hancock’s tenure, the city has significantly increased its spending on homelessness and affordable housing, with $253 million of the 2023 general fund budget allocated for housing and homelessness. “It’s something that took us decades to get here. “There’s no silver bullet for homelessness,” said Jamie Rife, executive director of the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. RELATED: Here’s what every Denver mayor candidate says about homelessness It’s an issue voters have repeatedly pointed to in surveys as one of Denver’s most pressing as 17 candidates vie to replace Hancock. The Denver metro ranks among the top 10 cities and counties in the country with the most homeless people. The number of people experiencing homelessness in the city has grown to at least 4,794, more than 44% compared to five years earlier, according to the metro Denver Point-In-Time count in 2022. “And we have been working diligently to try to find the secret sauce for each individual so we can not only house them but stabilize them.” “We have not been sitting around for 10, 11 years twiddling our thumbs and playing politics with the lives of human beings on our streets. Hancock, who has dealt with persistent criticism over his handling of homelessness, said he wishes he had understood the issue’s complexity when he was first elected as mayor in 2011. ![]() ![]() Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menuįor years, candidates for mayor in Denver and in other large cities have vowed to end scenes of tents and tarps lining sidewalks and parks, but Mayor Michael Hancock warns that voters should be wary of anyone who claims they can fix the problem in a set amount of time.
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