Mayor Michael Hancock delivered his annual State of the City address Monday above the new RTD Light Rail stop at Denver International Airport to a crowd of local and state politicians and community leaders from across the metro area.

While Hancock said the state of Denver was strong, his assessment was called into question just a few hours later on the footsteps of the Wellington Webb Municipal Building by a group of homeless advocates, who criticized the city’s sweeps of homeless residents and use of certain funds to pay for such sweeps.

Hancock addressed the issue of homelessness and affordable housing during his speech in front of hundreds of people, talking about the city’s plan to invest $150 million over several years to create 6,000 affordable housing units within 10 years and a new city department called Housing and Opportunities for People Everywhere, or HOPE, to help provide service for those in need.

“There are few issues as complex as homelessness. Each individual that experiences homelessness has a unique story and situation. And a city’s approach to help them must be as diverse,” Hancock said during his speech. “Together (nonprofits and the city) we’re delivering more solutions than ever before. Two hundred and fifty chronically homeless people will soon be living in new housing that offers addiction recovery and mental health support through an innovative financing strategy. Last fall we partnered with the Denver Rescue Mission to open a new facility in Ballpark, the Lawrence Street Community Center, that is servicing more than 1,000 people a day with hot meals and a safe place to shower, do laundry and connect with other help.”

Another major initiative that Hancock announced Monday would be Denver City Government’s removal of the box on future job applications that asks if a job applicant has been convicted of a felony. The removal of that box on applications, which will start in August, is seen as a major step by many toward improving the transition for those who have served time in jail back into society.

A bill by Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, to ban the box on applications, passed out of the House this year, but was killed in the Senate.

“We can create big opportunities for those seeking a positive future. I encourage our local businesses to follow that lead and eliminate this barrier. Moreover, the time is right for change in America’s criminal justice system. Colorado has recognized the necessity for change and has taken some steps to address it. But we must extend our reform efforts to reform the criminal justice policies that have had a disastrous effect on our communities of color and we need to do it across the country,” Hancock said. “The reform of our police and sheriff’s department is real because it is happening in partnership with our community and the rank and file officers who serve them.”

While the crowd at DIA applauded Hancock’s speech, members of Denver Homeless Out Loud, 9 to 5, Black Lives Matter, the American Indian Movement and other groups called for the city to do more than create new offices such as ending the sweep of homeless people from Denver’s streets. A main focus of criticism was the city’s use of money from a donation fund for Denver’s Road Home to pay for sweeps that broke down homeless camps, something that the city said it would stop once it was reported in the press.

“Come talk to me, come talk to other homeless people, come talk to Black Lives Matter. Talking with those people and saying what do you want, that’s the only way it will get done,” said Ray Lyall, a homeless resident and a member of Denver Homeless Out Loud that lead the protest Monday. “There’s a lot of things they can do. They have a new city council group called housing and homelessness. They need to listen to us. They need to come to us, to homeless people and say ‘what do you need.’ … If you’re not talking to me, talking to people with disabilities trying to live in the city, it won’t work.”

Andrea Chiriboga-Flor, an organizer with 9 to 5, who spoke at the rally at city hall Monday afternoon, said a major issue with the city’s plan to combat homelessness is the lack of inclusion for people who are actually homeless and those who provide services. She said having the State of the City address at DIA, which would cost $18 to take the train to attend or require a car and paid parking, is just an example of the exclusion of certain voices in the city.

“We’ve been trying as much as possible to assert ourselves as much as possible to make it clear that we are listening, we know what your plans are and we’re being critical of what you think are the solutions,” Chiriboga-Flor said.