Author: Noah Festenstein
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Denver considers prohibiting homeless camp sweeps under 32 degrees
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The Denver City Council on Monday held a first reading of a proposed ordinance that would prohibit homeless encampment sweeps when temperatures go below 32 degrees. Councilmembers voted to delay consideration of an adjusted city temperature threshold until it can hold a final vote next Tuesday. The ordinance is intended to avoid forcing homeless people…
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Denver City Council to consider $3.4M contract extension with homeless coalition
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The Denver City Council on Monday is poised to approve a $3.4 million contract extension with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to provide housing assistance and guidance to homeless people. If approved, Denver will extend its contract with the coalition by one year, adding $3,377,000 for a new total of $6,754,000 to be expended…
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Denver risks higher construction costs due to ‘misunderstanding,’ auditors say
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Auditors revealed in a follow-up audit that Denver risks paying more than it needs to on construction projects due to a misunderstanding of contracting costs. A September 2021 audit by the Denver Auditor’s Office looked at the city’s method for managing its large general contractor projects. “We found risks involving inadequate management of the Northfield…
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Homeless and jobless, immigrants ask Denver City Council to help them get work permits
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Dozens of immigrants who crossed America’s southern border illegally and now live on Denver’s streets showed up at a City Council meeting Tuesday, pleading with the local officials to help them obtain work permits. They were among the nearly 36,000 immigrants – the majority from South and Central America – who arrived in Denver within…
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Denver City Council postpones $88M purchase of Denver Post building
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The Denver City Council on Tuesday delayed considering the purchase of the former Denver Post headquarters for $88.5 million, citing cost concerns and the need for more information. The item will be back in front of the council on Jan. 16. Some councilmembers said at a meeting Tuesday that they had not received a purchase…
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Denver’s minimum wage increases to $18.29
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Once the clock struck midnight in Denver on Sunday, the city’s minimum wage increased from $17.29 per hour to $18.29. City auditors reminded business owners to keep track of the change. Denver has increased its minimum wage by $5.44 since 2020, when it stood at $12.85 per hour. The city’s minimum wage was $14.77 in…
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Denver’s homelessness emergency order expires 167 days and $45 million in spending later
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s emergency order, which he declared on his first full day as mayor to tackle the city’s homeless crisis, has expired after 167 days and $45 million in spending. The Johnston administration used the $45 million to get 1,000 homeless people out of the city’s streets by Dec. 31. That spending translates…
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s successful campaign to get 1,000 homeless out of city streets cost $45 million
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on New Year’s Eve claimed his administration reached the goal of getting 1,000 homeless people out of the city’s streets. Johnston, who made curbing homelessness his priority upon taking office in July, vowed to house 1,000 people by Dec. 31. In pursuit of that goal, his administration and Denver officials spent tens of…
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Q&A with Mike Johnston | Denver mayor argues for ‘fierce urgency of now’ to get homeless off streets
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As of press time, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who promised to get 1,000 homeless people off of the city’s streets, is very close to achieving that goal. In the last five months, Johnston’s administration, along with housing authorities in Denver, allocated millions of dollars to acquire hotels and build “micro-communities” for homeless people. The…
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Homelessness, public safety, consent decree: What’s next for Denver, Aurora in 2024?
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It was a busy year in 2023 for Colorado’s most populous metro areas, with lots of turmoil, triumph and planning for the future in Denver and Aurora. From homelessness response efforts, public safety challenges, rental assistance to curb the affordable housing crisis, court trials and elections – 2023 had it all. But what is there to…
