DENVER — On his first full day in office, Denver mayor Mike Johnston declared a state of emergency over homelessness in the city.
Johnston made the announcement at a Tuesday morning news conference, less than 24 hours after he was sworn in as Denver’s 46th mayor. He set a goal to house 1,000 unhoused people by end of this year.
"The issue of people living unhoused on the streets is the most significant issue the city faces right now," Johnston said. "It is a human rights challenge, because we know we have people who are right now living and dying on the streets of Denver. [...] We know it is a public health challenge. We know it is an economic development challenge."
A state of local emergency gives city and county officials more resources to combat the issue. It also allows the city, as well as its residents and businesses, to apply for state and federal government funding.
"The power of the emergency declaration allows us to move much more quickly and swiftly through what could otherwise be a slower regulatory process," Johnston said.
The city will activate its emergency operations center and Johnston will appoint a 10-member group to implement the "homelessness resolution plan."
Former Denver mayor Michael Hancock enacted a state of emergency over the surge of migrants into the city back in December.
Johnston's plan also includes a "78-neighborhood tour" through local communities to identify their role in housing the unhoused. The mayor called his plan an "all-of-the-above approach."
Rehousing efforts will include hotel conversions, tiny home "micro-communities," access to vacant rental units and more. Johnston's plan includes identifying and developing both city-owned and private land for the development of housing projects and other centers aimed at combating homelessness.
Johnston says he has identified 197 publicly-owned that could be used for his “micro communities.”
— Brandon Richard (@BrandonLRichard) July 18, 2023
Those communities would include tiny homes.
He says there are also private sites that could be used beyond that. #dengov #denpolitics
Johnston's plan also includes providing care to homeless encampments around the city, as well as the neighboring communities and businesses.
Addressing the housing and homelessness crises were central to Johnston’s campaign platform ahead of April’s municipal election, and ultimately the June runoff election, in which he defeated Kelly Brough for the top seat in Denver government.
In his first media interview as mayor Monday, Johnston told Denver7 Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski that his administration would be "ambitious" in addressing homelessness.
"We're going to work hard in the first year to show a real change," he said. "And I think if we're successful we may see it even earlier than that. [...] I think we have some real ambitious plans to get to work on this very quickly so we can bring change quite quickly because that's what people are ready for."
During his campaign and in his June 6 victory speech, Johnston said tiny homes are part of the solution.
“I focused on micro-communities with tiny homes because those can be built in seven days and give people access to shelter,” Johnston said after the June 6 runoff. “We get wrap-around services at those sites, and then we help move people from the encampments where they are as a community to those new sites. We can help people really succeed in those settings.”
In Denver, homelessness is an issue that has grown despite a dramatic increase in funding.
A Denver7 investigation found that, in 2022, Denver budgeted $152,306,150 for housing and homelessness. That number grew to $180,948,669 for 2023, a 19% increase.
In 2019, that budget was only $73,159,330, less than half what was budgeted last year.
A point-in-time survey in January 2022, meanwhile, counted 4,794 people living on Denver’s streets – a 44% increase over the results of the same survey, which captures a one-night snapshot of homeless in cities, five years earlier.
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Denver's homeless population continues to grow despite more spending
Benjamin Dunning, historian for the nonprofit agency Denver Homeless Out Loud, told Denver7 in February that the money is making a difference, but there is still a long way to go.
“We’re putting hundreds of millions of dollars into a billion-dollar problem that is growing,” he said. “Denver is spending what they can, but it isn’t enough.”
Dunning said affordable housing is the root of the issue. Johnston, for his part, has suggested his administration would add as many as 25,000 affordable housing units around key transportation corridors in the city.
Denver had had success with less-ambitious housing goals. In September of 2021, then-mayor Michael Hancock set a "housing surge" goal to house 200 people in 100 days. The city announced it had successfully housed 143 people. Early last year, Hancock's administration set a goal to place 400 households in homes over a 100-day period. Three-hundred-fifty-nine households, totaling 597 individuals, were placed in that "surge."
Johnston's administration has 167 days left in 2023 to meet its goal of housing 1,000 people.
His administration will have options in addressing the homelessness issue. Earlier this month, the Denver city council approved an ordinance making safe outdoor spaces and safe parking areas permanent.
