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‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘Handouts don’t help’: How a Colorado county reduced homelessness by 86% in 2 years

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Amid a homeless crisis plaguing Colorado’s most populated city, a county just south of Denver claims to have found an effective solution to curbing homelessness in its communities. In a campaign to mitigate homelessness, Douglas County officials emphasized one simple message: “Handouts don’t help.” They urged residents, for example, against giving money to homeless people on roadways or sidewalks. From 2022 to 2024, Douglas County witnessed a steep drop in homeless people living on the streets, from 43 to six, according to a recent point-in-time count report conducted by several local third party nonprofits. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Report: The Denver homeless population grew as city set to spend $155M in Johnston term
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Report: The Denver homeless population grew as city set to spend $155M in Johnston term

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette Denver Mayor Mike Johnston called his response to the city's homelessness crisis successful, even after data from an annual tally released Wednesday showed the homeless population grew. The city is on track to spend nearly $155 million on the mayor's homelessness campaign — $65 million more than anticipated — even as the total number of homeless people in the city actually ballooned from 5,818 last year to 6,539 this year.  And the city saw only 150 fewer "unsheltered" homeless people when compared to last year's count. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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No veterans living on Denver streets? That’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s goal.
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

No veterans living on Denver streets? That’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s goal.

By Austen Erblat | CBS Colorado Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said he wants to make Denver the largest city in the country to have no veterans living on the streets. Johnston says that by tracking people experiencing homelessness in the Mile High City and partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Denver Department of Housing Stability, the city identified and plans to provide housing for the 52 homeless veterans. "We think this puts us in a position to, before the end of this year, house all 52 of those veterans who we know are still experiencing unsheltered homelessness," he said at a news conference on Monday. "We will be the largest American city to make sure that no veteran who has served this country sleeps outside in the streets of Denver." RE...
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Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl: Meeting Homelessness with Hope
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl

Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl: Meeting Homelessness with Hope

By Heidi Ganahl | Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl >> LISTEN TO FULL EPISODE HERE << Today we confront Denver's worsening homelessness crisis head-on. Despite a staggering $274 million investment from 2021 to 2024, the situation has only deteriorated, sparking outrage and demanding accountability. This funding has largely been channeled into emergency shelter beds and temporary transition services, strategies that have proven insufficient in addressing the complexities of homelessness. As a result, Denver has seen the largest increase in homeless populations compared to other metro areas since 2018, indicating that these efforts have fallen short of their goals. This episode will not shy away from the controversy. Joining us is Vanessa from Citizens for a Safe and Clean Denver to...
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Denver Migrants Send List Of Demands To Mayor
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Approved, Downtown Denver, One America News (OAN)

Denver Migrants Send List Of Demands To Mayor

By Sophia Flores | One America News A group of illegal immigrants staying at an encampment in Denver, Colorado, have sent a list of demands to the mayor’s office. According to multiple reports that recently surfaced, the group submitted a list of 13 demands, which include access to free immigration lawyers, shower facilities, employment support, free visits by medical professionals, free transportation, and fresh cooking ingredients that will be “provided by the City.” Denver Illegal migrants sent Mayor Mike Johnston list of 13 demands as they refused to clear encampmentIncluding:Free lawyersFree transportationDoctor House CallsCulturally appropriate foodClaiming not criminals*though they entered the U.S. illegally 🤨*NGO demands?🤔 pic.twitter.com/EikQGjolOy— Lawyerforlaws (@...
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Denver City Council delays spending $8 million on homeless hotel
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver City Council delays spending $8 million on homeless hotel

By Alexander Edwards | Denver Gazette The Denver City Council has requested a delay in voting for funding for a shelter run by the Salvation Army. The Tamarac Family Shelter, located at 7525 E. Hampden Ave. in a repurposed Embassy Suites hotel building, was set to receive an $8 million contract with the city. That is almost three-fourths of the amount invoiced to the city by the Salvation Army last year. The $8 million contract is only good for one year and expires on Dec. 31, 2024. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Denver homeless crisis worsens despite $274M investment; housing-first approach needed, critics say
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Denver homeless crisis worsens despite $274M investment; housing-first approach needed, critics say

By CHRISTOPHER OSHER and JENNY DEAM | Denver Gazette Metro Denver’s homeless crisis has worsened and become among the most acute in the nation despite the city of Denver contracting for at least $274 million from 2021 through 2024 to keep people off the streets. The Denver metro region has added more homeless individuals than any other metro region in the country since 2018, according to key metrics collected by the federal government. Other metro regions, including Seattle and Houston, have had greater success during that period prioritizing permanent housing rather than the quick fix solutions critics say simply perpetuate homelessness. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER GAZETTE
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Aurora Council to discuss ‘tough love’ approach to homelessness at Monday meeting
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

Aurora Council to discuss ‘tough love’ approach to homelessness at Monday meeting

By Kyla Pearce | Denver Gazette At Monday night's Aurora City Council study session, councilmembers will discuss a new "tough love" approach to homelessness — which would harshen the city's camping ban and create a new court system for low-level offenses by homeless people. Mayor Mike Coffman has referred to the proposed approach to homelessness as "tough love" due to its cracking down on camping in the city while addressing the root causes of homelessness in court. Coffman announced plans for the approach on social media and will officially bring it to the council Monday night, with hopes of moving it forward to a regular council meeting for a vote. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Supreme Court could pave the way for homeless camp bans in hearing of anti-camping complaint
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Approved, National, Washington Examiner

Supreme Court could pave the way for homeless camp bans in hearing of anti-camping complaint

ByKaelan Deese | Washington Examiner As the nation’s homelessness crisis deepens, the Supreme Court on Monday will weigh a case that has captured the attention of state officials with some of the largest homeless populations. Originating from the modest city of Grant Pass, Oregon, the case involves fines imposed for violations of its anti-camping ordinance. A pair of homeless people sued the city and convinced lower courts the ordinance was a form of “cruel and unusual” punishment, a decision that state leaders from California to Arizona say has greatly hindered efforts to keep people off of the streets. The high court’s ultimate decision could give cities the power to regulate homelessness, or greatly inhibit those efforts. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON EXAMI...
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Denver City Council approves $3.1M to convert hotel rooms into supportive housing
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Approved, coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver City Council approves $3.1M to convert hotel rooms into supportive housing

By Alex Edwards | Colorado Politics The Denver City Council unanimously approved a funding agreement worth $3.1 million to assist the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless with rehabilitating 107 hotel rooms into studio apartments.  The rooms being rehabilitated sit within the former Clarion Hotel at 200 W. 48th Ave. The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless will add services geared towards assisting homeless people and those at risk of becoming homeless. Once completed, the property will be known as Renewal Village. The Clarion Hotel is the third hotel the city has converted to a shelter as part of an ongoing strategy to address homelessness in Denver. The city's Department of Housing Stability (HOST) has worked to convert other hotels, located at 3737 Quebec St. and 3500 Park A...
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