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Loveland City Council Votes To Reset Homelessness Policy
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Loveland City Council Votes To Reset Homelessness Policy

By Dillon Thomas | CBS Colorado The city of Loveland is moving forward with two major changes to the way it is tackling homelessness in Northern Colorado. In a Loveland City Council meeting that lasted until nearly 2 a.m. Wednesday, the council finalized two votes to start making changes. "We have been a failure at (addressing homelessness). We need to do something different," said council member Kalina Middleton of ward three. The overall sentiment of everyone in attendance for the meeting was that Loveland needs to change the way it addresses topics involving the unhoused. No matter which side of the debate people fell on, everyone seemed to agree the current situation was not sustainable. "As Loveland continues to grow, the unhoused population for b...
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Sparks Fly as Colorado Springs Postpones Vote on Vehicle Camping Restrictions
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Local

Sparks Fly as Colorado Springs Postpones Vote on Vehicle Camping Restrictions

By: Debbie Kelly | Colorado Politics After about three hours of presentation, discussion and public comment, Colorado Springs City Council voted 5-4 Monday to postpone a proposal that would add a vehicle camping ban to city ordinances pertaining to illegal urban camping and consolidate them for standardization and consistency. The issue will be taken up in six months, at the May 12 council meeting. Opponents to the vehicle-camping ban in particular made a strong showing and included people who are or have been homeless, representatives from organizations that provide services to the homeless population, as well as high-profile community leaders such as Rabbi Iah Pillsbury, who leads Temple Beit Torah, and Dr. Jaeson Fournier, president and CEO of Peak Vista Community Health Center...
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Denver City Council Blocks Proposal to Cut Police Budget for Homeless Services
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver City Council Blocks Proposal to Cut Police Budget for Homeless Services

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette A push to shift millions of dollars away from the Denver Police Department to pay for homeless families’ shelter failed on Monday night, when councilmembers waded through more than two dozen amendments. The council voted against a pair of amendments, sponsored independently by Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and At-large Councilmember Sarah Parady, both of which proposed a one-time budget reallocation of $9 million from the police department to Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) to pay for the needs of approximately 240 homeless families. The two amendments would have taken funding from DPD’s recruiting program, as well as from its service and supply budget line. When asked how HOST might use the additional cash infus...
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Denver’s Spending Grew 60% in a Decade, But Revenues and Population Lagged Far Behind
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Denver’s Spending Grew 60% in a Decade, But Revenues and Population Lagged Far Behind

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Denver’s budget has grown sharply over the past ten years, far faster than its population and its ability to bring in tax dollars. A new analysis from the Common Sense Institute shows inflation-adjusted spending per resident rose about 60 percent since 2015. During that period, revenues grew more slowly, at about 40 percent, while the city’s population increased by less than 7 percent. The mismatch is why Denver now faces a projected $250 million gap over the next two years, even as officials push a $950 million bond proposal for housing, roads, and other projects. Spending Priorities Have Shifted Where the money goes has changed dramatically. Construction and infrastructure costs have ballooned, climbing more than elev...
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Mayor’s $3.6 Billion Plan Pledges Fiscal Stability for Denver
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Local, Approved, kdvr.com

Mayor’s $3.6 Billion Plan Pledges Fiscal Stability for Denver

By Gabrielle Franklin | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is releasing his 2026 budget proposal. The mayor said the $1.66 billion plan should get the city back on good financial footing. The mayor said the way he has the numbers mapped out should mean no more cuts to personnel. He did have to make some cuts to programs and technology used by city workers. “Remember, we announced first the personnel savings. Today, we will announce $77 million in savings and services, supplies, contracts. I’ll walk you through and a couple of million dollars in revenue additions,” Johnston said during his press conference unveiling the plan Monday. Johnston said the 2026 budget proposal is the biggest economic adjustment in the city since 2011, outside of the COVID era when ...
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Matt Turner launches 2026 campaign for Weld County sheriff
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Greeley Tribune, Approved, Local

Matt Turner launches 2026 campaign for Weld County sheriff

By Trevor Reid | Greeley Tribune Turner, a captain at the agency, has been with the sheriff’s office since 2012 Since 1987, there have only been three Weld County sheriffs: Ed Jordan, John Cooke and Steve Reams. In November 2026, Matt Turner hopes to add his name to that list. “We have a rich history in Weld County of building our sheriffs in the office,” Turner said. “Not seeing that person freaks me out. So I don’t want to say I feel like I have to do this, but I don’t see anybody else. And I want to make sure the sheriff’s office is taken care of.” Turner lists five primary things he plans to focus on if he is elected as the 40th sheriff of Weld County. First, he wants to attack what he believes is at the root of just about every crime: drugs. “All crime has a ...
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Progressive Policies Pull Colorado, Oregon, and Washington Down California’s Path
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National, Approved, City Journal

Progressive Policies Pull Colorado, Oregon, and Washington Down California’s Path

By Joel Kotkin | City Journal Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have adopted many of the policies contributing to the Golden State’s decline. Not long ago, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon were widely hailed as states with bright futures. For decades, they attracted scores of out-of-state migrants, turning Denver, Seattle, and Portland into celebrated urban hubs. But that changed as these states began adopting the very policies—above all on energy, housing, and regulation—that many newcomers had fled from in California. Once politically purple, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have turned solid blue, embracing the same agenda that even the New York Times concedes has turned “the California dream” into “a mirage.” True, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon have yet to reach Californi...
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Colorado Springs Community Partners Transform School Into Shelter for Homeless Families
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Local, Approved, The Gazette

Colorado Springs Community Partners Transform School Into Shelter for Homeless Families

By Debbie Kelley | The Gazette Children’s laughter again will fill the hallways of an old elementary school in the Hillside neighborhood that closed nine years ago, but the kids won’t be in classes, they’ll be right at home with their parents. Helen Hunt Elementary School at 601 S. Institute St. is now Hunt Family Housing, a 24-unit transitional apartment complex for parents and children exiting homelessness. “We think this will have a significant impact on reducing family homelessness in our community,” Andy Barton, CEO of Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, said at a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event Wednesday. The annual count of the homeless population in El Paso County that was released last month showed 62 children through age 17 living in emergency shelters on o...
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Colorado governor pressures local leaders to ease rules and build more homes
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The Center Square, Approved, State

Colorado governor pressures local leaders to ease rules and build more homes

By Elyse Apel | The Center Square (The Center Square) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis updated an executive action to push more affordable housing for Colorado. This comes just months after he first issued the initial executive order. “We are building more housing now and breaking down government barriers to new homes. It is more important than ever to lower the cost of living,” Polis, a Democrat, said. “This action will lead to more housing that people can afford.” The amended executive order directed state agencies to prioritize grant funding to local communities that are “leading on the effort to create more housing that Coloradans can afford.”(The Center Square) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis updated an executive action to push more affordable housing for Colora...
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Denver wasted millions on homeless shelter that never housed anyone
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Local, Approved, denvergazette.com

Denver wasted millions on homeless shelter that never housed anyone

By Noah Festenstein | The Denver Gazette After not housing a single homeless person, Denver’s $9 million purchase of a former hotel planned as a new homeless shelter is set to be sold off again — well over two years after its initial purchase, according to Denver’s Department of Housing Stability. The city’s new price tag? Just $10. That is, of course, if an interested developer is willing to continue transforming 12033 E. 38th Avenue, a former Stay Inn hotel, into a shelter providing “supportive” homeless services, according to stipulations set by HOST. “To make this financially viable, the property will be sold for $10 — a strategic move that reflects our commitment to long-term affordability rather than short-term financial returns,” spokesperson Julia Marvin told The D...
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