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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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My sexual assault never appeared in D.C. crime stats as convicted attacker was released repeatedly
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Washington Examiner, Approved, Commentary, National

My sexual assault never appeared in D.C. crime stats as convicted attacker was released repeatedly

By Anna Giaritelli | Commentary, Washington Examiner Five years ago, I was violently attacked and sexually assaulted in broad daylight in Washington, D.C., by a homeless man. He served time in federal prison for what he did to me. But if you look for evidence that the attack happened in the city’s crime statistics, you won’t find it. The truth of what happened to me and the D.C. government’s role in it is as much a public scandal as it is a personal trauma. D.C. police covered up the unspeakable wrong that the stranger did to me. Even though a judge sentenced my attacker to hard time in prison, D.C. police leadership would rather deceive the public and appear less dangerous than list mine and countless other sexual assaults on their website. The extent of ...
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As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Local, Top Stories

As businesses flee downtown Denver, Johnston points to falling homicide rate

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Mayor Mike Johnston has been pointing to a 44% drop in homicides in the first half of 2025, calling it proof his crime plan is making a difference. The figure is a sharp improvement from last year, but it’s recent and doesn’t show where things stood before the pandemic. In the city’s core, the gains are harder to find. A report from the Common Sense Institute shows murders in District 6, the downtown police district, have risen 133% since 2020. Aggravated assaults, drug crimes, public disorder, and larceny are also up. While some neighborhoods have seen improvement, downtown has not kept up the same pace. Citywide Gains, Downtown Losses Data from DenverCrimes.com shows citywide violent crime down more than 30% from last...
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Priced out, packed in: Colorado renters squeezed by costs, policy gridlock and population growth
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Priced out, packed in: Colorado renters squeezed by costs, policy gridlock and population growth

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s affordable housing crunch – especially in the rental sector – has been building for years. Reports from the Common Sense Institute and Bell Policy Center trace the tipping point to around 2015, when demand consistently began outpacing supply. The last decade has seen rising home prices, stagnant wages and insufficient new construction which has made the situation worse due to recent immigration pressures and allegations of resource allocation issues. Origins and escalation of the crisis Bell Policy Center noted a statewide rental rate increase from 30.9% in 2009 to 34.8% by 2022, with urban counties like Denver reaching 50.1%.  In just a year, Colorado slipped further down the affordability scale, now rank...
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‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover
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Approved, denvergazette.com, Local

‘It’s not safe’: Lakewood residents push back on Denver’s growing homeless spillover

By Sage Kelley | Denver Gazette Rising homelessness in Lakewood sparks concern over lack of resources and public safety risks. Timothy Harris stood a block away from West Colfax Avenue in Lakewood, his items methodically packed in a cart, a tent propped up beside him.  Harris, who is homeless but originally from Mesa County, has lived in Lakewood after being in Denver for years. To him, Lakewood offers more safety and accessible open space. "Downtown Denver is kind of scary. It's a little intimidating," Harris said. "There are shootings and crime. But, back home, people freeze or get attacked by animals. There's a difference in death, but it weighs out the same." Chanel Lewis, a homeless woman who has been in the Denver metro area since 2002 and now lives in Lakewood, a...
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Denver crisis grows while solutions stall: Family homelessness up 150% since 2022
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Approved, DENVER7, Local

Denver crisis grows while solutions stall: Family homelessness up 150% since 2022

By Veronica Acosta | Denver7 DENVER — For nearly two years, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's administration has been working to find solutions to the city's homelessness crisis. According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, the number of families living on the street dropped last year. However, data from the Department of Housing Stability (HOST) shows the overall number of families experiencing homelessness has increased by 150% since 2022. During a presentation to the city's Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness Committee, Jeff Kositsky, the deputy director for HOST, said the family shelter waitlist increased 78% in the past year. He attributed the increase in families experiencing homelessness to a rise in eviction filings, a growing number of unhoused newcomers,...
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Denver vs. Aurora: Homelessness reports reveal two competing visions
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Approved, Local, State, Westword

Denver vs. Aurora: Homelessness reports reveal two competing visions

By Bennito Kelty | Westword The first state-funded homelessness report to look at the crisis across Colorado came out on Monday, April 28, with an estimate that nearly 53,000 people are experiencing homelessness statewide. The recommended solution sets it apart from another report published just a couple of weeks ago. "Homelessness ends with a home," The Colorado State of Homelessness Report 2024 urges in its call to action. "Every part of the homelessness response system — from street outreach to emergency shelter — must stay focused on connecting people to permanent housing as quickly as possible." Funded by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the new report suggests that government agencies and nonprofits continue focusing on putting people in housing, s...
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