DENVER — DENVER — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston kicked off the first of 78 town halls to address homelessness in the Curtis Park neighborhood Tuesday with a packed room of residents who urgently want change.
Johnston has an ambitious goal to house 1,000 people by the end of the year. He said 17 people have died on Denver’s streets in the last six weeks alone.
Although many support the mayor’s plan for housing, they say there is an urgent need for services at encampments now.
“Personally I am becoming increasingly concerned that the community's concerns aren’t being addressed," said Curtis Park resident Cory Jaffe. "I think if you walk around Curtis Park, Five Points, there is nonstop camping, nonstop drug use."
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In a press conference hours before the town hall, Johnston outlined four potential housing options, which include:
- Existing rental units
- Converted hotels
- Micro-communities, such as Safe Outdoor Spaces and tiny homes
- Large commercial buildings
When presented with the possible scenario where unhoused people in Denver reject a shelter option, Johnston said his community conversations with the effected community show close to 90% of people want to take housing units offered. The city does not have the capacity to serve that many people right now, but is aiming for 40 to 50% in the near future.
During the town hall, some residents said the only way for Johnston's plan to be successful is to provide wraparound services.
“Unfortunately, those who face housing insecurity are oftentimes facing substance abuse, educational deficiencies," said Che Derrera. "To truly garner success, we need to make a strong package for each individual."
The mayor said laws around crime will be enforced, and he plans to increase trash pickup to improve cleanliness around encampments until the city reach its housing goal by the end of the year. But neighbors feel their voices are being drowned out by those who advocate for the unhoused.
“As citizens we voted to increase affordable housing and we voted to enact camping ban. We voted to increase our own taxes to support the homeless population, yet it doesn’t seem like the government is addressing our concerns,” Jaffe said.
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Johnston also revealed new details on his plan to address crimes related to mental health and drug use.
“We take two units of the county jail and convert one into an inpatient mental health facility and one into inpatient addiction based treatment program. We work with judges and district attorneys to set up mental health and drug courts,” he said.
The mayor proposed inpatient and outpatient treatment options of 30 to 60 days.
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Newly-elected District 9 Councilman Darrell Watson and Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas were also in attendance Tuesday evening.
