Denver City Council to decide whether to extend local disaster emergency declaration on homelessness for a fourth time

City Council to decide extending homelessness disaster emergency

UPDATE: The declaration was extended in Monday's meeting.

The Denver City Council is set to decide on Monday whether to extend the city's emergency declaration on homelessness. If they do, it will be the fourth time the declaration has been extended.

Extending the emergency declaration would speed up the process for permitting and construction as well as give the city access to funding to help Mayor Mike Johnston's plan to house 1,000 people by the end of the year. The last time the declaration was extended was in mid-October. If it is extended again the declaration will last until Dec. 31.

It's been Johnston's plan to use more than $48 million in funding from this year's budget to support the purchase of hotels, building micro-communities and providing other rapid rehousing support to get people off the streets.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston talks about his first 100 days in office on Nov. 3. CBS

Johnston said one of the proudest accomplishments in his first 100 days in office is the rollout of his homelessness plan.

"We still think we have a really good path to get to that 1,000," said Johnston on Nov. 4.

Jesse Sarles

Jesse Sarles manages the web content and publishing operations for CBS Colorado. He writes articles about Colorado news and sports in and around the Denver area.