Strong Support Shown For Denver Bill That Would Provide More Funding To Prevent Homelessness

DENVER (CBS4) - A bill that would ensure $2 million to keep people in their homes and off the streets by providing rental assistance, housing vouchers and utility assistance made it past the first reading at a Denver City Council meeting Monday. Under the same bill, an additional $650,000 would be put toward homeless outreach and proposed safe encampment sites. 
 
"Winter is coming and this is more urgent than ever," said Councilwoman Kendra Black. "We know that the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a lot of people losing their housing and that is not something we want to see." 
 
A bill would make a rescission from General Fund Contingency, making an appropriation in the General Fund, and make a cash transfer $2,650,000 of to the Coronavirus Emergency Response Special Revenue Fund to support Denver housing needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.


"We know a lot of people are living in tents, especially downtown, and we need more outreach workers to connect them with shelters and resources," Black said. 
 
A chunk of the bill's $650,000 allocated for homeless services would secure safe outdoor spaces for Denver's homeless population. 
 
Doctor Kathleen Van Voorhis with the Interfaith Alliance is working with the Colorado Village Collaborative to secure a site. 
 
"We were privately funded for site one, and the agreement is that we would work with the city to produce site 2 with their funding, and mutually produce site 3," Voorhis said. 
 
Voorhis is glad to know there's strong city council support behind the bill. 
 
"Everyone in Colorado can see that we have such an expansion of unhoused neighbors," Voorhis said. 
"We're really happy to see it pass through." 
 
A final reading of the bill will take place next Monday night.