Denver Considers $2M State Grant to Assist Housing Homeless

Homeless grant would provide assistance for Denver’s rapid rehousing efforts

Noah Festenstein  Updated Apr 1, 2024

The Denver City Council on Monday will consider accepting a $2 million state grant to provide homeless people with essential services that include transitioning from temporary shelters into permanent housing.

Denver’s housing department plans to use the money for rapid rehousing efforts throughout the city over the next two years.

If approved, Denver will receive funds from Colorado’s “Transformational Homelessness Response” grant program until Sept. 30, 2026. The program aims to provide services including mental health treatment as well as temporary and permanent housing opportunities.

In 2023, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, with the Division of Housing, earmarked $86 million for the program to be distributed to cities and counties across the state.

Roughly $39 million is slated for metro Denver cities, counties and nonprofit organizations, according to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.

Services funded through the state program include outreach support, emergency shelters, transitional housing, recovery care, residential programs, training and employment services and permanent housing with wraparound support.

Additionally, the program provides data analysis to better target homeless people who need services.

Overall, the program’s intent is to “fundamentally shift the landscape of homelessness in communities across Colorado by transforming systems, programs, and outcomes,” the Denver City Council’s resolution states.

Rapid rehousing efforts in Denver track homeless people exiting temporary shelters, such as hotels or “micro-communities,” and support them through transitioning into permanent housing.

The grant comes as Denver is experiencing its most amount of homeless people living in city shelter sites.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s “housing first” approach has resulted in a total of 1,419 homeless people moved off the streets and into temporary housing since July, according to Denver’s homeless housing dashboard.

Of the total, 399 homeless people have moved into permanent housing.

In 2023, Johnston’s administration spent $45 million to move 1,135 homeless people into temporary housing. In 2024, the administration plans to spend another $50 million to move another 1,000 homeless people into temporary housing.

In other action Monday, the council will consider:

• A charter change request to not require elected official salary raises to be approved by the council every four years. If approved, voters will decide in November whether to keep elected official salary raises on a fixed system.
• Authorizing $269 million in General Obligation RISE Denver Bonds for repairing and improving civic facilities citywide.
• A $350,000 purchase order with Michael’s of Denver Catering to provide meals in immigrant shelters. The new contract would total $1,350,000.
• A $500,000 purchase order with Colorado Hospitality Services to provide meals in immigrant shelters. The new contact would total $1,425,000.

This article was originally published by the Denver Gazette.