Homelessness is front and center at Council: a postponed tiny-home license, a family shelter and new contracts
A one-week delay on the La Paz micro-community license, a planned 20-family shelter in Swansea and two rehousing contracts are all before the Council as the issue dominates the at-large race.
Homelessness is one of the issues Denver voters are hearing most about this fall, and several decisions about it are on the City Council's desk right now.
Overall homelessness in Denver fell 12.5% between 2025 and 2026, but the number of homeless children hit a 10-year high, Denverite reported in May. In the at-large Council race, most candidates at a recent forum said Mayor Mike Johnston's All In Mile High program hasn't worked as promised, Westword reported. And the city's plan for a new family shelter in Elyria-Swansea has drawn concerns from advocates, Denverite reported on Oct. 2.
What our records add
The La Paz license was postponed a week. Resolution 26-1454 would approve a revocable license for Colorado Village Collaborative to run a micro-community shelter on part of 621 W. Wesley Ave. in the Overland neighborhood, in Council District 7, for $10 a year from about Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026 (Legistar). That site is the city's La Paz micro-community, which opened in March 2024 as part of All In Mile High, the Denver Gazette reported at the time.
On Oct. 19, District 7 Council Member Flor Alvidrez used Council Rule 3.6 to postpone the resolution one week. She said she wanted to find out more information (video). The South Platte River Committee had approved it by consent on Oct. 7. The resolution's record says the last regular Council meeting in its 30-day review window is Nov. 9.
The family shelter has had a committee briefing, but no vote. On Sept. 29, the Department of Housing Stability briefed the Community Planning and Housing Committee on an emergency family shelter at 4080 Columbine St. in Council District 9, for up to 20 families (video). During the briefing:
- Council Member Darrell Watson thanked the department for working with his office and the community, and called the shelter essential for families sleeping in cars or on couches (video).
- Council President Diana Romero Campbell said she attended the community meeting and encouraged the city to respond to neighbors' concerns (video).
- Council Member Shontel Lewis confirmed the maximum capacity of 20 families, or 60 people (video).
On Oct. 21, Council Member Jamie Torres asked the Denver Preschool Program how it would coordinate with the Swansea family shelter. She noted the growing number of very young children living in cars or moving between motels (video).
Two rehousing contracts are up Monday. The Oct. 26 agenda includes:
- 26-1492: adds $852,000 to a Volunteers of America contract for rapid rehousing for families, for a total of $3,413,433 through 2028 (Legistar).
- 26-1493: adds $40,000 and two years to a Salvation Army contract for "rapid resolution" services, for a total of $1,157,803 through 2027 (Legistar).
Both cleared the Community Planning and Housing Committee on Oct. 13.
What's next
- Oct. 26: The Council takes up the La Paz license and both contracts (agenda). Any member can call an item out for a separate vote.
- Oct. 26 and Nov. 9: The 2027 budget hearing and final vote. The mayor's revised plan includes a new homeless shelter, CBS Colorado reported.
- Nov. 3: Voters fill the at-large seat. See our election explainer.