After a week's delay, the Council renews the La Paz tiny-home site. Elati Village's license is next
Both micro-communities run on short city licenses that expire Dec. 31. Here's what the Council approved Monday, what moved through committee Tuesday, and what else changed for homelessness services.
Two of Denver's tiny-home shelter sites, known as micro-communities, moved forward this week, as the city heads into winter with a shelter system that has already lost its biggest cold-weather site.
La Paz, in Overland. On Monday, Oct. 26, the Council adopted 26-1454, a revocable license for Colorado Village Collaborative to keep running the micro-community on part of 621 W. Wesley Ave. in Council District 7, for $10 a year, from about Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.
Elati Village, in Civic Center. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the Finance and Business Committee approved by consent 26-1610, a revocable license for The Gathering Place to operate a micro-community at 1375 N. Elati St. in Council District 10, for a maximum of $20, also from about Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.
Why it matters: these sites are part of how the city has moved people out of encampments. A license is what lets an operator stay on city land. Both of these run only to the end of the year, and both started before the Council voted.
Background
La Paz opened in March 2024 as part of Mayor Mike Johnston's All In Mile High program, the Denver Gazette reported at the time.
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When it opened, Elati Village had 44 small sleeping units plus shared buildings with a kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. It serves women and transgender and nonbinary people who were living outside, Rocky Mountain PBS reported. Westword reported that people began moving in on March 20, 2024.
Denver's auditor has found that the homelessness initiative cost $20 million more than previously reported, the Gazette noted in its Oct. 27 budget story. The mayor has disagreed with that finding, Denver7 reported. See also our story on that dispute.
What our records add
The La Paz delay, and then the vote. On Oct. 19, Council Member Flor Alvidrez, whose district includes the site, used Council Rule 3.6 to hold the license one week. She said she wanted more information (video at 1:00:24). On Oct. 26, it passed 11-0 as part of the consent block, with Council Member Amanda Sandoval absent (roll call). Our Oct. 23 story covers the postponement.
Other homelessness contracts in the same vote. The Oct. 26 block also approved:
- 26-1492, adding $852,000 to a Volunteers of America contract for rapid rehousing for families.
- 26-1493, adding $40,000 to a Salvation Army contract for rapid resolution services.
Elati's license follows the same pattern. The Elati license's record lists the Department of Finance as the requesting agency and a term that began about Oct. 1 (license request). It was approved Tuesday as a consent item, without a separate presentation (agenda). District 10 is represented by Chris Hinds, who chairs that committee.
Winter shelter. The city's cold-weather plan lost its largest site this fall. Our Oct. 26 story covers what the city has told the Council about capacity.
What's next
- Elati Village: The license goes to the full Council. Like other committee consent items, it is likely to be in a block vote unless a member calls it out.
- Both sites: The licenses end Dec. 31, 2026. Any extension would come back to the Council as a new item.
- Budget: Council amendments to the 2027 budget, including homelessness and housing money, are due Nov. 2.