Denver Mayor Mike Johnston reflects on House1000, plans for addressing homelessness in 2024
With three days left till the start of 2024, Mayor Mike Johnston is speaking out about his administration's achievements and the work still left to be done on the path to housing 1000 unsheltered residents.
"What we've seen is when the city really works together and collaborates on hard problems, these problems are solvable," said Johnston.
As of Dec. 29, 932 people were moved into housing as a result of the House1000 program. Of those, 911 remain indoors (either in a shelter or permanent housing). Johnston told CBS News Colorado an estimated 150 to 200 will be moved off the streets and into housing by the end of the weekend.
"We feel very optimistic that we're on the path to do that," said Johnston.
One of the efforts in which the city will do this is with the opening of Denver's first micro-community site near the Stay Inn on E. 38th Avenue and Peoria Street on Sunday. Roughly 50 to 70 people will be housed across 58 units at that site.
"It's been a complicated process, but we feel very good about it and it offers people a chance to get immediately off the streets in housing, their own private place, private space, access to the dignity of a bathroom, showers, [and] kitchen," said Johnston.
Only one person from the House1000 program is reported by the city to have moved out of the program and into in-patient treatment.
While the main priority in House1000 has been housing first, starting in January, Johnston says the focus will shift across all hotel and micro-community sites to begin offering crucial wrap around services.
"We need to make sure they succeed in getting access to work, to mental health support, to addiction treatment. They get a job, save up some money, [and] move into their own permanent apartment unit. That is our big goal there," said Johnston. "We will be tracking that success every step of the way at every one of our sites."
The city already has 500 vouchers ready to hand out to sheltered residents to start moving people out of temporary shelter and into permanent leased units.
Johnston says that process is already beginning as people become ready for that next step. For some, it could just mean getting an I.D. and a stable job before moving into permanent housing. For others, it could be doing those things after receiving mental health, addiction, or other supportive services.
"We know that even when we house 1000 people, there will still be people that are homeless in Denver," said Johnston. "So, we have to push hard to bring the next 1000 people off the streets and into housing."
The city of Denver has spent roughly $40 million to $45 million on homelessness efforts in 2023. Johnston says the city is likely to spent $50 million to $60 million in 2024.
