The Denver City Council voted Monday to spend $5 million to shuffle 250 homeless people from the street directly into leased housing.
The contract goes to Housing Connector, which has experience in such matters, according to a memo from city staff to the City Council. Extra money is included in the contract for things such as unexpected repairs, said Midori Higa of the Department of Housing Stability. She said if someone has a bad day and breaks a window, a replacement will be covered.
Renters receive first month’s rent as well as money for a deposit, according to the contract. Their rent is paid for a year while they look for a job, assisted by case managers with Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, according to the contract. Housing these 250 people is part of Mayor Mike Johnston’s larger goal to house an additional 1,000 people by the end of this year, just as he did last year, Higa said.
Council members Amanda Sawyer and Stacie Gilmore voted against the contract. Sawyer said the mayor’s office has not been transparent about the total costs associated with his All in Mile High program. She said the information the council has been getting has been too little too late. Gilmore agreed. “We’re signing blank checks,” Gilmore said. “We need some accountability.”