Call on the City Council to Vote for a Budget for the People, not the Police!
The City Council will be voting on amendments to the Mayor’s proposed City budget these coming weeks. Before that they need to hear from the people the outcry to move money from police and jails and shitty shelter systems, into housing and resources for the poor and houseless!
Public comment will be heard on the budget this Monday October 23rd at 5:30pm at City Hall. You can sign up to speak starting at 3pm on Monday at this link. If you can’t speak on Monday, contact your Council person and ask them to vote for housing and health! You can find their contact here.
At 4pm, just before the hearing, come join a rally organized by the Denver Metro Tenants Union on City Hall front steps to call for emergency rental assistance to be funded at the scale of the need! Not the petty amount the Mayor is including.
We need the City Council to show the people of Denver with their votes for funding that they are not just going to talk about caring about houselessness in Denver, but take real action!
Police, jails, and related punitive systems have more money in our City budget than anything else. 37% of the general fund is going to “Safety” while only 2% of the general fund is going for HOST (the office of housing stability). Furthermore, the Mayor is proposing to increase funding to add 167 police officers for a total of $8.2 million. This money should go to housing and resources to keep our people safe, not put more people in jail.
While the HOST budget is roughly $250 million, only about $40 million of this is for creating or preserving “affordable” housing* (affordable here includes all the way up to 100%AMI!@#). At the same time, the homelessness resolution fund alone puts $38 million toward shelter and services, and only $6 million toward housing. More money from the HOST budget is going to shelters and services than is going to housing – much less housing for poor people (under 30% AMI). When you hear people saying the City is spending $250 million on “homelessness” stop and correct them – this budget is for subsidizing housing the rich more than the poor, and is for keeping people in shelters more than creating housing for people to move into.
With these things in mind, we ask that you join us in asking the City Council to support the following budget amendments.
Fund rental assistance ($17.5 million)
Fund medical debt forgiveness ($3 million)
Fund Denver Basic Income ($4 million)
Fund STAR teams and support services ($6.9 million) – not to include police
Fund basic services for people living in encampments ($1.7 million)
Fund an Office of Neighborhood Safety ($1.5 million)
Fund the People’s Budget ($2 million)
Fund rec center passes for people experiencing homelessness ($25,000)
As the group who drafted the details for the sanitation budget proposals, we would also like to provide more detail on the proposals related to sanitation resources for people at encampments. We have worked extensively regarding sanitation resource needs at encampment and have detailed descriptions of what is needed and what it would cost. These details are below.
The Mayor has tried to justify denying this budget proposal saying it is already covered in his “House” 1000 budget under the category of “encampment services” for 2.3mil leaves out mention of what else is under the category of “encampment services.” This line item appears to include outreach, transportation, and potentially even policing of sites after a sweep. There is no commitment in the Mayor’s $2.3 million budget item to specifically fund the needed sanitation resources. In fact right now the Mayor has $750,000 in this line item, and yet when asked how much of this is going for sanitation at encampments his office responded saying, “The budget for trash and porta-potty services remains minimal and is largely facilitated by the city’s existing sanitation services contacts.” Currently, there are only two encampments being provided trash services and one porta potty each. We need funding that is specifically allocated for these resources and will be accounted for as such.
Here is the details:
Water Stations
Broken water stations fixed and new water stations installed at key locations.
Out of the 136 public water fountains mapped during the summer of 2021, only 41 or (30%) were functioning and there are no accessible water sources during the winter. Significant work has recently been done to fix water stations around town! However, more are needed and new models are needed which will withstand cold weather.
Water fountains will have extra pour spots at ground level and bottle filling spots, vandalism and frost resistant. Some fountains may be plumbed through public facilities but with water fountains outside.
What: Water fountains with extra pour spots at ground level and bottle filling spots, vandalism and frost resistant. Some fountains may be plumbed through public facilities but with water fountains outside. There will also be comprehensive regular testing of water quality.
Where: People surveyed want to see more bathrooms and water sources everywhere, as often as every other block. The places most preferred for locating water sources and toilets were (in order of most frequently mentioned) parks, encampments, and transit stations. The parks most frequently mentioned (in order) were: Civic Center Park, Benedict Fountain Park, Central Park, and Governor’s Park. Other places frequently mentioned were along the Platte River trail, outside shelters, outside recreation centers, Union Station, along Colfax, and along Broadway.
Cost: $166,450 total for water stations. $76,450 for 10 water stations. $80,000 to install. And $10,000 for maintenance. (Here is an example of a vandal proof and freeze resistant fountain)
How: Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, together with the Parks Department when in Parks, shall be responsible for installing, fixing, and maintaining water stations.
Showers and Laundry
Bayaud Enterprises and Showers for All laundry and shower truck programs
There are two non-profit organizations doing great work providing showers and laundry services in Denver. However, they do not have the funding needed to provide the level of service they could. Both Bayaud Enterprises and Showers for All run laundry and shower trucks which go to places where people without housing can access them. These programs should be fully funded. The ability to shower not only protects physical health, but also mental health and people’s ability to get a job and avoid stigmatization.
What: Bayaud Enterprises and Showers for All laundry and shower truck programs
Where: Look at locations from survey – mobile to accommodate needed locations.
Cost: For Bayaud: Total cost of $367,080 with $123,970 for 5 days a week running the Laundry Truck and $243,110 for 5 days a week running the Combo Landry/Shower Truck.
For Showers for All: Total cost of $230,000 with $75,000 for a new shower/laundry truck and $155,000 for operation.
Together total cost of $597,080
How: The City already contracts with Bayaud Enterprises and can add funding for these programs. The City can do the same for Showers for All. In addition to the funding DOTI and Parks department must ensure these organizations have proper access to water hookups and locations to park.
Bathrooms
Install 5 Portland Loos. Open all permanent facilities. Better maintain existing facilities.
There are not enough public bathrooms in the City. Based on a mapping project of all public facilities in Denver we found that there were no bathrooms available overnight and 80% of the bathrooms were seasonal. 43% were not ADA accessible, and 55% lacked soap and water or hand sanitizer. When we surveyed unhoused
people, almost half (47.9%) reported having to “hold it” to find a decent bathroom every day. Tourists in Denver also complain about the lack of bathrooms.
Where: People surveyed want to see more bathrooms and water sources everywhere, as often as every other block. The places most preferred for locating water sources and toilets were (in order of most frequently mentioned) parks, encampments, and transit stations. The parks most frequently mentioned (in order) were: Civic Center Park, Benedict Fountain Park, Central Park, and Governor’s Park. Other places frequently mentioned were along the Platte River trail, outside shelters, outside recreation centers, Union Station, along Colfax, and along Broadway.
Cost: $1Million total. $700,000 for 5 Portland Loos installed and connected. $300,000 for maintenance and cleaning. (The company that markets the Loos is Madden Fabrications)
How: Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, together with the Parks Department when in Parks, shall install and maintain these bathrooms. Houseless and poor people can be hired through these departments at a living wage to clean these bathrooms multiple times a day.
Portalets at Encampments
Place Portalets with hand washing stations in at least 15 encampments in Denver.
Toilets should be accessible at every place where large numbers of houseless people are staying in public space. These toilets should include a handwashing station. They should be emptied and cleaned by the company at least once a day. A trash container and sharps container should be securely installed in the unit.
Where: 15 encampments where large numbers of houseless people live in public space. To be expanded to all encampments. Portalets can move as encampments move.
Cost: Total $477,000 – $45,000 to purchase the potties and wash stations, $432,000 for servicing once a day.
How: Parks Department can administer pusrusing, placing, and overseeing portalets (Parks Dept could also train DOTI how to do this, but they have the past experience)
(Note: existing Honey Bucket contact money could be used for this, however, it needs to be specified that this is what it will be used for).
Trash Collection
Trash collection infrastructure for areas where people live without housing or proper trash infrastructure.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) should collect trash at places where large numbers of houseless people live in public spaces currently without trash infrastructure. Trash receptacles should be provided and emptied at least twice a week. A clear schedule should be posted for trash pick up. DOTI should only take trash in designated areas or in receptacles. At least 15 encampments should have this service.
Where: 15 encampments where large numbers of houseless people live in public space. To be expanded to all encampments. Service can be moved as encampments move.
Cost: $300,000~ – This is an estimate. More exact costs should be gathered from DOTI based on current trash collection cost. Trash receptacle must also be included in this cost.
Trash Crew
Trash Crew for areas where people live without housing or proper trash infrastructure.
In 2018 a program was created through Bayaud Enterprises to hire houseless and recently houseless people to clean trash in areas with high houseless populations needing that additional cleaning support. This program was eventually shifted to focus on BID contracted areas and then eventually ended. A similar program should be brought back and revamped to hire more houseless folks at a living wage, and to focus on encampment areas with large populations and without existing trash infrastructure.
What: Trash Crew for areas where people live without housing or proper trash infrastructure.
Where: Rotating areas of need based on where houseless people are staying in large numbers without needed trash infrastructure.
Cost: $264,000 for staffing, supports, materials, and administration to run the program
How: HOST will contract with an interested agency that will hire houseless or recently houseless people as the crew. The trash crew will go to identified areas of high need where houseless people live without trash infrastructure and will support keeping these areas clean.
Recreation Center Passes
Free day passes to the Denver Recreation Centers for houseless people.
Recreation Centers can provide a critical space for exercise, showering, and keeping healthy when one is without housing. Passes should be given to houseless people for free access to Recreation Centers. The PLAY pass (free and reduced pass for low-income people) application will also be made more accessible.
What: Free day passes to the Denver Recreation Centers for houseless people.
Where: All Denver Recreation Centers
Cost: $25,000 for 5,000 day passes.
How: Free day passes to Denver Recreation Centers will be issued to houseless service agencies to give to people seeking services. Recreation Centers will give day passes to anyone in need of financial assistance filling out a PLAY pass application for as long as it takes their PLAY application to be processed.
Please contact your council person and let them know you want their yes vote for these resources. We know the details of what is needed here and need your help to make this a reality.
Tell the City Council to vote YES for all amendments that support poor and houseless people of Denver.
Housekeys Action Network Denver
*Between the Homelessness Resolution fund at $25,425,460 (page 437) and the Affordable housing fund at $9,692,048 (page 439) and the D3 bond (also under the affordable housing fund – page 439) there is just about 40mil for housing development and preservation.