DENVER — Battle lines are being drawn in Denver’s Globeville neighborhood over the city’s push to build a tiny home village in the area. Denver is proposing moving the temporary village from 38th and Blake streets in River North to 44th Avenue and Pearl Street.
Residents, however, don’t see the city’s idea as just a proposal. They say the city has already made up its mind and residents were never given a choice.
“It’s a great site with a lot of potential,” said Laura Swartz with Denver Community Planning and Development.
Denver wants to move the temporary tiny home village because an affordable housing development is slated for 38th and Blake.
“These are temporary homes,” Swartz said, explaining the development. “They are not built on solid foundation. They are not connected to sanitary sewer and water services.”
The project is part of Denver’s collaboration with a nonprofit. The goal is to transition people out of homelessness. But Globeville residents say they have safety and sanitary concerns.
“There was never a, ‘Hey—do you guys mind this village being here?’ It was, ‘This village is going to be here, so you better make an agreement,’” said Globeville resident Jazz Leroux.
The village will need to move out of its current location within the next couple weeks, according to Swartz. During a community meeting over the weekend, those in Globeville resisted the city’s push.
“It’s not really a choice,” Globeville resident Derik Martinez said. “We’re not the ones voting on it. The city is voting on it.”
Denver says it’s still exploring all options on the best location for the temporary village and ways to mitigate any impact on communities.