DENVER (KDVR) — A Denver city council member is sounding off after her colleagues approved millions of dollars Monday night to expand a campsite program for the homeless.
District 5 Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer was the lone vote against the resolution. She said it’s time for Denver to get serious about long-term housing solutions. Sawyer said she sees a need for campsites as a short-term fix.
She described Monday’s vote on the Safe Outdoor Space program as a squandered opportunity to invest in an East Colfax Avenue motel and repurpose it as permanent, affordable housing.
“I just think it’s incredibly frustrating,” Sawyer said.
Instead, nearly $4 million of federal funding was directed, by the city, to expand sanctioned camps for another year.
“Is this the funding source to do that with?” Sawyer said. “Or is this a funding source that we should be using to look long-term at the future of our city for multiple generations to come?”
Her colleagues argue permanent solutions take time and there is an immediate need. But campsites have irritated nearby homeowners and have been a target of criticism that they are not humane solutions.
Sawyer insists the city dropped the ball by not securing the East Colfax motel site. Denver’s Department of Housing Stability pushed back on Tuesday by providing the following statement:
Our Housing Opportunity staff had discussions with development stakeholders to discuss potential funding, and we requested more complete information. A loan application for funding was never submitted, and thus there was no HOST denial of funding. We continue to maintain open communications with these development teams, and others, for any potential acquisitions that can be leveraged for affordable housing.
Derek Woodbury, communications director, Department of Housing Stability
“We all want to help support the residents of our city, it’s just a question of how we’re prioritizing that funding to do that,” Sawyer said. “What we all want is a city that is livable, and that’s not what we’re seeing right now.”
Meanwhile, Denver residents should expect more tents as temporary sites come and go. Current and former campsites have been located in Capitol Hill, Park Hill, Regis, Clayton and near Denver Health. For this year, Denver hopes to serve 370 people at campsites with a goal of moving 90 into housing.