Denver, CO. “House” 1000 Initiative is a SCAM: Mayor Johnston Lies to the Houseless Community Action needed to Demand Promises be Kept if the Houseless State of Emergency is to be Continued

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When Mayor Johnston first came into office less than three months ago he made promises to do things different than Hancock. He said sweeping encampments from one block to the next with nowhere for people to go was pointless and that he would strive to only sweep if he had somewhere safer to offer people to go. Now he is doing just that: sweeping houseless people from block to block with nowhere to go every day. He committed to providing trash and bathroom service at encampments, and yet, as of today, there is only one encampment with these services. Of all the countless sweeps that have taken place since he came in office, only one of these – the one by the governor’s mansion – included offering hotel stay to most of the residents of the camp. In this, he is only offering hotels to people in visible camps and leaving all the most vulnerable houseless people – sick, elderly, victims, families, ect – out entirely. Furthermore, the hotels he is using for the “house” 1000 initiative have rules like a halfway house – not following the Housing First principles and setting up people to land right back on the streets. What he is calling housing is actually just shelter.

We are demanding the Mayor keep his promises regarding sweeps, prioritize vulnerable people, and create accountability for the non-congregate shelter sites used in his initiative. While we want an overhaul to his entire “House” 1000 initiative to end all traumatic displacements and create real housing, we are asking that he at least make these few small changes and uphold his promises. If he will not do this, we ask that the City Council vote NO on renewing the State of Emergency declaration.   

Please consider emailing the Mayor’s office and/or City Council members to amplify these demands.

Join us Monday October 16th at 4pm in front of City Hall (1437 Bannock St) to call for a NO vote on renewing the State of Emergency unless these changes are made to the Mayor’s “House” 100 initiative.

Stand together for humanity. Houseless people are human beings. We are truly in a State of Emergency… but the emergency is not to hide visible houseless people, but to create housing and treat houseless people like humans!…

Emails – 

Mayor’s Senior Advisory on Homelessness Plan: cole.chandler@denvergov.org  

City Council emails can be found here: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Denver-City-Council/Meet-the-Council-Members