Denver City Council Community Planning & Housing Committee – December 23, 2025
Denver City Council Community Planning & Housing Committee – December 23, 2025
At this meeting, the committee reviewed and advanced several items including a neighborhood plan, street outreach and supportive housing contracts, a historic landmark designation, and received a quarterly update on the All in Mile High initiative. Key decisions and data points are summarized below.
Consent Calendar
- Routine approvals were passed without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public testimony was heard during this committee session.
Discussion Items
- Far Southwest Area Plan: Senior Planner Brian Botteo presented the plan covering six neighborhoods in Council District 2. The plan focuses on complete commercial centers, quiet suburban neighborhoods, local businesses, safer streets, transportation options, and social community spaces. Community support ranged from 78% to 88% across priorities. The advisory committee and planning board each voted unanimously to recommend approval.
- Street Outreach & Community Ambassador Contracts: Host presented three-year contracts (2026-2028) totaling $11.2 million: Colorado Coalition for the Homeless DSOC ($6.96M), Urban Peak Youth Outreach ($1.21M), and Urban Alchemy Community Ambassadors ($3.08M). Metrics include 715 households enrolled annually for DSOC, 130 youth for Urban Peak, and 36,500 general encounters for Urban Alchemy. The Urban Alchemy contract passed on a 5-2 roll call vote; Urban Peak's contract passed unanimously. The CCH DSOC contract was briefed and will come for a vote next week.
- Supportive Housing Contracts: Host briefed on five two-year contracts (2026-2027) to serve approximately 650 households annually. Providers include Mercy Housing, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (165 households), St. Francis Center, Dolores Project (LGBTQ+ focus), and Urban Peak (youth). Most funding is general fund. Contracts over $500,000 will require council approval.
- Landmark Designation – The Gables: The committee approved forwarding the designation of the 1914-1915 Tudor Revival apartment building at 1407 E 11th Ave to full council. The building meets criteria for architectural style, work of a recognized architect, and adaptive reuse. The owner supported the designation.
- All in Mile High Quarterly Update: Cole Chandler, Jeff Kositsky, and others reported that as of September 30, 2025, the initiative had sheltered 2,006 people (exceeding the 2,000 goal) and housed 1,180 people toward the 2,000 goal (updated to 1,630 as of December). Unsheltered homelessness dropped 45% from the 2023 peak, and deaths among people experiencing homelessness decreased 26% from 2023 to 2025. The Urban Institute reported a 98% reduction in large encampments. The average shelter length of stay is 205 days; housing exits continue to outpace exits to the streets. A vehicular homelessness pilot resolved 75 people’s situations in eight weeks. Workforce services placed 52 people in jobs and 36 in training.
Key Outcomes
- Far Southwest Area Plan: Recommended to full council for a public hearing.
- Street Outreach Contracts: Urban Alchemy contract approved (5-2); Urban Peak approved; CCH DSOC to be voted on next week.
- Supportive Housing Contracts: Briefed; will appear on consent for approval.
- Landmark Designation: Approved to move to full council.
- All in Mile High Update: Noted progress and challenges; ongoing coordination with agencies and continued focus on housing exits and behavioral health services.
- Next Steps: The committee adjourned after the briefing; remaining consent items were finalized.
Meeting Transcript
That was part of that effort is to not do it so often that they tune it out. And why don't we do that with these alerts on the cell phone? Because to me that feels more real than just a ping on my phone. Sorry, then I'll be done. Thank you. Well, we do. So we do a live test of the cell phone alerts once a year. We do that in September. I mean, when there's an incident. It depends on what the incident is. So, for example, Denver 911 actually is using wireless emergency alerts now when they have scenarios such as lockdowns and barricaded suspects, they are starting to use that that we alert. And the other one is for only weather. For the sirens? Yeah. For that, we can use that for weather-related events, but we don't use it for things like lockdown or things like that. Part of the reason is that when people hear the sirens, your action should be? Go into the basement. Get in your house and take shelter. If you have a scenario where you want people to evacuate, you may not want to sound the sirens. So part of it is we can't communicate written information via the sirens. So often we'll use them in tandem. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Well, we have an executive session. So before we get into that, I want to just thank you so much. I will say I lived through September 11th in Washington, D.C., September 11, 2001. And I watched the 1% happen in real time and felt the fear. And, you know, in D.C., there's only a few exits, right, over bridges. And so the transportation piece, I know this is something Councilwoman Gilmore is very concerned about as well, because her district is right next to the arsenal and really Penny Boulevard is the only way out. And so if there's updated information or plans that we can share with our community, I know the Lowry community is very concerned about the open space right across the street from their homes. We've already seen parties happen there where firecrackers have started fires. You know, it's concerning to our residents. So even though it is a 1% chance of happening, which feels so small and unrealistic, I think as much as we can help you share out the information for what the plans are, how things are addressed, we're here to do that because it is something that our constituents are really concerned about. So thanks for your time. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. So we have an executive session. I'm about to read the language, but before we do that, I want to just flag for everyone, after executive session, I will come back and adjourn the meeting. But there are a few items on consent that have not been called off that we'll just move forward. So with that, I have to put on my reading glasses, you guys. I know that's why I'm not sure. 100%. I will now entertain a motion to move us into executive session pursuant to DRMC 2-34A3M7 for the purpose of discussing ongoing litigation in which the city is a party and privileged advice related thereto. A two thirds vote of members present is required to enter to executive session. May I have a motion?
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