Mayor and City Council Briefing on Veteran Homelessness and Affordable Housing Goal - June 4, 2024

On June 4, 2024, at 16:30 UTC, the Mayor and Denver City Council convened for a weekly session. Dr. Jamie Reif, head of the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), presented two major initiatives: a plan to end unsheltered veteran homelessness in Denver by the end of 2024, and an update on the city's goal to create or preserve 3,000 affordable housing units by December 31, 2024. Council members discussed data quality, funding strategies, and the need for a comprehensive approach across income levels. The meeting concluded with a motion to enter executive session to discuss litigation.

Discussion Items

• Ending Unsheltered Veteran Homelessness: Dr. Reif reported that Denver is on track to become the first large U.S. city to achieve “functional zero” for unsheltered veteran homelessness. She stated that on any given night, 52 veterans are sleeping outdoors, and 30 of them already have a housing resource (e.g., HUD-VASH vouchers or rapid rehousing) but need available units. The goal is to house veterans within 30 days by outpacing new homelessness with housing placements. Key partners include the VA, Denver Housing Authority (DHA), U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Community Solutions (which has five buildings and 400 units in the region), and Volunteers of America Colorado. Council members expressed strong support: Councilman Cashman said he was “100% in support,” and Councilman Watson highlighted the trust-based data system (“by-name” data) that enables accurate tracking. Councilwoman Romero Campbell asked about housing for couples and pets, which Dr. Reif confirmed is included. Council President Torres noted that the next target population after veterans is likely people experiencing chronic homelessness, and Councilman Cashman suggested women as a priority group.

• Affordable Housing Goal (3,000 units): Dr. Reif outlined HOST’s revised methodology for counting the 3,000 units, avoiding double-counting and focusing on units that are actually completed, acquired, or preserved in the current year (green boxes) versus units in the pipeline for future years (blue boxes). She noted that 115,000 Denver households are cost-burdened (paying more than 30% of income for housing). The team is assessing gaps by area median income (AMI) and evaluating strategies such as the Expanding Housing Affordability (EHA) policy, rent buy-downs, and down payment assistance. Council members raised several issues: Councilwoman Parody asked about the reliability of past pipeline calculations and the impact of recent financial moves (e.g., ARPA funds) on the unit pipeline. Dr. Reif agreed to provide a detailed breakdown. Councilwoman Sawyer inquired about preserving units with expiring 25-year affordability restrictions and the risk of displacement of seniors on fixed incomes. Dr. Reif acknowledged the challenges and offered to collaborate. Councilman Alvidrez expressed concern about the concentration of poverty in affordable housing developments and asked how EHA can promote mixed-income neighborhoods. Mayor Johnston added that Denver has a high “moving chain index” of 0.82, meaning new market-rate units create nearly one net affordable unit through vacancy chains, which supports a dual strategy of both market-rate and affordable development.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during the briefing; the session was informational.
• Dr. Reif committed to follow up on several requests: (1) a breakdown of income levels for the 30 veterans with housing resources, (2) a historical analysis of the affordable housing pipeline (including units that were previously counted but did not come to fruition), (3) data on the number and status of units nearing the end of their 25-year affordability restrictions, and (4) coordination with Councilwoman Sawyer and Councilman Gilmore on a property tax rebate program for seniors.
• The meeting moved to executive session at 17:30 UTC (approximate) to discuss litigation settlement, pursuant to DRMC T 234 A3 and 6. The motion was made and unanimously approved.