Mike johnston issues emergency declaration for homelessness in denver
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Mayor Mike Johnston signed an emergency declaration Tuesday to shelter at least 1,000 people experiencing homelessness in Denver by the end of the year. DETAILS: The plan calls on using
hotels for shelters, providing rental units, finding sites where the city can open tiny home villages, and expediting permitting and construction for affordable housing projects. * The
emergency operations center will be activated for the homelessness declaration starting July 24 to coordinate the response. WHY IT MATTERS: The declaration will help Denver access state and
federal money for homelessness — though he didn't specify how much money the city will be requesting. STATE OF PLAY: This marks the first time Denver has issued such a declaration for
homelessness, emergency management director Matthew Mueller tells us. BY THE NUMBERS: Johnston estimated there are roughly 1,400 unsheltered people in Denver. * The city has identified 197
potential sites to host micro-communities for housing. ZOOM OUT: Cities like Portland and Los Angeles have issued similar declarations — with few results. * Neither city has seen a
significant improvement with Portland extending its emergency status at least five times since first enacting it in 2015. * Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city has cut red
tape toward building housing after extending its declaration last week after it was first issued in December. OF NOTE: It's not clear how much the entire effort will cost Denver.