Gov. Polis, State Legislators and Community Leaders Highlight Shared Efforts to Reduce Homelessness

Legislative investments to address homelessness moving through state legislature, state providing facilities and pushing local communities to invest & innovate.

Gov. Jared Polis speaks at Ridge View campus on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Watkins. (Olivia Sun, The Colorado Sun)

Today, Gov. Polis, state legislators, and community leaders shared a legislative package to address homelessness making its way through the legislature.  During the legislative session, Gov. Polis and state legislators have partnered to announce historic bipartisan investments of federal funding to expand access to behavioral and mental health services, increase the supply of affordable housing, and bolster Colorado’s workforce in critical industries.

“Reducing homelessness, supporting safer and cleaner neighborhoods, and providing access to recovery and mental health services are top priorities. Homelessness is an issue that cities must lead in solving, but the state is also stepping up and taking the unprecedented step of matching local efforts, and increasing addiction recovery treatment beds,” said Gov. Polis. “State investments alone will not solve all of these problems and we will continue to push local communities to invest, enforce the laws on their books,  and innovate to address this challenge and reduce homelessness .”

Stella, a graduate of Ready to Work Colorado spoke at today’s event about her experience with this successful program.  

“Through hope, compassion, and undeniable support, Ready to Work showed me that there is a way out of homelessness and addiction, and that support continues through recovery — offering support, housing, and employment. Having programs like this in our community is what we need to help end homelessness for so many others, and this legislation will help lead to more programs that meet unique needs,” said Stella, a Graduate of Ready to Work Colorado. 

Last week Gov. Polis and state legislators visited Sanderson Apartments, a 60-unit supportive housing development serving those with long lengths of homelessness; Ready to Work Aurora, an organization that provides adults experiencing homelessness a unique opportunity to rebuild their lives through work; and Mile High United Way, which connects Coloradans to critical services. 

“We've seen clearly over the past few years that crisis exacerbates inequality, as our state's housing issues have worsened significantly and even more Coloradans find themselves without a place to call home,” said Sen. Julie Gonzales D-Denver, vice-chair of the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force. “This legislation is critically important, and will help local communities connect unhoused Coloradans to essential supports and resources. It’s only a start, but providing these resources will help folks get back on their feet by expanding access to the housing, care and support services that they need.” 

The Governor discussed repurposing the Ridgeview campus; the state in partnership with local communities can focus on supporting individuals without housing in their recovery from substance use disorders. 

“For too long, local governments and service providers haven’t had the resources they need to address homelessness in a meaningful way,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver. “It’s clear we need a state-wide effort that addresses the root causes of homelessness while making transformative investments. I’m proud to sponsor legislation with Representative Tony Exum, Sr. to create a $105 million grant program that communities in every part of our state can access to address homelessness in their communities and connect individuals experiencing homelessness with essential housing and services.”

Today, the group announced a “Request for Application” to support a new Denver-Metro campus that will provide behavioral and mental health services, recovery and stabilization services, access to medical care, permanent supportive housing or transitional housing and the project must be located in the Denver-metro area and will provide an opportunity for Denver-metro local governments, private, and philanthropic partners to take advantage of participating in this transformational project.

“It’s clear that the pandemic and the social instability that followed have taken a toll on our communities, and the number of people experiencing homelessness has risen as a result,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora. “Every Coloradan deserves a safe place to live, but that reality is out of reach for far too many. This session, I’m sponsoring legislation that will direct $50 million in federal pandemic relief funds to the Denver-Aurora metro area. This funding will be available to collaborations between local governments in the region and nonprofits to build a navigation campus to prevent and respond to homelessness.”

“Our region has experienced a significant increase in homelessness as a result of the pandemic and a lack of access to behavioral health care and substance use disorder treatment,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver.  “Legislation I’m sponsoring will dedicate federal resources to revamp the Ridge View campus to create a recovery-oriented community for individuals without stable housing. This campus will help people recover and heal in a safe and stable environment where they will have access to the services and support they need to thrive.”

“As Vice-Chair of the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force SubPanel and an advocate for homelessness resolution and prevention, it is so encouraging to see the Governor's Office and our legislative leaders take bold action to address the homelessness crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. By leveraging these investments with other funding, both public and private, Colorado has the chance to ensure that any experience of homelessness for the far too many families and individuals enduring it, can be brief and quickly resolvable,” said Cathy Alderman, Chief Communications and Public Policy Officer, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

“We are profoundly grateful for the partnerships and support from local governments and the State of Colorado in our work to support youth experiencing homelessness, a shared concern for the highly vulnerable youth we serve has allowed us to offer support that ignites the potential in youth to exit homelessness and live self-determined, fulfilled lives. There isn’t anyone more deserving of that support than the teens and young adults who come to Urban Peak,” said Christina Carlson, CEO of Urban Peak.

"As Colorado utilizes ARPA funding to invest in homelessness solutions, we will continue to look at transforming Colorado through a regional, data-driven approach that allows for all Coloradans to have the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, and affordable home. With consistent, stabilizing resources, we will continue to build on Colorado's foundation for addressing homelessness,” said Natriece Bryant, State and Local Stimulus Coordinator for OEDIT.