Denver's mayor, Mike Johnston, has led the city to a 64% reduction in homelessness since declaring a state of emergency in 2023. The city's plan has focused on targeted investment and relentless focus, including the use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to buy and lease new shelters. The city has added over 1,000 shelter units, including new hotels and tiny-home communities, and has included support services such as care co-ordinators to help guests get new IDs, food stamps, and housing.
The city's approach has been successful in reducing homelessness, but it is not without challenges. A double homicide rocked one of the shelters in 2024, and about one-third of people who leave city-owned shelters end up in jail, back on the streets, or dead. The city is also facing a budget crunch as the federal government cuts housing vouchers and Medicaid.
Denver's plan is being studied by other cities, and mayors are adapting and stealing successful urban policies to address homelessness in their own cities. Samantha Batko, who has been evaluating the city's policies at the Urban Institute, suggests that local governments can make progress by co-ordinating their outreach and tracking new camps in real time.
