. These two agencies hold the future of Denver in their hands, and both are in need of a shakeup, increased resources, and empowerment to make rules that benefit the people of Denver. City council members must prepare legislation that can guide these two agencies to more success.
Community Planning and Development can find a way to discourage affordable units from being demolished while encouraging density where it is allowed under current zoning rules, especially on vacant and blighted lots in downtown. Both agencies need to work hand in hand with the external city corporation Denver Housing Authority to get the agency back in the game of developing more social housing owned and managed by DHA for very low to middle-income Coloradans. For too long, DHA has been sidelined and treaded water without aggressively adding new units.
Johnston’s big dream to build small, cheap, semi-permanent, individual shelters for groups of homeless encampments will fall somewhere in these three agencies.
The long-term solution to the Union Station problem is getting individuals the help they need – housing, mental health treatment, addiction treatment, and job training – so that when they visit Union Station, they too can afford a fancy waffle from one of the vendors. But until then, Johnston should be led by compassion and openness when it comes to our public spaces, and it is up to everyone in this city to support him during the transition by not abandoning our urban core.