Briefly describe the single most urgent issue facing the city of Denver and how it should be addressed.
Our housing crisis is our number one issue in Denver and will need immediate and multifaceted solutions. We must repurpose land use and preserve our green space, which we cannot afford to lose. Building attainable and affordable housing to meet the needs of individuals and families today, and over the next few years, will require a fundamental restructuring of the city’s housing portfolio. Only about 1% of Denver’s housing units are dedicated to public housing. All of this must be done while focusing on sustainability, ensuring safe multimodal transportation, and combating gentrification.
What should Denver leaders do to address the city’s lack of affordable housing?
Along with what is above I would:
– Repurpose brown and grey space to introduce dense, affordable, and social housing
– Strengthen tenants’ rights through just eviction law and providing an option for tenants to buy their buildings
– Support preferential zoning to community land trusts which prioritize the needs of residents while generating wealth
– Include community members in new development planning by implementing participant-public-private partnerships
– Create inclusionary zoning that requires new development to offer housing to low- and moderate-income families at or below 50% average monthly income.
– Eliminate the red tape around permits that slows homeowners and builders from completing projects
Do you support redevelopment at the Park Hill golf course property? Why or why not?
I do not support the plan put forward by Westside Development. Currently, Denver has less than 3/4 of the recommended park space per capita. Our housing plan shouldn’t be driven by corporate developers making backroom deals with compromised politicians. We should proactively pursue opportunities to expand city parkland and parkways. Development without strategic consideration threatens our parks and health.
As mayor, I commit to building deeply affordable and mixed-income social housing in grey and brown spaces to reach our housing, affordability, and climate goals. A public realm needs to be nurtured district-by-district, with city leadership, not just private enterprise.
What should Denver leaders do to revitalize downtown Denver?
We have a beautiful downtown that has earned a horrible reputation due to 12+ years of failed policies. As Mayor I will:
– Implement housing-first and harm-reduction policies
– Increase investment in wrap-around services to address chronic homelessness and addiction crisis
– Implement a safer and more connected multimodal transportation system to meet Denver’s needs
– Bring together our small businesses and art leaders to determine how to grow our downtown
– Create reliable funding streams for at-risk legacy businesses with historical and cultural ties to the community
– Promote business growth along with our arts to achieve both modernization and cultural celebration
What is Denver’s greatest public safety concern and what should be done about it?
Our number one public safety concern is gun violence. Gun violence, like the multiple crises we face in Denver, shares a similar root: economic and racial inequality. Having faced poverty, hunger, inadequate health care options for a child with a chronic condition, and even threats of foreclosure from a predatory lender, I know the fear and anxiety felt when facing security crises. We must address inequalities at the root rather than pursuing Band-Aid solutions. I would protect our city by strengthening our safety social nets for tenants, workers, and marginalized communities. Furthermore, I will increase the city’s transparency and accountability.
Should neighborhoods help absorb population growth through permissive zoning, or do you favor protections for single-family neighborhoods?
In order to combat our climate crisis we must combat urban sprawl, this means moving away from single-family home development. Changing zoning to allow more mixed-use, multifamily development and mixed-income buildings in commercial zones, city-owned land, and under-enrolled repurposed school buildings will provide a diversity of housing options for first-time homebuyers and boost the small business economy. This return to the village concept has the added benefit of encouraging social engagement with neighbors and local small business owners so that everyone is invested and feels a part of the vibrancy of their neighborhoods.
Should the city’s policy of sweeping homeless encampments continue unchanged? Why or why not?
Our homeless crisis is solvable when we invest in solutions that approach the root cause. I will end the costly, ineffective sweeps and replace them with 24/7 crisis intervention responders. As mayor, I will:
– Support data-proven solutions of a housing-first approach to providing services to our unhoused neighbors, shifting away from a shelter-first approach
– Prioritize the creation of social housing at deeply affordable rates at or below 30% of the average monthly income
– Address barriers to housing beyond affordability, including credit checks, background checks, income multiplier requirements, and lack of ADA-compliant units
– Address core issues that contribute to homelessness, including access to education, workforce training, transportation, and others
Should Denver change its snow plowing policy? Why or why not.
Denver absolutely needs to reimagine how we are approaching our snow plowing. Our current policies are preventing those who are mobility limited from being able to leave their homes. As we are experiencing the impacts of climate change with more extreme weather, we must re-evaluate how this is approached. I will bring together our disability community, seniors, environmental experts, and community planners to create an equitable plowing policy that meets our changing needs.
What’s your vision for Denver in 20 years, and what would you do to help the city get there?
My vision of Denver in 20 years includes a city rich in the arts, culture, and community. Every resident has access to quality air, parks, and homes. We are thriving in our communities with local businesses and safe paths to walk, bike, and roll around the city. I see an increased canopy of trees throughout the city that helps clean our air and keep our ground cooler. This isn’t a fantasy and as mayor, I can get us there by investing in root cause solutions that center the most vulnerable in our city. Letap Reimagine Denver together.
How better can city officials protect Denver’s environment — air quality, water supply, ground contamination? And should the city take a more active role in transit?
Denver can join leaders from across the world who have been actively working to establish best-in-class practices to address building and maintaining green cities.
As mayor I will:
– Work with experts to justly transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources like solar and wind and invest in good-paying jobs in clean, renewable energy
– Give the auditor’s office the power to hold us accountable
– Develop a comprehensive program to protect us from dangerous air pollutants that disproportionately affect marginalized communities and exceed both state and federal standards
– Hold polluters like Suncor accountable for the long-term harm they cause
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