Mondays with the Mayors: Delivering on Housing Locally While Trump Rejects Housing Reforms in Washington
Last week, President Trump abruptly announced he would not sign the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, a bipartisan investment in solving the country’s affordable housing crisis. Across the country, though, Democratic mayors are not waiting around for Washington to act on housing.
In Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston announced last month that the Mile High City had seen a 64% reduction in street homelessness since 2023. The May report showed homelessness is down roughly 30% among newly homeless and chronically homeless individuals, meaning fewer people are falling into homelessness and, when they do, cases are resolving more quickly.
Johnston’s administration is also fast tracking affordable housing projects to make sure that homeownership is a real, attainable goal in Denver, not just a fantasy.
To read more about Mayor Johnston’s efforts on homelessness, you can check out the Denver Post’s coverage here and find some key excerpts below.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston celebrated the new data Wednesday as a win for his All In Mile High homelessness program, which has been his administration’s focus since he was elected in 2023.
“This is a historic accomplishment, and it is one we celebrate with every city employee, partner and Denverite who shares the belief that our neighbors deserve better than to sleep on the streets,” Johnston [said] in a statement ahead of a morning news conference.
Under Johnston’s administration, the city has added about 1,000 shelter beds, bringing the overall number in the city’s system to 3,000. The city has converted several former hotels into shelters and added a handful of tiny home microcommunities to move people indoors from encampments.
