Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said he wants his city to address homelessness, prevent crime and bounce back from the pandemic’s economic slump during his annual State of the City address Monday.

In the the 20-minute speech Hancock saluted Denver’s “resiliency” over the last year, while pushing for community strength and equality.

“We’re turning the challenges of the past year – and there were many – into opportunities. Opportunities to transform our city into a model of equity and inclusion that is sustainable for years and even decades to come,” Hancock said. “This is no time to think small. It’s time to go big. ”

Hancock’s 11th address was broadcast live on the Internet from Denver Central Library. Nearing a term limit, Hancock has two years left in office including his final State of the City address next year.

Homelessness

With his last years in office, Hancock set addressing homelessness as his top priority.

Over the past 10 years, 11,000 homeless Denver residents have transitioned into stable housing, Hancock said. However, Denver’s homeless population has grown in recent years.

From 2010 to 2017, the number of homeless residents in the Denver metro area dropped  from 8,752 to 5,116, according to annual surveys. But since 2017, that population grew, reaching 6,104 in 2020. Of those homeless residents, 1,561 are unsheltered.

“Clearly and without question, there is so much more to do,” Hancock said. “You have my word – we are going to continue to deploy every tool available, with a goal of lifting thousands of people out of homelessness over the next two years.”

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Hancock said he will give more people shelter with hundreds of hotel and motel rooms converted for the purpose, tiny home villages. He also plans managed homeless camps and safe parking spaces for homeless residents to stay. Housing efforts will specifically target vulnerable groups, including children, women and the chronically homeless, he said.

In addition, Hancock said the city will expand  housing vouchers, rental and utility assistance, eviction-protection programs and affordable housing.

The plan includes putting $28 million of the $308 million Denver received from the American Rescue Plan into Denver’s Affordable Housing Fund. That move requires approval by the Denver City Council. Hancock also called for additional federal assistance in addressing homelessness.

Crime

Hancock emphasized the importance of cracking down on crime in Denver, calling increasing rates of violent crime a “nationwide crisis.” He blamed Denver’s increase on violent criminals being released from custody too quickly.

Hancock said state law needs to prevent violent criminals with a propensity to re-offend from being quickly released back into society.

“I believe in law enforcement reform, I believe in judicial reform, but we cannot over-correct to where we are allowing violent criminals to come out and continue to reoffend without a system holding them accountable,” Hancock said. “There must be a balance between reform that keeps low-level non-violent folks from going to jail in the first place, and our residents’ safety.”

Hancock efforts to combat crime include Denver’s Youth Violence Prevention initiative, co-responder program, STAR program and new collaborative crime-prevention initiative.

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The co-responder and STAR programs send clinicians and non-uniform officers to respond to low-risk emergencies, like mental health crises and welfare checks. The collaborative crime-prevention initiative increases patrols in “hotspot” crime areas to connect with communities and aims to prevent crime.

The city is also looking to hire more police officers, Hancock said, encouraging young people advocating for law enforcement reform to apply. Denver is currently around 100 officers short of its authorized 1,596-officer police department based on the city’s population, Hancock said.

This proposed expansion of Denver’s police force comes two months after the Reimagine Policing and Public Safety task force submitted a report of 112 recommendations, including decreasing the community’s interactions with police.

“We are still assessing how we will respond to that report,” Hancock said. “We believe in alternative policing and we are deploying alternative policing. … We are, I think, a leader in the nation when it comes to non-police engagement with the community.”

Economy

Hancock announced several new projects to help Denver’s economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on supporting women, youth, low-income earners and people of color.

“Our economy must work for everyone, and this pandemic has made it very clear that it still does not,” Hancock said. “When we lift our heads up, we see where we need to go. There is a fundamental lack of equity for far too many.”

The largest of the projects is a $450 million bond package to pay for several infrastructure projects, including $170 million for the construction of the National Western Center Arena, according to a city presentation. Other projects will include work on city parks, libraries, recreation centers, museums and roads.

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Hancock said the package would help create 7,500 jobs and $1 billion in economic benefits. That bond package will be submitted to the City Council this week. It will have to pass three council votes to be put on the November ballot for voter approval.

Hancock proposed $21 million of the American Rescue Plan be spent on funding businesses, non-profits and neighborhood organizations and $50 million of Denver’s marijuana sales tax revenue be used to establish a loan fund to support marijuana and other businesses.

In addition, Hancock said the city is launching a new Workforce Historic Preservation Training Program at the Mt. Morrison Camp at Red Rock Amphitheater. He said the work camp will be restored for use by the end of his term as mayor.

The program will be a six-week course providing training in the construction and preservation workforce. This effort would add to the city’s plan to use local, state and federal COVID-19 recovery funds to provide job-seeker support, training, apprenticeships, digital literacy and job placement to 20,000 residents.

Reactions

The community response following the address has been mixed among residents and city officials, with most expressing support for Hancock’s efforts to address homeless but criticizing other elements.

“I am encouraged by the mayor’s restated commitment to get our unhoused residents off the streets and into safer housing situations in the short term, and safe, dignified housing with supportive services as soon as possible,” Councilman Paul Kashmann said.

On social media, most complaints centered around Hancock’s plan to fund the National Western Center Arena using $170 million from a proposed $450 million bond package. Hancock’s tweet about the plan garnered dozens of negative responses.

STATE OF THE CITY | Text of Mayor Michael Hancock's speech

One such response was from former state Rep. Cole Wist, who called the plan “a tough sell.”

“A new arena? Seriously? How about roads, bridges, homelessness, public safety, crime, mental health services, etc.?” Wist’s tweet read. “Many other priorities need to be addressed.”

Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca raised similar criticisms, saying the mayor should focus on the three priorities that residents ranked the highest during town halls this spring: housing, transportation and workforce.

“He’s putting $28 million of federal dollars toward the city’s Affordable Housing Fund. Meanwhile, he wants Denver taxpayers to put up nearly $200 million on a $400 million bond just to fund an entertainment playground at the National Western Center that includes no affordable housing units in its plans,” CdeBaca said. “What does this say about our mayor’s priorities?”

CdeBaca also condemned Hancock recommending those who protested police brutality should join the police force, calling the suggestion “tone deaf.”

A similar sentiment towards the National Western Center Arena was expressed earlier this month when the bond package’s spending list was presented to the Denver City Council budget committee.

Multiple committee members, including Kashmann and CdeBaca, criticized so much of the bond package being spent on the arena. In contrast, Councilman Kevin Flynn denounced the use of a bond package to pay for maintenance projects, rather than creating assets like the Holly Gymnasium and Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Flynn said he was encouraged by Hancock’s proposed use of the bond package to fund assets that would “provide continuing community benefits.”

“This bond package is intended to be an economic stimulus package, and I appreciate that Mayor Hancock singled out the example of a stimulus project from the New Deal era, Red Rocks Amphitheater,” Fylnn said. “They gave us one of our most significant civic assets that produces benefits better than ever, 80 years after it opened.”

The finalized bond package project list will be presented to the City Council finance committee Tuesday.