Denver Council Backs $1.72M Eviction Aid Deal, Leaves Police Budget Intact

Denver City Council spent its Nov. 2 session amending the mayor's proposed 2027 budget, and the biggest result was a negotiated rescue of eviction prevention funding. Council passed a $1.72M rental assistance amendment 10-2, and the mayor's office pledged a $2.28M contingency ordinance to go with it. A dozen amendments reached a vote and five passed. Every attempt to move money out of police, safety or business incentive accounts failed.

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• $1.72M eviction-aid amendment passes 10-2, paired with a planned $2.28M mayoral ordinance, for about $4M in total
• Police and safety budgets hold: youth traffic safety, crime lab and jail case manager shifts all fail
• STAR expansion fails 4-8 after officials say the $500,000 source was already committed
• Nest 56 amendment passes with seven votes; fair housing center's $100,000 lifeline fails 5-7
• Basic income study dies on a 6-6 tie; Day Works transfer fails 4-8

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Eviction Aid Deal Lands Near $4M

The basics: Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance, or TRUA, is Denver's eviction-prevention program. It is funded through the Affordable Housing Fund special revenue fund.

Why it matters: The amendment and a planned mayoral ordinance together would put about $4M into 2027 TRUA. That is below the $5.5M sponsors first sought, but it restores a core tool for families at risk of homelessness.

Where things stand: Council President Pro Tem Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez said a council supermajority had wanted more TRUA funding than the mayor's budget letter included. Her amendment, co-sponsored with Councilmembers Shontel M. Lewis and Flor Alvidrez, trims services and supplies budgets across multiple agencies to add $1,724,038. Defending the program while evaluations continue, she said, "We have providers right now doing this work on the ground."

The mayor's office supplied the rest of the money. "The administration is planning on submitting as early as next week for this council's consideration an ordinance to rescind budget from the 2026 general fund contingency," said Tim Hoffman of the Mayor's Office. The ordinance would move $2,275,962 to the Affordable Housing Fund. "This $2.275 million was the balance remaining in the 2026 contingency," said Nicole Doheny, Chief Financial Officer, after other supplemental requests were covered.

The other side: Councilmembers Amanda Sawyer and Kevin Flynn objected to the supplies-and-services cuts. Flynn said he would rather use 2027 contingency funds, calling the mayor's approach "a much more elegant and better solution."

Jeff Kositsky, Deputy Director, Department of Housing Stability (HOST), said studies show the Denver Public Schools version of TRUA, which adds about $3,000 in case management, did not outperform standard TRUA. He proposed prioritizing families with children while still accepting DPS referrals.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The amendment passed (For: 10, Against: 2, Sawyer and Flynn). Sponsors withdrew a larger $5.5M amendment, 26-1667. A $400,000 Technology Services-funded amendment from Council President Diana Romero Campbell, Alvidrez and Councilmember Darrell Watson, which would have extended DPS case management through May 2027, was also pulled. Renters gain a funded safety net. City agencies absorb another round of operating trims.

What's next: The administration's contingency ordinance could arrive as early as next week.

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Police Budget Holds as STAR Expansion Stalls

Why it matters: Four bids to redirect police, safety or incentive dollars toward prevention failed. Together they signaled that council will not cut police or other agency operating funds this year.

Where things stand: Councilmember Paul Kashmann sought to move $400,000 from Police administration supplies to revive the Denver Culture of Safety Education program. The program covered car seats, Teen Safe Streets and Vision Zero outreach, and it ended Sept. 30 when a state CDOT grant lapsed. Police Chief Ron Thomas said about 75% of that budget is locked in contracts and warned that "$400,000 would actually have a significant negative impact on our ability to operate." Nick Williams of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the team had already been laid off. "No, I cannot guarantee that it would be a one-to-one replacement," he said. Flynn called this the worst budget of his 12 years.

Lewis then proposed $500,000 for another STAR crew to cover hours the alternative-response program does not operate. STAR answers an estimated 35% to 50% of eligible calls. "I don't know why in the name of God we're not funding STAR completely," Kashmann said.

The other side: Sawyer and Councilmember Amanda P. Sandoval said the Business Incentive Fund money was already promised to construction-affected businesses on Santa Fe, Acoma and Morrison Road. "We're currently looking at basically a zero budget for 2027," said Adeeb Khan, Executive Director, Denver Economic Development and Opportunity. Karen McGowan, Director, Department of Public Health and Environment, said one-time funds cannot support new staff.

Two more amendments followed. A roughly $492,000 shift to crime lab personnel targeted 13 vacancies and turnaround times that rose from 16 days in 2021 to 46 in May 2026. Thomas countered that "the accreditation doesn't really have anything to do with the staffing level." A $258,975 shift to Sheriff case managers drew a warning from Angela Casillas, Chief of Staff, Department of Safety, that it "would put us at less than 50% of our original capacity for the SET team."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The youth safety and STAR amendments each failed 4-8, backed only by Councilmembers Stacie Gilmore, Gonzales-Gutierrez, Kashmann and Lewis. The crime lab and case manager amendments each failed 5-7. Councilmember Chris Hinds joined the case manager effort.

What's next: "So yes, we are committed to continuing to champion this really important program," Hoffman said of STAR. He promised talks on sustainable funding.

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Nest 56 Wins, Fair Housing Center Loses

Where things stand: Watson moved $300,000 from a HOST social impact bond fund to HOST's general fund. The money is aimed at services like Nest 56, which houses 56 young adults and faces a shortfall as a congressional award ends. "This is a timing issue, and we really would love the support of the council," said Annie Batchi, Executive Director, Nest 56.

The other side: Councilmember Jamie Torres said council cannot direct a specific contract. Staff confirmed that procurement rules apply. Kositsky said the fund pays investors under a pay-for-performance contract and must be replenished from other programs. "My understanding of their budget gap is that it doesn't happen until the 4th quarter of 2027," said Cole Chandler, Executive Director, HOST. Chandler called the amendment unnecessary. Watson rebuked him, saying a group warned that young people risked having to sleep on the streets. Hinds later apologized for calling it "silly."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The Nest 56 amendment passed with seven votes. Sandoval, Sawyer, Torres and Flynn voted no. No vendor is guaranteed the money.

A separate $100,000 amendment to keep the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center open failed 5-7. The center served 309 households against a goal of 180. Kositsky said HOST cut $275,000 in lower-performing counseling programs after federal ARPA relief money ended.

What's next: HOST plans a permanent supportive housing procurement in 2027, with contracts starting in 2028.

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Day Works, Basic Income Study Fall Short

Where things stand: Lewis sought $530,000 to move Denver Day Works, a job program for people experiencing homelessness, to the city's economic development agency for competitive bidding. Kositsky said the provider underspent: "They had a goal of 60 job placements and only achieved 10." Doheny said her department's discretionary supplies budget is under $30,000. Flynn objected to helping "overfund a program that has a record of underspending." It failed 4-8.

Lewis also sought $240,000, split between Police and Public Health supplies, for a one-year follow-up study of Denver Basic Income Project participants. "We have zero paid staff," said founder Mark Donovan. McGowan said, "I'm struggling to figure out where I'm supposed to pull cuts to my service and supplies." "We did try this once, and we didn't find it worthy to continue," Flynn said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The study failed on a 6-6 tie. Sandoval, Sawyer, Torres, Alvidrez, Flynn and Romero Campbell voted no. Day Works runs through December, and its 2027 funding remains unsettled.

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Three Smaller Wins for Sponsors

• Independent Monitor analyst passes 11-1, with Flynn opposed. The $60,000 from fund balance will support reviews of license plate reader search logs. Budget Director Justin Sykes noted the reserve target is 15%, and reserves are projected at 12% at the end of 2027. Kashmann called it "$60,000 out of a $1.7 billion budget."
• Youth data system passes 7-5: $200,000 in Broncos Fund money, over Ben Sanders' wish to "reserve this $200,000 for needs that might develop later."
• Public defender pay equity passes 9-3: $60,000 moved from Mayor's Office personnel; Sawyer, Flynn and Romero Campbell opposed.

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• Consent block passes on 11 ayes: 22 items, including $37.9M DIA self bag drop, $23M Argus event staffing and $11M Securitas security contracts.
• Homelessness contracts approved: $1.47M and $627,000 in Volunteers of America rapid rehousing, plus $3.7M for the Behavioral Health Solutions Center.
• Alterra lease at 101 W. Colfax postponed to Nov. 9 at Alvidrez's request.
• Colfax Mayfair BID expansion introduced among 14 published bills; public hearing set for Nov. 9.
• Flynn honored former city attorney Steve Kaplan, who died Nov. 1.

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Looking ahead: Watch for the mayor's $2.28M TRUA contingency ordinance and the Nov. 9 agenda, which includes the Alterra lease and the Colfax Mayfair hearing.