Denver, CO
Denver wants to move those experiencing homelessness directly into permanent housing
DENVER — Hundreds of unhoused people could be moved directly into permanent leased housing under a new program the city is considering.
The city began testing the Street to Lease program earlier this year as part of Mayor Mike Johnston’s ongoing efforts to fight homelessness.
During the pilot program, the city moved 12 people from a small encampment in Council District 8 directly into permanent housing.
Right now, unhoused people who accept city services are moved into temporary housing.
The city wants to use $5 million in pandemic funding to expand the Street to Lease program.
This would allow the city to move 250 unhoused people directly into permanent housing within 30 days of outreach.
Most of the money, about $4.2 million, would be used to pay their rent and utilities for up to a year, city officials said.
“This is a program that HOST (Department of Housing Stability) has intended to deploy for some time,” said Cole Chandler, the mayor’s senior homelessness advisor.
Chandler, who appeared before the city council’s housing committee on Wednesday, said money had already been set aside for the program.
“We’re now at a place where we’re ready to bring it forward and implement that,” said Chander.
The city plans to contract with Housing Connector, a nonprofit focused on helping people access affordable housing.
Housing Connector will help the city identify available housing units. They will also help process payments.
“They’re able to really be a strong liaison. And if there are challenges that are coming up with an individual in the housing unit, they’re able to work through those and sort through those with the landlord,” Chandler said.
Like with District 8, the city would focus on providing permanent housing to people living at smaller encampments throughout the city.
“The goal is to spread them out in the city of Denver, but also give them options so that they can choose where they want to live,” said Will Goodale with Housing Connector.
Denver wants to move those experiencing homelessness directly into permanent housing
Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer said the program appeared to be more promising than other homelessness programs the city spent money on.
But she and others were concerned about how the city plans to pay for the program long-term, given that pandemic funding is running out and city agencies having to cut their budgets due to the immigration crisis.
“You cannot have sustainable programs without a sustainable funding source,” said Sawyer.
Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore told Chandler there was not a lot of time left to figure out how the city would pay for this program and others that depend on pandemic funding.
“The majority of those funds are one-time funds,” said Gilmore. “They’re not going to magically appear again, ever.”
Chandler said city officials were having “critical conversations” about its long-term spending plan.
“We’re evaluating that as we look forward into the 2025, 2026 and beyond budget,” Chandler said. “I think that this is a program that is worth investing in and is worth bringing into our community.”
Gilmore also pressed Chandler about the overall spending of the mayor’s All In Mile High Homeless initiative.
“We were told by May 10 we would have the numbers around what is the All In Mile High’s true operating costs,” said Gilmore.
She asked Chandler if he could tell her the annual costs of that program.
“I mean you should know it,” said Gilmore.
“We’re still actively working on that,” Chandler replied. “We have a presentation for [the finance and governance committee] on June 18 where we’re planning to bring those items forward,” Chandler said.
Gilmore has been seeking the spending numbers for months and said it was disappointing that she even had to ask that question in a televised committee meeting.
“This is bordering on ridiculousness now. It’s embarrassing not to be able to tell a constituent what this costs,” said Gilmore. “It was early May and now June.”
Councilwoman Flor Alvidrez said she feels hopeful about the Street to Lease program and wants to know how the city is going to get participants into a position where they can pay their own rent.
“I feel like if people are investing something in this program, they’ll get more out of the program,” said Alvidrez.
Chandler said the city does not require people in its homelessness programs to meet with case managers.
But he said there are plenty available, about one case manager for every 20 people.
“While it’s non-compulsory, we’re working actively with individuals to help them get access to services,” said Chandler.
The city council’s housing committee advanced the city’s $5 million request on Wednesday, but some council members said they were on the fence about whether to give it final approval due to concerns about its long-term funding.
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DENVER — It was another record-breaking day in Denver Tuesday as the high temperature topped 80 degrees, crushing the previous record of 76 degrees set in 1896. It’s going to be even hotter Wednesday!
As this ridge of high pressure moves closer into Colorado, temperatures will climb about 30 degrees above normal. It’ll be the hottest day of the week with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s across the plains.
Denver will easily break the current record of 75 degrees, set in 2012. And the city could even challenge its all-time March record high of 86 degrees on Wednesday. It will likely be the fifth record breaking day of the month so far.
Gusty winds, hot temperatures and low humidity values will lead to high fire danger in south central Colorado Wednesday. A Fire Weather Watch and Red Flag Warning are posted for much of that area.
Temperatures will cool a bit on Thursday as a cold front moves into the state bringing a slight chance of showers, mainly to the mountains. Highs will still stay in the upper 70s to low 80s, with some gusty winds around the Denver metro.
Cooler air will settle in behind the front on Friday. Temperatures will dip into the 50s. It seems chilly compared to what we’ve seen, but it’s very seasonal for late March. Enjoy the brief break from the heat while it’s here. Warmer air and possibly more record-breaking heat return just in time for the weekend.
More record breaking temperatures across the Denver metro area
DENVER WEATHER LINKS: Hourly forecast | Radars | Traffic | Weather Page | 24/7 Weather Stream
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Denver, CO
Keeler: Why did 2026 Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle? Because they learned a lesson from 2025 Chiefs
Even Snakes roll snake eyes. As a Broncos quarterback, Jake Plummer went 3-3 in one-score games during the 2004 regular season. In 2005, Jake The Snake improved to 5-2 in those tilts. Plummer followed that up with a 3-5 record in one-score games during 2006.
Down. Up. Down. Close wins in the NFL, year-to-year, are about as consistently reliable as New Jersey Transit.
“You can’t coach clutch,” Plummer texted me Tuesday. “It’s either in your blood, or it isn’t.”
The Bo-lief is strong enough in Broncos Country right now to bench press a F-450 Super Duty. Bo Nix is 24-10 as a Broncos QB1 in regular-season tussles, 25-11 overall. He’s 13-8 in games decided by eight points or fewer as an NFL starter, and went 12-2 last fall.
The Broncos put up a mark of 11-2 in one-score games in 2025, tying an NFL record for one-score victories (11) in a season. Nix replaced Patrick Mahomes as the NFL’s Comeback King. Before the madness of Sean Payton’s fourth-down call in the AFC Championship, Denver had a method.
“The ones that have it, you can see it in their eyes,” Plummer continued. “It permeates the whole situation and something akin to faith!”
Faith is contagious.
Fortune is fickle.
Why did Denver trade for Jaylen Waddle?
Why are fans clamoring for another hammer at tailback to pair with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey?
Why do they want more speed at inside linebacker, someone who can run with tight ends up the seam?
Because history doesn’t say 11 one-score victories is hard to repeat.
History says it’s nearly impossible.
Over the last five decades, only five NFL teams have won 10 or more one-score games in a season — the Broncos became the newest member of that club last December.
But get a load of how those other four teams fared the very next year:
• 2024 Chiefs: 11 one-score wins, 15 wins overall. The following fall? A record of 1-9 in one-score games, six wins overall.
• 2022 Vikings: 11 one-score wins, 13 wins overall. The following fall? A record of 6-8 in one-score games, seven wins overall.
• 2019 Seahawks: 10 one-score wins, 11 wins overall. The following fall? A record of 8-3 in one-score games, 12 wins overall.
• 1978 Oilers: 10 one-score wins, 10 wins overall. The following fall? A record of 6-3 in one-score games, 11-5 overall.
Summing up? Two of the four teams that’d racked up double-digit close wins regressed badly, while the other two improved slightly.
But none of them won more than eight games by eight points or less the following season.
In fact, their combined winning percentage in one-score games that next year was 45.6% (21-25). And the average relapse was a 3.25-win falloff compared to the prior season.
With a tougher schedule, a new offensive coordinator and the usual spate of wacky, unpredictable NFL gremlins lurking, would it shock you if the Broncos finished 11-6? Or 12-5? In this division, you’d take either one of those records in a so-called “regression” year. Take it and run with it.
The Broncos’ floor is as high as it’s been since Sheriff Manning hung up his spurs. The ceiling is fluid. You swap draft picks for a proven, win-now talent such as Waddle because the football gods are going to demand that you make your own luck from here on out.
“Each season is different,” Plummer said. “When there is unfettered belief in each other, it’s contagious and those wins can happen naturally. On the contrary, when there is unrealistic expectations from the outside, pressure to perform can impede the natural flow of what’s happening on the field. That’s why believing is paramount to achieving!”
While the Snake’s Dove Valley chapter was coming to a close, the New Orleans Saints won four games by eight points or less in 2006, en route to a 10-6 mark.
The Saints were 2-3 in those close contests the next season and slipped to 7-9 overall. The year after that? A 3-6 record in one-score games and an 8-8 mark overall. Payton knows. And if he doesn’t, he’s sure as heck about to find out.
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Two more days of record-breaking heat are forecast for northern Colorado this week, including in the Denver area, according to the National Weather Service.
Earlier forecasts from the weather service projected 90-degree temperatures in Denver on Wednesday, which would have marked the city’s first of the year and earliest on record. The expected temperature high has since dropped to 88 degrees, which would still break daily and monthly heat records, according to the weather service.
NWS Tuesday forecasts:
- 64 degrees in Dillion, breaking the 63-degree record for March 24.
- 75 degrees in Evergreen, breaking the 71-degree daily record.
- 81 degrees in Denver, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 83 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 83 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 84 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 80-degree daily record.
NWS Wednesday forecasts:
- 69 degrees in Dillion, breaking the 62-degree record for March 24.
- 80 degrees in Evergreen, breaking the 75-degree daily record.
- 88 degrees in Denver, breaking the 75-degree daily record and the 86-degree March heat record. Denver has broken or tied the March heat record three times so far this month, according to the weather service.
- 89 degrees at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, breaking the 76-degree daily record.
- 87 degrees in Boulder, breaking the 78-degree daily record.
- 89 degrees at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, breaking the 79-degree daily record.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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