HOMELESSNESS

Every Coloradan deserves a safe place to call home, which is why we prioritized passing legislation this year to help those experiencing homelessness across our state. We made major investments to not only expand housing options, but increase access to the supportive services folks need to care for their health and well-being. By increasing access to critical behavioral health treatment, medical care, emergency shelter, transitional housing services, and other supports, we will be able to help people bounce back and put them on a successful path toward self-sufficiency. 

Repurpose The Ridge View Campus | SB22-211

Fields & Hinrichsen / A.Valdez

Addressing homelessness is so much more than creating more housing options. It’s about connecting people without stable housing to services, care and housing they need to move forward. This bill repurposes an unused, state-owned facility as the Ridge View Supportive Residential Community which will serve to provide housing, a continuum of behavioral health service treatment, medical care, vocational training, and skill development for Ridge View residents and the general public. Specifically, Ridge View will provide a transitional housing program for individuals experiencing homelessness and voluntarily choosing to focus on recovery; substance use recovery treatment and services informed by the American Society of Addiction Medicine; and a Federally Qualified Health Center to provide residents and the public with access to medical treatments that help facilitate recovery, including medical and dental care and a continuum of behavioral health services. This repurposing is funded by a $45 million transfer from the Economic Recovery & Relief Cash Fund.

Grant Program Providing Responses To Homelessness | HB22-1377

Gonzales & Kolker / Woodrow & Exum

We've seen clearly over the past few years that crisis exacerbates inequality. As our state's housing issues have worsened significantly, even more Coloradans find themselves without a place to call home. This legislation aims to help folks get back on their feet by expanding access to the housing, care and support services that they need to gain stability and move forward. This bill creates the Connecting Coloradans Experiencing Homelessness with Services, Recovery Care, and Housing Support Services Grant Program in DOH to enable local governments and nonprofits to make investments and improvements in their communities or regions of the state to address and respond to the needs of persons experiencing homelessness (PEH). Funding may be awarded for projects or programs that provide gap financing for conversion of underutilized properties into transitional housing, provide supportive services, invest in data collection and outreach, support coordination systems, and fund housing development projects and homeless response programs. This program is funded with a $105 million transfer from the Economic Recovery & Relief Cash Fund.

Denver-metro Regional Navigation Campus Grant | HB22-1378

Coleman & Hansen / Jodeh & Sullivan

The homelessness crisis has hit our communities hard, and addressing it requires all hands on deck, which is exactly the approach this legislation takes. This bill will connect folks without stable housing to the services, care and housing they need, and give more Coloradans support they need. This bill tasks the Division of Housing to issue a request for application (RFA) for eligible recipients to build or acquire, and then facilitate, a regional navigation campus to respond to and prevent homelessness. Eligible recipients include local governments in the Denver-Metro area, or a nonprofit organization applying in conjunction with a Denver-Metro local government (includes: Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties; city and counties of Denver & Broomfield; Denver Regional Council of Governments). Applicants must demonstrate how they plan to offer services for behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment, medical care, transitional and permanent supportive housing, emergency shelter, vocational rehabilitation, case management, transportation, life skills training, and other potential capabilities. This RFA is to be funded by a $50 million transfer from the Economic Recovery & Relief Cash Fund.

Colorado Homeless Contribution Income Tax Credit | HB22-1083

Winter & Simpson / Tipper & Rich

This bill expands a Colorado homeless contribution income tax credit to save Coloradans money on charitable donations while combating homelessness. The bill replaces and expands a state income tax credit for contributions to projects meant to address homelessness. Under the bill, taxpayers who make a monetary or in-kind contribution to an approved nonprofit organization or to an approved project administered by the nonprofit organization are allowed a state income tax credit equal to 25% of the total value of the contribution. The credit may be carried forward for up to five years, and is available to individual and corporate taxpayers from 2023 through 2030.