Denver to roll out more 'homeless meters' | Denver's Road Home

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Denver to roll out more 'homeless meters'
posted by: Jeffrey Wolf , Web Producer
written by: Thanh Truong , 9NEWS Reporter

DENVER - Throughout downtown Denver you will find 36 red meters that resemble everyday parking meters.

Instead of buying time at a parking spot, the meters advertise that the money deposited can help a Denver program aimed at ending homelessness in 10 years.

"Every quarter that you put into the meters goes right back to your homeless providers to build more housing and services for our homeless," said Jamie van Leeuwen, the project manager for Denver's Road Home Program.

Starting next week, Denver leaders will roll out phase 2 of the homeless meter program. The first 36 were unveiled back in March. Mayor John Hickenlooper is expected to announce that 50 more meters will be added. Most will be located in downtown because of the high volume of traffic, but plans also call for more than a dozen to be posted at Denver International Airport and at least one at the Pepsi Center.

Since they were installed, van Leeuewen says the meters have generated $36,000 through corporate sponsors and donations. The goal for the next 50 meters is to raise $100,000 a year.

However, money is not the only thing people like van Leeuwen are trying raise.

"I think equally important is the community awareness it's generating and educating people about the homeless in Denver," said van Leeuwen.


Continued @ http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=77476

Denver's Road Home
Ending Homelessness, Restoring Hope


The Plan


A Comprehensive Solution

Denver's Road Home is a comprehensive, integrated plan that blends a "housing first" solution with responsibility, self-reliance and accountability.


A Fiscally Responsible Approach

Denver is currently spending over $70 million annually on shelter, health care and other services for the homeless without creating long-term solutions. Denver's Road Home provides a coordinated, efficient and long-term response that is fiscally responsible and will save taxpayers money.


Self Reliance

The plan balances the provision of housing, treatment services and job training with expectations of personal responsibility and self-reliance from those who receive the services. It is about creating opportunity and helping people regain control of their lives.


A Regional Response Is Imperative

There are over 10,000 homeless people in the metro area and 54% of these men, women and children live outside the City of Denver. Denver is collaborating with surrounding counties through the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, including Boulder, Douglas, Adams, Jefferson and Arapahoe counties. These six counties are working to expand affordable housing and shelter beds and to close gaps in services. The homelessness problem is metro-wide; the entire Front Range will benefit from reducing the region's number of homeless people.


We Are Not Alone

There are over 200 communities across the country creating plans just like Denver, of which some have already reduced homelessness by as much as 75%. While Denver's Road Home is tailored to the homeless in our community, we are part of a large and growing national movement to end homelessness.


Find out more about the plan's goals, details and background.


http://www.denversroadhome.org/the_plan.php

[rockymountaindem]

1. Once again province why Denver may just well be

the best city of its size in the US.

[paulk]

2. hey! maybe some of the money we're spending on that

boondoggle Justice Center could have been better spent on building "more housing and services" for our homeless.

[sandnsea]

3. Housing First is stupendous

You guys should be so proud of this program. I don't think too many cities are doing this and everything I've read indicates it is the answer. Once people don't have to worry about housing, they can focus on their addictions, job, mental health, whatever other issues they have. It's really great and I hope it is a huge success to boast about during the Dem Convention.

[paulk]

4. I hope this is an answer

and not just a "feelgood" sop to distract from certain other failures of our city government.

Forgive me my cynicism when it comes to city governments (especially Denver's).

[sandnsea]

5. I don't know about the rest

or how the program is being implemented precisely, but I have read several articles about housing first. It's hard to get the funding, people fight the concept of free housing. But it's cheaper and more effective. Keep an eye on it!