6 minute read
Looking back, and forward, as I depart City Council
My election to Denver City Council was against the odds. I grew up working class without a lot of money. I went to law school on loans and scholarships, but rather than chase a fat law rm salary, I became an organizer holding developers accountable for affordable housing, good jobs and sustainability — but campaigning is expensive. I was juggling a toddler and couldn’t even legally marry my son’s other mom — in a city that had never elected an out LGBT leader.
But Denver embraced me, and reelected me twice. Serving this city has been a gift and a challenge, and I look back with gratitude on all we’ve accomplished together.
My service began with a city budget stuck in the Great Recession. Voters wisely restored nancial stability, and you know the rest: Our sunshine, mountains and amenities welcomed a decade of strong job and population growth that lasted until the pandemic. roughout it all, I focused on ensuring a high quality of life for Denver’s families — good jobs that pay enough to live here, more a ordable housing in inclusive communities that are healthy and sustainable for future generations.
Denver is a city in an America
A publication of
Mailing Address: 750 W. Hampden Ave., Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80110 Phone: 303-566-4100
To subscribe call 303-566-4100 or visit www.washparkprofile.com/subscribe and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at Red Rocks in Morrison — o er free admission all the time. Other organizations are able to o er experiences and events that are free and open to the general public because of the SCFD’s support. Remember the old Elitch Gardens when it was located in northwest Denver? Today, the original location at 4550 W. 38th Ave. is home to the Historic Elitch eatre, and it is hosting free movie nights — with familyfriendly (PG and PG-13) blockbuster lms — throughout the summer.
So, if you are still unsure what your summer will entail, do some exploring through the SCFD. I guarantee it will help you plan an unforgettable, fun- lled local summer.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Sampling for Hope
Guest Column
Robin Kniech
that sells land and housing to the highest bidder, making housing a ordability among our greatest challenges — and we started way behind. I was elected to govern a Denver with no housing department, zero dollars in local funding and a state law banning a ordability requirements for the apartments going up everywhere.
Together, we fought and won a transformation in the city’s approach to housing. I led the charge for one-time funding and then for Denver’s rst A ordable Housing Fund in 2016, doubled in 2018. It took eight years to generate the rst $99 million in local housing dollars. anks to development fees, a voter-approved sales tax to reduce homelessness, marijuana and property tax, and more, Denver invested $97 million from these funds in 2023 alonefor home ownership, rental assistance, new a ordable housing and services to transition people out of homelessness. By 2030, they’ll invest nearly $1 billion.
On top of the funding, I championed a change in state law so we can now require a ordability in all new residential development, and passed other policies like a prohibi-
LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher
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MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com
CHRISTY STEADMAN Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com tion on discrimination in source of income and more.
We also transformed expectations for job quality with new policies and wage standards. e statewide minimum wage was $7.36 in 2011. In 2019, I led passage of Colorado’s rst, and only, local wage — which goes further than any city in the nation at $17.29. It’s helping Denver live up to our values of racial and gender equity as more Black, Indigenous, people of color and women make up the ranks of service workers, and helps all workers keep up with cost of living.
Denver’s challenges are still great, but as I leave o ce, “basic city services” now include a wider foundation of programs for housing, economic stability and sustainability. Your next elected leaders have critical new tools and can expand and build upon this foundation.
All of this happened because of community partners, supporters (and pressure!) from constituents like you, who helped overcome reluctance and opposition we faced along the way. I will cheer the next generation of leaders on, but your engagement remains important. When the ease of the campaign trail translates to the rough realities of governing, sometimes hard decisions are needed to maintain
In recent years, domestic violence incidents and deaths have risen in Colorado, and abusers continue to nd new ways to maintain power and control over their partners. At the same time, Denver’s housing costs have continued to rise while wage growth remains stagnant, resulting in a volatile housing market. is has sparked important conversations about barriers faced by survivors of domestic violence when they try to leave an abusive relationship. Finding safe, a ordable housing is among the biggest of these barriers. Since 2018, SafeHouse Denver has o ered an Extended Stay Program, which provides survivors with rent-free, fully furnished apartments in a safe environment. e program o ers independent living and gives survivors extra time to nd longterm housing and other necessary resources for stability.
As a student studying law at the University of Denver and seeking to engage with the community, I was drawn to SafeHouse’s mission, so I’ve been volunteering with them ever since.
SafeHouse holds an annual food tasting fundraiser, called Sampling for Hope, to support the Extended Stay Program and raise awareness. As a member of the planning committee since 2019, I’m looking forward to this year’s event. It takes place on June 8 at Mile High Station, SEE LETTER, P15 SEE KNIECH, P15
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Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.
Adrian Juarez RESPECT ACADEMY
Future plans: Pursue a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of ColoradoDenver.
Quote: “Academically, I’ve learned a lot. But I’ve also learned that mistakes and errors are a part of growth. I learned that giving up is never the answer. We owe it to ourselves and those who support us to try, even if we fail because failure creates a bigger success. e key is to just keep trying.”
DSST: COLE HIGH SCHOOL
Future plans: Major in education at Regis University.
Quote: “ e Class of 2023 is really good on advocating for themselves, not afraid to speak their minds, and one day in the future, they will be seen as role models. If no one believes in you, you need to believe in yourself because at the end of day, you are yourself.”
DSST: BYERS
Future plans: Attend Tarleton State University in Texas for Division 1 Cheer, major in nursing.
Quote: “ e class of 2023 is special because of how close we have grown as a class, especially because our high school experience has had so many unexpected situations.”
DSST: BYERS
Future plans: Study Economics at Texas A&M.
Quote: “ e class of 2023 is special because we have developed a voice for ourselves to stand up and advocate for ourselves, and for what we hope to change for the future.”
Hawa
DENVER SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
Future plans: Study integrated nursing at the Community College of Denver.
Quote: “English is not my rst language, so high school taught me to ask for support and join the community to learn the language and grow as a student.”
With
DSST:
Conservatory Green High School
Future plans: Attend Colorado College.
Quote: “Besides the hard skills, like the strong academics, I have learned a lot about team work, the soft skills of working with others. I know that these are the skills that will be valuable for both college and lifelong success.”
DSST: COLE HIGH SCHOOL
Future plans: Major in biomedical and mechanical engineering at Colorado State University.
Quote: “People aren’t always going to be by your side, and there are others that will. So at the end of the day, do what you want to do for yourself and not for others.”
DSST: CONSERVATORY GREEN HIGH SCHOOL
Future plans: Attend the Colorado School of Mines in Golden.
Quote: “Our Class of 2023, we are the breaking point of diversity and education. When I was going out and visiting college campuses, I noticed how White the campuses were. Now with our class, so many of us are heading to college and we are making the di erence and change in higher education.”
