Mayor: Denver housed more people faster per capita than any U.S. city
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston delivered his inaugural State of the City address on Monday at the Paramount Theatre, highlighting his first-year accomplishments and what's to come.
Why it matters: The speech presented the first-time mayor a chance to tout his progress, solidify his agenda and set the tone for the remainder of his four-year term.
The big picture: In his nearly 30-minute speech, Johnston focused on efforts to curb homelessness, combat crime, revive downtown and address the migrant crisis.
- He also doubled down on his pitch to raise sales taxes for affordable housing.
Between the lines: It was a platitude-heavy speech, even as far as State of the City addresses go.
- "Here in this capital of the New West where the mountains are tall and the rivers are deep, people … fight for each other, fortified by the deep belief that all our problems are solvable, and we are the ones to solve them," he said.
Here are the top takeaways:
Homelessness: Johnston said since his inauguration last July, Denver has "housed more people faster per capita than any city in America."
- That includes moving more than 1,600 people experiencing homelessness into transitional housing.
- He noted the city is on track to become the largest U.S. city to end street homelessness for veterans, which he promised to achieve by the end of this year.
Public safety: His administration is seeking to make Denver "the safest big city" in the country.
- He cited a drop in crime, with auto theft down 31%, shootings and homicides dropping 27% and property crime falling by similar rates.
Downtown: The mayor pinned the city center's success on the reopening of the 16th Street Mall, which has been under construction since early 2022, and pledged it would be complete by next year's State of the City.
- The project is 66% finished and estimated to cost nearly $175 million, the city's website shows.
- Johnston also promoted his administration's efforts to invest $500 million to make downtown more vibrant without raising taxes.
Migrant crisis: Since launching the asylum-seeker program in April, the city no longer has a "single encampment" of unsheltered migrant families, Johnston said.
- Earlier this month, the city saw a record-low number of immigrants from the southern U.S. border in its shelters.
What's next: The mayor is launching several new initiatives, including "trust patrols," where Denver police officers can "walk into a business or a rec center or a park, and talk to neighbors to find out what's working, what's not and what we can do better," he said.
- He intends to launch more than 6,000 trust patrols citywide by the end of 2025, and residents can request officer visits on the city's website.
- Johnston said this year he's also rolling out a "Give5 Mile High" community service campaign that will call on residents to spend five hours on the third Saturday of every month volunteering.
- Each month will center around a different citywide need. The first will be Aug. 17, when the city will partner with Denver Public Schools to ensure students have necessary resources ahead of the fall semester.