Denver is using millions in federal COVID-19 relief money to provide affordable housing and shelters in what amounts to one of the largest infusions of cash to address homelessness.

• About $77 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars are allocated for housing stability and homelessness programs, officials said.
• That's basically half of the entire $154 million the city received this year.

State of play: The big spending on housing demonstrates the scope of the problem and underscores how the city views it as a public health issue. And it comes at a time when homelessness has increased in the city.

• Some of the pressure to act is coming from the private sector. A variety of Denver businesses owners say homeless people lying and camping on the streets make customers feel unsafe and hurt downtown's recovery.
• When the city surveyed more than 12,000 people about where to spend the federal dollars, housing was a top answer.

What they're saying: "One of the priorities we heard loud and clear from the public: housing and homelessness [is] really paramount in their eyes," federal grants manager for Denver Rory Regan told Axios Denver.

Details: Denver's spending ranged from $75,000 for a study looking at reusing office buildings as housing to $20 million to buy properties and convert them into housing, an exclusive Axios Denver analysis of ARPA spending in collaboration with the Marshall Project found.

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Cole Chandler — the force behind tiny home villages and safe outdoor camping sites for unhoused people in Denver — now oversees the state's efforts to prevent homelessness.

Why it matters: Chandler's new position as director of homelessness initiatives for the Colorado Department of Human Services illustrates how homelessness has escalated from a Denver problem to a statewide one.

Details: Chandler told Axios Denver that one of his first goals is ensuring that 75% of the roughly 6,000-8,000 people experiencing homelessness each year who are on state cash-assistance programs get connected to housing assistance.

Yes, but: The tiny home villages and sanctioned campsites that Chandler is known for have faced some controversy.

• Mayor Michael Hancock was initially skeptical about the campsites, but the pandemic helped to change his mind.

Of note: Chandler isn't working to bring sanctioned camping locations to a statewide program. Instead, the governor's strategy is to create more affordable housing and access to health services.

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The next player in addressing global crises is you.

Driving the news: Crowdsourced research and open technology are making it easier for citizen-scientists and activists to track the effects of climate change and fallout from natural disasters, panelists said Tuesday at a Denver Startup Week event.

Maxar Technologies in Westminster uses its satellite imagery as part of a project to count walrus populations and track their movements to new habitats in a warmer climate.

• Other images made public from the war in Ukraine have helped governments, media organizations and others document evidence of alleged Russian grain theft and war crimes.
• And the company's images from hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico will help inform disaster response.

ColdQuanta, a quantum computing company in Boulder, is preparing to make its platforms available to the public this year so researchers and others can test applications and algorithms to solve complicated problems.

• "Essentially the sky's the limit. Whatever you can imagine you can do, you can try to do," Max Perez, the company's vice president of research and security solutions, said during the panel discussion moderated by Axios Denver's John Frank.

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A veteran officer with the Denver Police Department has filed a whistleblower complaint against the agency for allegedly fostering a culture of discrimination and sexual harassment, CPR reports.

Why it matters: The latest discrimination complaint marks at least the second filed by a female officer in three years and suggests systemic changes are needed within the department.

• The complaint coincides with new police chief Ron Thomas stepping into the role.

Details: Sgt. Carla Havard — who has served on the force for 24 years — recently filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, marking the initial step before being granted the right to sue.

• Havard alleges she has been treated unfairly as a Black woman and was retaliated against after calling for an investigation into anonymous testimonies from several female officers who said they experienced unwanted sexual advances from their colleagues.

The big picture

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🏒 The Colorado Avalanche signed an eight-year, $100.8 million contract extension with star forward Nathan MacKinnon, making him the highest-paid player in the league. (ESPN)

⚖️ A murder trial started this week for the Denver man accused of killing Isabella Thallas and injuring her boyfriend with an assault rifle in 2020 while they were walking their dog. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. (Denver Post)

🚨 A suspect is in custody following a hit-and-run Sunday evening that killed Weld County sheriff's deputy Alexis Hein-Nutz, 24, while she was riding her motorcycle to work. (9News)

🚩 A Greeley woman is in the hospital but expected to survive after Platteville police detained her in a patrol car that was struck by a train. One officer has been put on paid leave, and the incident is under review by several law enforcement agencies. (Greeley Tribune)

Denver's Gabby Windey found her happy ending after all on this season of ABC's "The Bachelorette."

• Tuesday's finale revealed the 31-year-old former Denver Broncos cheerleader got engaged to her last suitor standing: Eric Schwer, a 29-year-old real estate agent from Bedminster, New Jersey.

💍 What she's saying: "Oh my God, it's so pretty!" she gushed after seeing her engagement ring.

What's next: Windey is competing on the latest season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," which debuted Monday.

• Fans can follow her on Instagram for behind-the-scenes footage.