There is a large gap between what it costs to live in Denver, and what the majority of people can afford. We need affordable housing that is not just the fully subsidized section 8 system, but that is designed for people with multiple jobs, children, or other complex life circumstances. I will work to create a deeper pool of affordable housing that can work for all kinds of people. 

Recently, we have seen some good improvements, such as rezoning district 1 to allow for accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which allows for more short term housing, increases income for homeowners. But we need to do more to support generational homeowners who have been in the community for years. 

The large gap between what it costs to live in Denver and what it pays in Denver. As a person who currently lives in subsodized housing, my experience was not the norm. I was able to move in easily and readily, but I know that is not what happens for others. 

We need affordable housing that is not just full section 8, but is in the middle. People with multiple gigs and jobs. If you don’t end up in subsodized place, finding a decent place to live that is safe, clean and well cared for within a budget for a mom and 2 children is impossible in proper city. 

Rezoning District 1 to allow ADUs has opened up a lot of possibilities for short term housing, increasing revenue for property investors and piqued developers into incentivizing the sale of family owned homes. But what about the homeowners who have been our neighbors, our friends, our families, for generations? Instead of further stabilizing the development market and giving way to further gentrification of our neighborhoods, let’s give the financial stabilization and increased housing opportunities of ADUs back to the people and families who have made our district what it is. Owner occupation requirements for short term rentals will help halt corporate and real estate investor impact on families being able to hold on to their homes, generational wealth, and the history, art, and culture of our district. 

Making sure that owner occupation is required for short term rentals doesn’t solely bridge the gap for low income home owners to prosper. Along with that requirement, I will fight to build and fund a program to subsidize the building of ADUs for the individuals and families who have made our district what it is, so that rising property taxes and utility costs can be covered by short term rental income, families will have more space for multi-generational aging in place, and can have more opportunity to continue maintaining and building generational wealth for years to come. 

 There is one grocery store north of I-70 in our district, on the east end of Chaffee Park. With high costs of public transit, inaccessibility of sidewalks and intersections, work schedules, and daycare limitations, food access for too many remains severely limited. Working with local farms, current city programs, and community organizations, I will work to expand the Double Up Food Bucks program and similar options to bring more fresh foods to our district to ensure everyone has the access they deserve, and to bring more support and sustainability to our local farmers, especially the ones in District 1.