The Unvarnished Truth Behind 10 Years of Sweeping Homelessness Under the Rug
Ten years ago this week, Denver leaders signed an urban camping ban into law. Since then, folks across the city have experienced displacement, skyrocketing housing costs, and fewer and fewer sheltering options for those living on the margins. Today on the show, Bree sits down with Denver Homeless Out Loud cofounder Benjamin Dunning and Westword reporter Conor McCormick-Cavanaugh for a wide-ranging conversation on how Denver got here and what the future looks like for a city that desperately needs more affordable housing options.
For a thorough breakdown of Denver’s recent history dealing with our housing crisis, do yourself a favor and spend some time with McCormick-Cavanagh’s terrific feature story from last December: https://www.westword.com/news/denver-homelessness-decades-hancock-hickenlooper-pena-12975252
Interested in the work advocates and the unhoused community are doing? Denver Homeless Out Loud offers resources and information, like this “Seven Myths of Homelessness” list. Also, events commemorating the “Decade of Doom” culminate this weekend. More info here.
Wanna have a kickass weekend? Peyton’s got a rundown of cool events and other stuff to do in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/
If you were running for mayor in 2023, what would be your stance on the urban camping ban? Repeal it or extend it? Tell us why on Twitter @citycastdenver or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood and we might play it on the show: (720) 500-5418
Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Denver and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
‘Your City Could Be Better’: A St. Paul Cell Phone Ban Teens Might Actually Like — Presented By City Cast Denver
Another Denver school year has begun — how are cell phones being handled? In Minnesota, one high school is demonstrating that a strict no...
A Cheesy New Ethics Complaint at DIA, CoCo Vote Veers Off Course, and Denver's Best PSL
It might not feel like it, but we are, actually, in the fall season! Contributor Michelle Jackson joins producer Olivia Jewell Love to ch...
How This Election Could Change All Other Elections. Plus, ‘Love is Blind’: Where Are They Now?
It's election season, and those blue books are beefy this year! We’re going one by one through some of the thorniest ballot measures all...
What Would You Name Dick’s Sporting Goods Park? Plus, Casa Bonita’s Wishing Well and Local Comedy Drama
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park may not be long for this world – well, the name anyway. For the first time in the Colorado Rapids soccer stadi...
Harsher Fentanyl Penalties, Voter ID Requirements, and More of the Conservative Agenda on Colorado Ballots
The conservative nonprofit Advance Colorado brought a whopping eight initiatives to the ballot this year – that’s more than half of the 1...
The DPS Board’s Half-Decade of Drama, Meet Your Soulmate, and Will a Chatbot Replace Denver's 311 Operators?
Denver Public Schools board member DJ Torres resigned last week, his reasoning being “too much of my time and energy have been consumed b...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: This Basketball Court Is Saving Residents From Floods — Presented By City Cast Denver
When Denver looks for inspiration for the future, does it look to the Netherlands? That’s what designers and officials in New York City d...
Privatizing the Trash, Drones Delivering Pasta, and How to PorchFest
Denverites already pay for trash pick-up, but what if that money went to a private company instead of the city? The city’s waste services...
Will Denver Ever Say Yes to the Duplex? Plus, the Ethics Investigation Costing the City $800,000
A proposal to make sweeping changes to the zoning code was sent back to the drawing board by city council – signalling the end of a push...
Your Guide to October 2026 in Denver
Fall is here — and we’re ready for the sweater weather, cozy vibes, and spiced everything! From finding the right craft meetup to enjoyin...