Affordable Housing and Reducing Homelessness

When Robin took office, Denver spent zero local dollars on affordable housing and had no policies to speak of. With many partners and perseverance, she transformed the city’s role in housing and homelessness through two funding streams that build affordable housing, fund housing stability and reduce homelessness, passed dozens of policies and new programs and modernized and brought more equity to our zoning code. By 2030, the two funding sources she sponsored will have invested nearly a billion dollars into expanding access to affordable housing and reducing homelessness for individuals and families in Denver.

2023

Maintain Safe Outdoor and Temporary Parking Spaces as an Option for our Unhoused Neighbors

Pilot sites launched in 2020. Successful model adopted into the zoning code in 2023. in 2023

In her final legislative act on Council, Councilwoman Robin Kniech worked with Councilman Chris Hinds to bring Safe Outdoor Spaces and Temporary Partnerships, together with tiny home villages, into Denver zoning code under the new name, "Temporary Managed Communities." These sites help those experiencing homelessness by providing them a safe space to live while connecting them to life-changing services that help them transition out of homelessness and find permanent housing.

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2022

Inclusionary Housing: Expanding Affordable Housing in Denver

State legislation authorizing cities to regulate development passed in 2021. Denver’s Expanding Affordable Housing ordinance was passed by City Council in 2022. in 2022

After several decades of legal barriers, Councilwoman Kniech worked alongside now Councilwoman At-Large Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, other legislators and local governments to pass legislation allowing local authority over affordability in new development. Then, Councilwoman Kniech was a leading champion shaping an Expanding Housing Affordability package to require affordability in new housing development in Denver. The centerpiece was an inclusionary housing requirement of 8-15% affordability in any residential development with 10 or more homes and increased linkage fees to fund affordable housing from all other forms of development. It requires a negotiated agreement that in most cases results in deeper affordability for larger developments receiving city subsidies or land or special taxing authority.

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2020

Dedicated Funding to Reduce Homelessness

Denver voters approved measure 2B in November 2020, which as of 2023 provided $47 million per year, an amount that will grow over time.

To ensure that more individuals can move from shelter or the streets to stable housing more quickly, dedicated resources were needed. Councilwoman Kniech sponsored a ballot measure that was referred by Denver City Council and passed by 62% of the voters in November 2020. The measure dedicated a .25% sales tax (2.5 cents on a $10 purchase) to fund housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness.

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2019

Zoning to Allow Tiny Home Villages for Those Experiencing Homelessness

Zoning code updated in 2019 to allow for Tiny Home Villages.

Robin Kniech supported creating Denver's first Tiny Home Village in 2017 to help people who fell between the cracks of shelter and housing. A successful pilot program led to an official 2019 zoning code amendment recognizing Tiny Home Villages as a solution for unsheltered homelessness.

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2019

Supportive Housing Neighborhood Engagement Guide

These resources are available for anyone interested, including neighbors of supportive housing, building teams, and providers.

The Supportive Housing Neighborhood Engagement Guide is a resource for neighbors and housing teams to constructively engage with each other and address homelessness by growing the supply of supportive housing in Denver, Colorado and beyond. The guide was published in 2020 and was shaped by representatives from neighborhoods, housing teams, funders, and those who have personally experienced homelessness, through a community-based process convened by Councilwoman Kniech’s office.

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2019

Expanding Denver’s Property Tax Rebate

The rebate is providing ongoing support to Denver families.

Denver has provided a property tax rebate to assist very low-income seniors and disabled residents for many decades. In May 2019, the rebate was expanded to cover more older adults and disabled persons and to assist low-income homeowners with children for the very first time. The income limits were raised again in 2021 to reach even more of these households.

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2018

Prohibiting Housing Discrimination Based on Source of Income

Providing ongoing protection for Denver residents.

To expand affordable housing access, Robin Kniech led the passage of an anti-discrimination ordinance ensuring those seeking housing cannot be denied if they are using income other than wages. For example, the law prohibits discrimination based on income such as social security, Housing Choice Vouchers/Section 8, child support, student loans, veteran or disability benefits, etc. The law came into effect on January 1, 2019, making Denver one of sixty-five cities and counties and 14 states to protect against Source of Income discrimination and it served as a model that was quickly followed by a similar prohibition by the entire state of Colorado.

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2018

Eviction Legal Defense Pilot

The pilot has since transformed to an evolving City-funded program.

Robin created Denver's first Eviction Legal Defense program to help families facing eviction without legal support. A successful pilot program convinced the City of Denver to fund the program and provide eviction defense for all households earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income.

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2016

Creation of Denver’s First Affordable Housing Fund

Fund established in 2016, doubled in 2018 and by 2020 had provided more than $84 million.

In Fall 2016, the Denver City Council approved the first-ever dedicated fund for affordable housing in Denver. Through a thoughtful balance of property tax revenue and a one-time fee on new development, and after doubling the fund in 2018, the fund is estimated to raise $300 million over 10 years to create or preserve 6,000 affordable homes for low-to-moderate-income families. By 2020, the Affordable Housing Fund had provided more than $84 million, built 2,500 new homes and served 6,300 households.

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