F46761BC8FCC5A75872587A4007C059A Hearing Summary

Senator Moreno called the meeting to order. Kristin Toombs, Director of the Office of Homeless Initiatives, Division of Housing, and Natriece Bryant, Office of Economic Development and International Trade, began the presentation on the Governor's proposal on homeless initiatives (Attachment A).

Ms. Toombs continued by explaining that the Governor's budget submission requests $200 million for homeless initiatives from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.  Ms. Toombs discussed the need for homeless prevention and housing services in the state, and discussed the number of people experiencing unstable housing in Colorado. She reviewed the components of the request, including $100 million for a competitive grant program for safety net campuses and transitional and permanent supportive housing; $50 million for the Denver Recovery Campus; $45 million for the Ridge Review Recovery Campus; and $5 million for data collection and outreach for homelessness response.

Ms. Toombs discussed the continuum of response and recovery for homlessness-related issues. She discussed the cost benefits of providing housing.  Ms. Bryant discussed how the proposal complies with ARPA requirements. The presenters responded to questions from the task force regarding how the proposal complies with ARPA in terms of ongoing funding for staff. The presenters discussed the changing nature of homelessness, and how the proposal aligns with regional proposals.

The presenters further responded to questions from the task force regarding funding for homeless services, efforts to improve homeless services, and services for alcohol and drug abuse delivered through the Denver Recovery Campus. Senator Hansen asked about the effectiveness of the Fort Lyon program.