I tried (and failed) to navigate a Denver City Council meeting
On Monday, August 14, Denver City Council voted on the types of projects that would become funded via our city’s $937 million GO Bond. Denverites will ultimately vote on these pre-chosen projects in November. I’ve been watching the GO Bond take shape for months and was appalled by Denver’s inability to even consider our affordable housing crisis as something that could be partially solved with the hundreds of millions of dollars that are up for grabs come November. I went to that City Council meeting to ask that they PLEASE consider the housing crisis when determining where we will spend almost a billion dollars. I found this process of civic engagement to be almost inaccessible; I showed up at the wrong time, spoke at the wrong time and embarrassed myself in front of a room full of people. But what’s cool about this whole thing? Denverite, a local publication, asked me to share my experience in the hopes of helping others navigate the municipal political system: OPINION: How I learned that civic engagement isn’t as easy as it should be Also, if you’re interested: Here’s the letter I read to Denver City Council that night at the meeting: Hi- My name is Bree Davies. Though I work with several organizations in this city, I am here tonight as a citizen to share my concerns about the upcoming GO Bond. As a born and raised Denverite, I have made the choice to stay in this city, even as it has become unaffordable in so many ways. I also have the privilege of housing security, thanks to an understanding landlord who keeps my rent reasonable -- but I know that many others in my city do not have this luxury. When I look at the list of projects being considered for the Bond and with more than $900 million dollars at stake, I wonder: how has something as necessary as housing not made the cut? I understand that transportation is a valid issue affecting all neighborhoods in Denver, but putting more than $415 million towards mobility improvements seems futile if folks can’t afford to stay living in this city. What good is a bike lane if no one can afford to live on the street where it exists? I want my neighborhood to have accessible sidewalks, but not at the cost of becoming more desirable and therefore, more likely to be gentrified. I grew up in Virginia Village, Councilperson Kashmann’s district, but have spent the better part of the last decade as a resident of Barnum, Councilperson Lopez’s district. I live in Barnum because it is affordable, for now. It reminds me of the working class neighborhood I grew up in, but no longer exists. I fear that Barnum, along with Westwood, Valverde, Villa Park and Sun Valley are already on the gentrification chopping block. I worry for many of my neighbors who, like me, are renters and may soon find themselves displaced. To see this city considering close to a billion dollars in bond money but not include housing enrages and embarrasses me. Where are our priorities? Don’t we care about our foundational people and the rooted communities that give Denver life? I spent ten years as an arts & culture reporter in Denver and have long been an advocate for the arts. Last year, I was a vocal advocate of a renewal of the SCFD tax – which passed. But to see the big cultural institutions up for more than $100 million dollars in bond money seems greedy. Again, what good are these institutions if the people they are supposed to serve can no longer afford to live here? I applaud your approval of last year’s affordable housing fund – I think it is a step in the right direction. But it is only a step. With a projected $937 Million at stake for this upcoming bond, why can’t we put more of our money toward affordable housing solutions? I’m here to ask you to reconsider the way our money is spent. Denver will never be a world-class city unless we prove ourselves to a humanitarian city first. Finally, I request a repeal of the urban camping ban. I’m tired of seeing a classist law criminalize humanity while overworking the already hardworking social workers I know and love. Thank you for your time.
