Denver’s homeless community holds first-ever forum with mayoral candidates
Story by Robert Davis
Photos by Giles Clasen
Advocates for Denver’s homeless community hosted an outdoor forum in front of Denver’s City Hall on February 20 for people experiencing homelessness to ask the city’s mayoral candidates about a range of topics.
Photo: Giles Clasen
Community members asked about issues such as the use of psilocybin to treat mental health and substance abuse issues, increasing affordable housing and shelter conditions, and improving connections between service providers and people who are unhoused.
In all, 12 of the 17 candidates for mayor attended the forum. At one point, the audience numbered more than 100 people before the sun went down, and a cold wind began to swirl through Bannock St. The forum was organized by Housekeys Action Network Denver and Mutual Aid Monday, two nonprofit advocacy groups.
“We share a lot here—it’s a place we come to break bread and to serve others,” Jess Wiederholt, an organizer with Mutual Aid Monday, said about the venue for the forum. Mutual Aid Monday regularly holds a dinner on Monday nights at Civic Center Park.
“But there have also been a lot of tears shed here after people have their stuff violently taken away from them during a sweep,” Weiderholt continued.
The conversation was fiery at times. Candidates Andy Rougeot—the son of Jean-Andre Rougeot, who founded the beauty supply company Sephora—and Sen. Chris Hansen, who represents part of downtown Denver, received loud boos from the audience after they were introduced.
Hansen recently released a television advertisement that has been widely criticized by members of Denver’s homeless community who say it typecasts them as criminals. Rougeot, on the other hand, has positioned himself as the tough-on-crime candidate.
At other points of the night, the talk devolved into shouting. One instance came when activist Jesse Paris was asked to take the stage in place of candidate Al Gardner, who did not attend. Paris has run for mayor multiple times and said he is currently a “write-in” candidate for the 2023 race. Some unhoused people shouted their support for Paris while others called for the event to move on. Paris took Gardner’s seat after a couple of minutes of debate among candidates and the forum moderators but didn’t answer any questions.
Another particularly raucous exchange happened when the forum moderators asked candidates whether they supported the city’s urban camping ban and the use of sweeps to clear homeless encampments.
Rougeot stated emphatically that he will “enforce the camping ban,” to which the crowd erupted in a chorus of boos and jeers.
Candidates such as State Representative Leslie Herod, Senator Mike Johnston, developer Robert Treta, and Ean Thomas Tafoya said they would stop enforcing the camping ban and sweeping encampments altogether.
Some candidates also spoke about improving shelter conditions. A man who only identified himself as “Kevin” told candidates that some people will avoid working because of strict shelter curfews. Another individual said the shelters aren’t safe because of drug use and the fear of being assaulted prevents them from getting a good night’s sleep.
“We need more dignified housing options in this city,” Johnston said, adding that he would require shelters to undergo regular financial audits and cleanliness inspections if elected.
There were also some notable absences. At-large City Councilmember Debbie Ortega did not attend. Neither did Kelly Brough, the former CEO of the Denver Chamber of Commerce; although she did send a campaign representative in her place. Kwame Spearman, the CEO of Tattered Cover bookstore, was absent as well. Spearman’s absence follows multiple days of backlash over his misrepresentation during a televised debate of a survey about the number of people in Denver’s homeless community who want housing.