All In Denver is a nonprofit advocacy organization that believes an equitable city is where all people have the opportunity to prosper and thrive.  Formed in the summer of 2016 by a group of housing, planning, education and arts practitioners, the organization has made an impact by working hand-in-hand with community activists, city staff and elected officials to advance sensible, inclusive policies for Denver in the areas of affordable housing, the DIY arts community and citywide land use planning.

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All In Denver Goals/Summary of Accomplishments:

Updated September 2022

 

I. Accessible housing opportunities: Preserving and creating more affordable housing ranging from very low income units to work force housing to homeownership opportunities, which provide options for a wide population continuum including long-existing Denver residents, homeless, seniors, service industry workers, young professionals, and families.

• All In Denver led the charge with advocacy, policy development and polling to double the city’s affordable housing fund to $30 million per year, including bonding more than $130 million for the Denver Housing Authority to accelerate land acquisition and construction of affordable housing.

• With allies, we advocated in support of a comprehensive approach to homelessness including the tiny home village model and successfully lobbied the Denver Auditor to conduct an audit of the costs of the City’s  “sweeps” approach to disbursing encampments.

• Supported the sales tax increase for homeless services and shelter approved by voters in 2020.

• Supported changes to Denver’s group living ordinance to expand the number of unrelated people than can live together, and successfully opposed the effort to repeal the effort in the 2021 election.

             

II. Broad-based cultural and artistic expression: Acknowledging, respecting, preserving, and enhancing

cultural diversity within our neighborhoods, and supporting a diverse creative sector that benefits both our economy and a wide variety of populations.

• All In Denver supported the DIY arts community to craft amendments to the city’s Safe Occupancy ordinance and help to secure funding to implement it.

 

III. Smart land use decisions: Supporting urban design and city planning solutions that manage Denver’s growth in considerate and pragmatic ways that promote accessible, inclusive, diverse, and aesthetically desirable communities.

• All In Denver successfully advocated for social equity to be a guiding principle for Blueprint Denver, the recently revised citywide land use and transportation plan. All subsequent neighborhood plans will follow Blueprint Denver goals.

• All In Denver supported the East and East Central neighborhood plans, and opposed language protecting single family zoning.

 

IV. Multi-modal transportation: Increasing mobility options beyond the conventional automobile, including making it easier to walk, bike, wheelchair roll, and use affordable transit options to reach destinations.

• All in Denver is a partner in the Denver Streets Partnership, a diverse group of organizations advocating for safe and accessible citywide pedestrian, bicycle and transit networks as well as a dedicated source of funding.

• Working with allied organizations, All In helped advocate for the RTD affordable fare program for low income adults and youth.

 

V. Education and workforce training: Focusing greater attention and dedicating more resources to

educate our city’s youth, and enhancing the job viability of our workforce in an ever-changing labor

environment.

• In 2019, All In Denver facilitated community education and conducted a candidate debate in advance of November elections for the Denver Public School’s Board of Education.

 

VI. Health and wellness: Encouraging healthy lifestyles and advocating for easy access to quality healthcare for all the city’s population.

• All In Denver advocated that new funds to expand Denver’s parks be allocated to historically neglected communities, be used in a way to prevent displacement and, where possible, leverage funds with those for affordable housing.

 

VII. Public investments: Targeting more public investment in historically low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and funding city amenities that benefit ALL Residents

• All In Denver successfully advocated for social equity to be a guiding principle for allocation and distribution of nearly $1 billion in the 2017 general obligation bond funding for recreation, cultural, health, transportation and public safety projects across the city.

 

Building the Next Generation of Denver’s Leaders:

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• All In Denver is at the policy table for citywide arts/culture, transportation and housing policy.

• Equity was a core value in the campaigns of many if not all mayoral and council candidates in 2019.

• All In Denver co-sponsored and produced the 2019 Mayoralpalooza event that featured all six Mayoral candidates in an innovative and inter-active format.

• All In Denver was a clearinghouse for all Denver candidates for Mayor and City Council to showcase their views on advancing social equity – five Mayoral candidates and more than half of the City Council candidates responded to our questionnaire, including self-produced videos.

• Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, created a Pandemic Recovery Plan with 16 Actions to Make Denver a More Equitable City, Now urging Denver leaders to pass a variety of initiatives in the areas of housing and homelessness, arts and culture and small business.

• All In Denver prepared a Voter Guide for municipal issues on the 2021 ballot.

• All In Denver opposed an effort by Denver City Council  in 2021to eliminate two at-large seats, advocating for citywide representation on issues that touch all corners of the City.

• Several of All In Denver’s board members now sit on various city boards and commissions, including the Regional Transportation District board and the City of Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs.

 

In partnership with other organizations and advocates, we’ve helped build a culture of equity that is informing citywide planning and implementation in land use, affordable housing, transportation and arts & culture.