Q1

The lack of affordable housing remains a top concern of Denver residents, and while we commend the city on increasing resources, more needs to be done. If you agree that more resources are needed to support affordable housing, what type of funds and how much are necessary to address this crisis, and how could you achieve this within the next two to three years? 

I agree that more resources are needed to support affordable housing. We must include transitional housing, community land trusts, accessory dwelling units, down payment assistance programs, and land acquisition along with programs to support those on fixed incomes. We need to create an additional funding stream that will generate at least $100 million dollars per year. I am very interested in exploring your proposed sales or property tax increases to begin to address the housing crisis. Housing stabilization and production are tools that we need to mitigate involuntary displacement.

Q2

Transit and mobility remain a top city priority without a dedicated local source of funding. Would you support creating a dedicated source of annual funding for citywide investments in transit, mobility and Vision Zero safety improvements, and if yes, how much money do you think is needed to properly address this need, how would you allocate these funds and how would you propose to fund this?

Yes, I would support creating a dedicated source of annual funding for citywide investments. I would allocate these funds to address equity gaps in infrastructure in neighborhoods such as Montbello to encourage multi-mobility options and Vision Zero safety improvements. I believe that we need to have an additional $50-$70 million per year to address immediate needs and to keep Vision Zero a top priority. I would be open to a discussion about a sales or property tax increase but would also want to make sure we are not widening the income gap with regressive taxes.

Q3

In the November 2018 election, Denver voters approved a sales tax to increase the yearly investment in parks by more than $40 million. How would you ensure that acquiring land for new parks is done in an equitable way and does not compete with other pressing city priorities, such as acquiring land for affordable housing? 

The new revenue created by the recently passed parks tax would fund additional parkland, open space, waterway restoration and reclamation, among others. The land acquired with the tax would be complementary to the above uses in Denver and in our mountain parks. Most of the land acquired for affordable housing is more likely to include infill property or improved property that wouldn’t be suitable for a park. If a parcel would be suitable for acquisition for either a park or affordable housing, I would have to weigh the appropriateness of the proposed use depending on the parcel in question.

Q4 

All In Denver was formed to respond to concerns that racial and social inequity is growing in the city. What do you think are the reasons that we have become a less equitable city and what are your priorities for ensuring Denver becomes more equitable in the future?

I believe that Denver has become a less equitable city because the cost of living has increased relatively quickly without wages keeping pace. Denver’s historic zoning and land use policies have also negatively affected low-income and/or neighborhoods of color. My priorities include workforce development, financial empowerment, stable housing, increasing homeownership and authentic wealth building within communities of color. In partnership with my community, my office has been working on anti-displacement strategies and financial empowerment through the “Montbello Speaks” speakers bureau.

Q5

Running a city the size of Denver is a massive undertaking with a complex web of services, departments, budgets and trade-offs. From your understanding of the city and how it allocates its resources, are there areas of the city that you’d increase funding and if so, what are they? And likewise, are there areas of the city where you’d decrease funding?

I would increase funding for the areas I believe are a top priority for the City - affordable housing, workforce development, and transportation. We are faced with significant shortages of affordable and attainable housing options. Workforce development enables residents to secure livable wage jobs that ensure working class families have opportunities to build their wealth through home ownership and financial security. We must address transportation infrastructure from building out our roadways to implementing multi-modal options in all communities, with high frequency transit a priority.

Q6

Let’s assume that the City of Denver ends the 2019 fiscal year with a budget surplus of $20 million. As a Councilmember or Mayor, please list up to three program priorities on how you would spend this money. Please provide specific line items and budget amounts.

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Anti-displacement and community land trusts would be the first priority that I would invest in to stabilize neighborhoods vulnerable to involuntary displacement. The proposed budget amount would be $5-6 million. Financial empowerment has been a priority based on community feedback and I would invest $3 million in expanding this very successful program. Lastly, I would fully fund a large-scale workforce development training center along the Tower corridor in Far Northeast Denver, in partnership with Adams and Arapahoe counties. The proposed Denver share would be $8 million.