׉?ׁB!בCטddu׉׉ 0s3://OuSyDLVrPlKyf4ncjKKgWBPidK5-2h0aF_5KJwcalyE `׉ 0s3://YfzF1GDK59hXLwpOwXQiihVRGt8AwESu7h8Ke5r0buEm`p׉ 0s3://Pu885DQf_3kVHv6OqenIYPYNuHpf6XESCy6bAxnM6I8(`j\| Bטdu׈w"׈Ej\| B׉E$2 SUGGESTED NOVEMBER 2026 | Vol. 31 Issue 11 CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE DENVER VOICE 'GOODWILL' POWER P.8 25 YEARS OF HOMELESSNESS POLICY P.6 FROM YOUR VENDOR: 30 YEARS 1996-2026 ׉ 0s3://Pu885DQf_3kVHv6OqenIYPYNuHpf6XESCy6bAxnM6I8(`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://zmzjbiyYqSGIPC1waGk9D2PwxbErXYzyb94jhM9HYbo X-`׉ 0s3://MP_CdQcfZM3nQ6AQaS1wqUBjr_umqBARZN1c8CPcY0I͠c`p׉ 0s3://rjm_Ipr1PI7xPo1-WwcR4uel7kLnHZAXCPt5pVALJJ4.e`j\| Bטddu׉׉ 0s3://9UU6zSYOY3fkIGQUyCZyvFwAmgZU10MMNSSTLJ1DjHI%5`׉ 0s3://fhSNKAdONTaYFSFG98kb_RJLx1hfB3FGMltBObSdXzM[`p׉ 0s3://tn-ZG9oeWcXhZkKhL471H1TVhw8QJblgVnFSqI0vbkcb`j\| Bנj\| B B(̘ 9ׁH$http://denvervoice.org/subscriptionsׁ ׁ Јנj\| B ln 9ׁHmailto:ads@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B Sہ̇ 9ׁHmailto:program@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B Q 9ׁHhttp://denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B %̐ 9ׁHmailto:editor@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B ̞ 9ׁHmailto:program@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B ̐ 9ׁHmailto:editor@denvervoice.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B 3Ɂ_ 9ׁHhttp://DENVERVOICE.ORGׁ ׁ Ј׉EZDenver, CO Help us help your neighbors We're Right Here. Donate at Denvervoice.org/donate ׉ 0s3://rjm_Ipr1PI7xPo1-WwcR4uel7kLnHZAXCPt5pVALJJ4.e`j\| B׉E+From the Editor 30 More Years T HIS MONTH is the Denver VOICE’s 30th anniversary. Since 1996, we’ve been helping people experiencing homelessness, or close to it, find work, make a wage and get back onto their feet. We took this November to showcase some of the nonprofit’s history. The paper and Denver both have changed a lot over the years. The city put an unprecedented amount of tax dollars into housing-first solutions in the early 2000s, but homelessness still rose. Just a few years later the city implemented its infamous “camping ban.” Our vice president, a homelessness policy expert of 40 years, puts this into context for this month’s issue. The Denver VOICE also used to employ over 300 vendors and distribute 15,000 issues a month. Over the years those numbers have fluctuated but are certainly lower now, a trend many street papers across the country and world have experienced too. Our former board president talked to other street paper professionals about the past and hopeful future for our unique model of publishing and distribution in this dying world of print, writing ‘’’Goodwill Power’ and the Future of Street Papers” on page 8. My role as managing editor is just beginning this 30th year, but I hope to carry this multi-decade newspaper through investigations and reporting on Denver’s future improvements and ongoing decisions surrounding the issue of homelessness for many more years to come. - Andrew Fraieli Managing Editor BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andrew Fraieli is an awardwinning investigative journalist, photographer and graphic designer. He is the managing editor and art director of the Denver VOICE, as well as executive director and founder of Blue Surveillance, a nonprofit that supports accountability of police misconduct through reporting, research and public awareness. DENVERVOICE.ORG @denverVOICE MANAGING EDITOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ART DIRECTOR ADMIN. ASSISTANT CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Fraieli Giles Clasen Andrew Fraieli Madeline Egerton Yvens Alex Saintil Giles Clasen Joshua Abeyta Donald Burns Robert Davis Sondra Jeffries Raelene Johnson Madeline Egerton Ian Stitt Rea Brown Jerry Rosen Liz Hubbard Jennifer Forker, President Donald Burnes, Vice President Edwin Rapp, Treasurer Ande Sailer Linda Shapley Lisa Schlichtman EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT VENDOR PROGRAM ADVERTISING MAILING ADDRESS VENDOR OFFICE OFFICE HOURS editor@denvervoice.org program@denvervoice.org editor@denvervoice.org PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 989 Santa Fe Drive Denver CO 80204 10 a.m. -1 p.m., Wednesdays DONATE NOW THROUGH THE Since 1996, the Denver VOICE has served individuals experiencing housing or financial instability by providing lowbarrier income opportunities. In the time since our inception, we have put more than 4,600 vendors to work, selling the paper throughout the Denver metro area. By focusing on poverty, housing, social justice, local arts and entertainment, and the human experience behind the headlines, we tell the stories that Denver media often overlook. An award-winning publication, the Denver VOICE is a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics. TO HELP, YOU CAN: GET THE WORD OUT: VOLUNTEER: ADVERTISE: DONATE @ SUBSCRIBE @ denvervoice.org Contact program@denvervoice.org Contact ads@denvervoice.org denvervoice.org/subscriptions THE COVER: A collage and photo illustration of many of the Denver VOICE’s longtime and regular vendors. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FRAIELI PORTRAITS BY GILES CLASEN DENVER VOICE NOVEMBER 2026 3 ABOUT US ׉ 0s3://tn-ZG9oeWcXhZkKhL471H1TVhw8QJblgVnFSqI0vbkcb`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://p_m5ohafLQ1rfKpNdh9svMcI5n9jlvtDZ5d2OhvVFWc=`׉ 0s3://rlLStxK3vjmnEwXp1BcgCnKo1VJkOqenuiZmoIvjiQgz6`p׉ 0s3://CRCVoq5GM_2H4Xza5wHiH5a4oZKGEuJIqdR7MgpVkGc)`j\| Bטddu׉׉ 0s3://uZDrqUPPBamWJnIQWztKtyjtFQyzc_FxSmBBOexOkMUN`׉ 0s3://iEZIF7KWp5HhkjpTS76iDkuw13CFLzP5vlRlYwwwrjAv}`p׉ 0s3://Ux_9ePHs1ylo31bva4iXn9X4_M3VbP_gRVEgn5arlTw&(`j\| B׉ERVendor Profile By Madeline Egerton LIZ HUBBARD lizabeth Hubbard, known as Lizzy, has been facing homelessness on and off since dropping out of high school in the mid 2000s. She’s also battled drug addiction for nearly 20 years. In February, she became a Denver VOICE vendor at the recommendation of veteran vendor David Gordon, and the new opportunity has been a step toward bettering her life. She said working as a vendor has improved her self-esteem, confidence and feelings of self-worth. E JEROME ROSEN erome Rosen, better known as Jerry, is a gentle and inspiring vendor. He joined the Denver VOICE 15 years ago after meeting vendor Bruce Wright in Boulder. Rosen grew up on the East Coast in New York and came to Colorado to work at a mountain resort in Dillon. His time here has been spent traveling and being a jack-of-all trades. J He is resourceful and polite when asking for help at the VOICE office, whether it be with a phone call or heating up a cup of ramen, and he wholeheartedly loves his job at the VOICE. Most of the vendors see their employment at the street newspaper as a stepping stone toward a more substantive career. However, Rosen knows he’s his own boss at the VOICE. “I like being a vendor because you can set your own hours and days,” Rosen said. “You are independent and work when you want to.” Rosen is a dedicated newspaper salesman who enjoys talking with customers. He regularly sells papers at the Pearl Street Farmers Market and throughout Boulder, where he resides. Being a VOICE vendor means Rosen can work anywhere, at any time. “I think the VOICE is a very good source of income, because you can travel with it,” Rosen said. “If I’m going up to the East Coast to visit my brother, I can take the paper with me.” side gigs. They give me free food and discounted food.” vendor. Being a vendor offers flexibility, which means Rosen is free to take on “I help out at a restaurant in Lakewood,” he said. “I pick weeds and bus tables. Rosen worked several different jobs before settling in as a newspaper “I had many jobs that weren’t as good,” he said. “I got ripped off; businesses closed. I was robbed when I was selling flowers once and had to pay for it all myself.” Rosen said selling the paper is one of his favorite jobs. “I like working for the VOICE,” he said. “There’s good stories, and it gives you some perspective [on] where to get food and housing.” Rosen’s dedication and love for the job pays off. He is regularly a top seller, purchasing an average of 250 papers each month. He also earns free papers by helping in the office and continuing to be one of the VOICE’s top-selling vendors. “[The VOICE] gives you an income,” Rosen said.“There’s no pressure. You set your own hours. I’d rather do this than any other work.” 4 OK.” “[Also] my faith,” Hubbard said. “[I’m learning] that everything is going to be Before becoming a VOICE vendor, Hubbard’s tumultuous life consisted of jail time, drug use, theft and “spanging.” “I was always a big proponent of spanging, ya know, asking people for spare change,” Hubbard said. “In my opinion, it is the most dignified way to make money as a homeless person, without having a job. Because you don’t have to steal or prostitute.” That was until Hubbard learned of street papers and the International Network of Street Papers, which is the non-profit organization dedicated to tackling the homelessness crisis globally. “Some people call it glorified panhandling, but it’s way more than that,” Hubbard said. “It’s selling an important newspaper. All the money goes into your pocket but also [there’s] an added sense of responsibility, because you pay for your papers.” Hubbard says selling newspapers provides her with a purpose. The last time she felt a similar sense of normalcy was when she was serving time. “When I was in jail … It was the highlight of my life. To have a routine, to have that structure,” Hubbard said. “It creates a lot of endorphins and a sense of leadership. I was always a leader in jail.” Hubbard was released on probation, and with the aid of a drug counselor, she returned to school. In her late 20s and seven years sober, Hubbard earned a degree in human services, with an emphasis on drug addiction, from Metropolitan State University. She had a part-time job waitressing at Applebee’s, and an internship at Synergy Residential, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. Addiction is a battle of progress and setbacks, and Hubbard relapsed after her father passed away. “Being homeless, you can look at it, like everywhere is my home, except when you’re getting kicked out by the security,” Hubbard said. “But like, there’s always somebody over. I don’t ever have to be lonely.” “I always tell people, [selling] this paper is the most honorable job I’ve ever had,” Hubbard said, comparing it to working with troubled teens as a drug and alcohol counselor in training after college. “This is grassroots, in the world. It’s not just something you can do online. You’re right out here in the streets.” Hubbard participates in a weekly methadone rehabilitation program and tries to stay positive without the assistance of a high. “You have to talk to people” to sell newspapers, Hubbard said. “I’m a better communicator. I feel more like myself before I relapsed into drugs.” Despite years of drug abuse, Hubbard, now 41, focuses on positive changes and helping others as best she can. “In order to truly make changes in one’s self, you have to be exactly who you are right now,” Hubbard told the Denver VOICE. COMMUNITY PROFILE ׉ 0s3://CRCVoq5GM_2H4Xza5wHiH5a4oZKGEuJIqdR7MgpVkGc)`j\| B׉ESmiley Gatmouth merges the unlikely pair of rap and ukulele, creating a unique approach to hip-hop. Photo by @honourindigo and @inqueueinc took over as a more prominent vehicle for expression for me.” While his music was embraced by the Madison college crowd, music business wasn’t part of the program. Lynch returned to Denver after he sharpened his creative sword, but without the skills to parlay that into a sustainable career. “Once I wrapped up school and I came back to Denver, I fell hard onto this new reality where I was used to playing these big, full rooms,” Lynch said. “And then all of a sudden, I came back, and I was like, woah. I don’t know how to sell a ticket to a show. I didn’t know how to do any of this stuff.” Lynch switched gears and started working with a local SMILEY GATMOUTH YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER'S FAVORITE RAPPER MOST RAPPERS are widely known by their stage names. Calvin Broadus, who? Oh, you mean Snoop Dogg. Robert Diggs? You must mean RZA. With respect to the likes of JOSHUA ABEYTA DENVER VOICE MUSIC REPORTER Tupac Shakur, the vast majority of MCs create a unique handle that accentuates the parts of their personality they want to project from the stage. For the underground heads, Sage Francis — born Paul Francis — became widely known partially because he used to perform as three different personalities: Sage, Zaul Xan and Strange Famous. Even Beyoncé, one of the biggest names in music, famously had to invent the alter-ego “Sasha Fierce” to deal with her stage fright. Elijah Lynch, aka Smiley Gatmouth, has managed to do a bit of both. “I don’t tend to take on personas in [my music]. It’s really kind of cut-and-pasted just from my life,” Lynch told the Denver VOICE. “I wish I had a cool way to characterize this separate person, but it’s really not a separate person. “When I was a kid, people especially noticed that I was very smiley,” Lynch continued. “When I went to hip hop [events], I was always very bashful and kind of slept on. I didn’t come and present, like, a very fierce outer personality. But then as soon as I started rapping, there was this effect that it would have where people’s minds would be blown.” Lynch grew up in Denver and began performing publicly in his teen years at venues like the Mercury Cafe, mixing his time between hip-hop cyphers and competing at slam poetry events, often winning the competitions along with hearts and minds. He would commonly get a version of the back-handed compliment: “I didn’t expect that from you.” At 18, Lynch was offered a full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin in Madison where he was able to further explore his artistry. “Denver, at the time when I was growing up, had a really rich poetry scene. A lot of the music scene happen[ed] in bars and stuff like that, and so I hadn’t really had much exposure to that before I went out there,” Lynch said. “I went to Wisconsin where it wasn’t exactly dope poetry every night, but music was more readily available. That was a big time of transition where music nonprofit organization, teaching creative writing to high school students. Not long after, he was asked to teach music production there as well. At the time, he had zero experience in production but took the job and quickly learned the software just enough to stay ahead of his students. “My artistry expanded, and I got more experience as a music producer and making beats,” Lynch said. From there, he began to further explore his own musicality, learning to play the ukulele and piano while he rapped, both of which he has incorporated into his live show. Lynch’s debut full-length album “Carousel” came out in 2016 and marries classic boom-bap with the post-millenial backpack introspective/emo style pioneered by the likes of Sage Francis and Atmosphere. His most recent single, “Underneath The Sky” ft. YasmineEmani, marks a full decade between official releases, and it showcases his evolution as a lyricist while still capturing the essence of why he was drawn to hip-hop in the first place, highlighting his storytelling, playfulness, melodic sensibility and radical honesty. He raps on the track: “I’m 29, and I still ride the bus / I waste a ton of time I’ve come to find it kind of sucks / that might for what might otherwise be quite the Midas touch / it seems a nicer life just wasn’t for the likes of us.” The song is a lament to lost time, the fading promise of youth and the stark realization that our dreams may remain just that: dreams. It’s haunting, melancholic, yet somehow still hopeful, and above all, completely engrossed in the moment. A chance connection through rapper Murs made this release possible, part of an upcoming album. Murs began his career with Living Legends — the audaciously named hip-hop group that took the world by storm in the late ‘90s and early aughts. He had a residency at The Music District in Fort Collins, and Lynch applied to be a part of his program, which connected him to a producer who was willing to invest in his work. Outside of music, Lynch works at an emergency shelter for youth who are experiencing homelessness. While working there, he noticed a divide between young people from the U.S. and young refugees from other countries who spoke little to no English, so he used his oldest and truest friend to help bridge the gap: hip-hop, starting a regular freestyle cypher for the youth to share the universal language of music. Catch Smiley Gatmouth at the Aggie Theater on November 28th. DENVER VOICE COMMUNITY PROFILE 5 ׉ 0s3://Ux_9ePHs1ylo31bva4iXn9X4_M3VbP_gRVEgn5arlTw&(`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://9GdV7kV9BSZ4M_wOWLdXfj7Mzv5rm63e27NlSH1x4_s`׉ 0s3://qBdviucTDIht997Uc58q6MgD3r-VjyLgdevAeglfUagr`p׉ 0s3://dU43zGey0j1rb1fxD5MF3NhQprB5Dnppg9N1gOoszhs)`j\| Bטddu׉׉ 0s3://egBJv1jDsgcfKx21al2ZHDROcfzymEIDvXWWaLVffYAl`׉ 0s3://OgqlcdIS3M74hi0jEUC_A8Fekk1Nue-qTd73yvOSC14͆`p׉ 0s3://WFtu_kqN0Vs4MbUKhUATHHyUoIfCGmQtbySaHg3ftSg&t`j\| B׉E25 Years of Denver's Homelessness Policy A look back on a quarter century from an advocate with four decades of expertise. DONALD BURNES VICE PRESIDENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS DENVER VOICE Donald Burnes has co-authored four books on poverty and homelessness, and has studied poverty and homelessnessrelated issues and policies for more than 40 years. Burnes joined the Denver VOICE board of directors in June of 2025. He received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a PhD from Columbia University Teachers’ College. A march through Denver on March 14, 2022, protesting the Denver City Council’s camping ban. Photo by Andrew Fraieli 6 NEWS ׉ 0s3://dU43zGey0j1rb1fxD5MF3NhQprB5Dnppg9N1gOoszhs)`j\| B׉E)rUPON MY RETURN TO DENVER IN LATE 2003, following a 20year hiatus that included running a direct services program for the unhoused and co-authoring a book on homelessness, I immediately became immersed in the local homelessness scene, joining the Metro Denver Homelessness Initiative Board and getting to know some of the important players. Within 18 months, I was asked by Mayor John Hickenlooper to join the advisory board of his major new homelessness initiative, Denver’s Road Home (DRH). These are the roots of my involvement in addressing homelessness in Denver. Jerry Burton leading a march protesting Denver’s camping ban on March 14, 2022. Photo by Andrew Fraieli ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS DURING THE EARLY 2000S As I worked with Dana Scott, who was a contractor working on Denver’s Road Home, Roxane White, the executive director of the Denver Department of Human Services at the time, and others on the production of the 10-year Plan to End Homelessness in Denver, several key issues struck me. First, the plan included continued attention to shelters and services, but the real focus was on housing. There was an underlying fantasy that we would not need shelters during the coming years as housing the unhoused very quickly would eliminate the need for shelters. Also, I was surprised by the lack of focus on raising the funds needed to build housing, but maybe it was because I wasn’t specifically involved in that aspect of the effort. Given my background in research and evaluation, it also occurred to me that more attention needed to be paid to evaluating the impact of the 10-year Plan. As personnel at DRH changed and moved into new jobs, that aspect of the initiative seemed to have been reduced to simply counting the number of people who entered housing. DRH’s involvement with Housing First was a major step forward as the 10-year Plan evolved. Emerging from Sam Tsemberis’ work in New York as a clinical psychologist was the Housing First approach he founded. Housing First was both a basic philosophy — do not make housing contingent upon becoming “housing ready” — and a program model that included housing, services and support. However, in the original program model, tenants from shelters or the streets were encouraged to use available supportive services but were not required to do so. DRH incorporated both the philosophy and the program model into the plan before Housing First became nationally mandated in the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing program of 2009. Despite the many efforts to implement DRH, the overall numbers of unhoused people did not decline substantially. In fact, there was a gradual increase between 2005 and the late 2010s that mirrored what the country was experiencing. Some people were able to move off the streets into housing; others left shelter spaces to move into housing. In most of these cases, housing was made possible with federally funded housing vouchers. And yet, even as DRH was somewhat successful, the cost of living led more people to become unhoused in Denver. Unfortunately, homelessness prevention had not entered elected officials’ public lexicon. THE CITY TURNS TO CAMPING BANS IN 2012 As efforts to end homelessness failed to live up to expectations, Mayor Michael Hancock, with support from City Council Member Albus Brooks and others, enacted Denver’s 2012 “camping ban.” Critics viewed it as a veiled attempt to remove unhoused people from the streets and restore these busy avenues to a supposed pre-homelessness “pristine condition.” Supporters of the ban emphasized the unsightly campsites along major Denver thoroughfares, while those opposing the ban argued strongly for people’s right for a place to sleep. The ban became a major obstacle to the city’s efforts to address homelessness. I vividly recall a conversation about the ban I had with a high-ranking official who, like me, was against the measure. I said, “It’s as though nobody had ever heard of a porta-potty. Why can’t we install those at the campsites? Why can’t we provide washing stations, shower trucks, laundry trucks, trash receptacles and regular trash pickup at the campsites?” The answer was profoundly disturbing: “If you do that, more people will want to go to those campsites and we’ll just have more people unsheltered.” What this official was saying was, “We must get these unsightly people off the streets.” My response: “Both the critics of those experiencing homelessness and the advocates of those on the streets have the same goal, namely, to get people off the streets, though for fundamentally different reasons. Why can’t both sides agree to sit down and work together to achieve the goal, namely get people off the streets and into housing?” I got no answer. Between 2012 and 2019, Denver’s Homeless Out Loud made three attempts to repeal the camping ban. None were successful. Later, other advocacy groups, like Housekeys Action Network Denver, have attempted to counter the camping ban, arguing — as have many national advocacy organizations — that camping bans criminalized homelessness. The argument took on added weight with the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2024 in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that local jurisdictions could outlaw camps, even if no shelter space was available. In 2019, advocacy organizations gained momentum with Initiative 300, which, among other things, sought to repeal the camping ban. Unfortunately, people seemed to see the initiative as loaded with too many broad goals such as a right to housing and a right to rest in public places. Voters defeated the initiative 81 to 19 percent. Had advocates focused on repealing the camping ban, it may have passed. Implementation of the camping ban over the years has and the arrival of COVID-19 complicated been uneven, enforcement. For example, the federal response to COVID included a one-year moratorium on housing evictions for failure to pay rent, throwing off local efforts to enforce nonpayment penalties. Then, under Mayor Mike Johnston, the elimination of camps, specifically permitted under the camping ban, led to a different approach. THE CITY EMBARKS ON A NEW POLICY A critical element in creating more affordable housing is the needed capital to support construction of new housing. Even during the halcyon years of the DRH and the 10-Year Plan, when optimism ran high about major improvements in addressing homelessness, there was not enough financial capital to create the housing. To his credit, Mayor Hancock worked with Denver City Council to enact a sales tax increase in 2017 to address this shortfall. This, in turn, started a series of sales tax increases during the next eight years that aimed to put enough money in the coffers to create the desired amount of housing. An even bolder idea was Hancock’s push in 2020 for a .25 percent increase in sales taxes that promised to increase the affordable housing budget by $40 to $50 million. Despite this funding, city zoning ordinances, the cost of construction, parking requirements and other barriers prevented large-scale construction of affordable housing. In its place was an expansion of a series of smaller transitional and permanent housing projects across the city. Starting with the Colorado Village Collaborative tiny home village, followed by a series of Safe Outdoor Spaces in neighborhoods around the city, and increases in permissible Accessory Dwelling Units, people needing help transitioning from the streets to long-term permanent housing saw increased opportunities. This transition was aided by a significant error in judgment by Mayor Johnston. In his second day in office in 2023, Johnston publicly promised to get 1,000 people off the streets and into housing by the end of his first six months. His staff, realizing the impossibility of such a pledge, immediately walked back the promise and reframed it as getting 1,000 people off the streets. With the assistance of several social service providers, , the city reached that goal by the end of the year. In addition, Johnston used the camping ban’s strategic framework to close encampments even though he campaigned against the ban. Instead of simply closing a camp and moving it to another location — the whack-a-mole approach to “ending homelessness” — Johnston and his Department of Housing Stability intentionally placed formerly unsheltered people in shelters, mostly motels. By focusing on getting people off the streets, Johnston closed most of the camps and sheltered the camp dwellers. This significantly reduced the number of unsheltered people by about 45 percent between the 2023 PIT and the 2025 PIT and was touted nationally as a huge success. However, during the same period, the overall number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 26 percent. A final footnote on funding: In 2024, Mayor Johnston proposed a .5 percent increase in the sales tax – around $100 million – to support efforts to address homelessness. However, unlike many other efforts in the city during the last two decades to raise money to address homelessness, this initiative failed. WHERE ARE WE NOW? MIXED RESULTS The history of Denver’s efforts to address homelessness has been mixed, at best. There have been major successes, including Denver’s Road Home, that brought the city together in its focus on ending homelessness and the city’s adoption of a Housing First approach in its fight against this tragedy. There were also several successful campaigns to raise additional funds to develop new affordable housing that were approved by Denver voters. In the negative column is the city’s persistence in maintaining and enforcing the camping ban. We have now had more than two decades of serious efforts to address homelessness. Yes, we’ve made some progress. However, the failure of the major initiative to increase funding for homelessness in a city well known for its willingness to provide funding for noble causes gives me pause. Is the ballot defeat a sign of compassion fatigue? Are our voters saying: “You guys have had 20 years to solve this problem, and it isn’t going away. In fact, it may be worse.” If that’s the case and voters are tired of supporting more funding initiatives, watch out because the numbers of our neighbors who find themselves homelessness will soar. Hopefully, this doesn’t occur, but it’s certainly possible, especially considering the failure of the federal government to provide its large portion of needed funding. DENVER VOICE NOVEMBER 2026 7 ׉ 0s3://WFtu_kqN0Vs4MbUKhUATHHyUoIfCGmQtbySaHg3ftSg&t`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://dZZ_Bz1L7wi7rpU5Yx3ndO-5IHRmfqt93W7j1ToFRRA`׉ 0s3://eCODbz4i7IHOa47b3UCQ30B0diCvGLu2Qae6FPcl5Qse`p׉ 0s3://ML8joMEzzWG9jx0KH7we6zvLUGnC-bVbrc-XuT1Qv8M"`j\| B טddu׉׉ 0s3://bNHwy7lpIpPNSeDginvSieaBpCZr-wIJOMAwZyeW0HE8`׉ 0s3://7ALz181BfQpDvalORrl40_n-BA-zauCAiXm4ARc0XUEt`p׉ 0s3://BcCboTHXW9qCpGtdP7DhqLcFUF5pZzMOcF9oDEA-Xdo&`j\| B׉E Reporters, editors and vendors of street papers across the country meet in Denver for the North American conference of the International Network of Street Papers hosted by the Denver VOICE in autumn of 2025 Goodwill Power' and the Future of Street Papers THE U.S. MEDIA LANDSCAPE HAS UNDERGONE A SEISMIC SHIFT in recent years as news consumers turn to digital platforms. It’s a trend that has threatened the existence of a special group of papers that help people who are homeless earn an income. Street papers have existed in America for more than a century, with historical precursors including The War Cry, the official publication of the Salvation Army that debuted in 1879, and Hobo News, a paper the International Brotherhood Welfare Association began publishing in 1915. Modern versions of these models began cropping up across the U.S. in the 1980s as homelessness grew rapidly. Today, there are more than 30 street papers operating in the U.S. and more than 100 worldwide. Those papers have done more than simply tell stories about our unhoused neighbors. Denver’s street paper, the Denver VOICE, has helped more than 4,500 people who were homeless earn an income since the paper was founded in 1996. Some of our current vendors use their income from the VOICE to pay rent for an apartment of their own, buy food and travel to meet with friends and family. In short, the income they earn from vending this paper helps them maintain the relationships homelessness breaks. The challenges street papers face today can seem insurmountable. Federal policy shifts have made funding for street papers uncertain with the Trump administration outlawing federal agencies from supporting diversity, equity and inclusion programs,which street papers fall under. In turn, foundations have been hesitant to approve grants for fear of federal retaliation. Declining trust in media has also turned some previous By Robert Davis Photos by Yvens Alex Saintil supporters into critics. Meanwhile, the rising cost of living has eaten away at household budgets and made it harder for supporters to continue donating. Despite these challenges, experts say there are still ways for street papers to continue and keep making a lasting impact. “There’s enthusiastic people in touch with us, saying they want to set up a new street paper in whichever town or city they’re in,” Mike Findlay, CEO of the International Network of Street Papers, a nonprofit organization that supports street papers across the globe, told the Denver VOICE. “We’ve got some goodwill power.” 8 NEWS ' ׉ 0s3://ML8joMEzzWG9jx0KH7we6zvLUGnC-bVbrc-XuT1Qv8M"`j\| B׉EStreet TELLING (HYPER) LOCAL STORIES papers have always excelled at telling stories, sometimes through a hyperlocal lens. Pick up any edition of the Denver VOICE and you will find stories about the realities of homelessness written by those same people experiencing it, the latest news about issues that impact people who are homeless and features on artists creating space for people of all backgrounds to connect. According to Findlay, street papers need to lean in to local storytelling and find ways to support the voices of people with a lived experience of homelessness. One initiative he’s piloted in recent years is creating a journalism workshop for people who are homeless in the U.K. The classes train people on skills like interviewing and writing. Findlay said he is working on creating a toolkit for INSP-network street papers to set up a similar workshop of their own. These workshops go beyond helping people tell true stories, Findlay explained. They are a way for street papers to get back to their core mission: showcasing the lived experience of homelessness and helping people rebuild the relationships necessary to find stability again. “That creates a bit of excitement and opportunity around how street papers can continue and also expand their reach to new audiences, particularly where we’ve got those authentic voices in through vendor stories or that kind of extra lens that we provide to current affairs and news topics as well,” Findlay said. Another trend that could raise the tide for street papers is the revival of print in the post-Covid era, Findlay added. For instance, a poll from Roularta Media Group in Belgium found that 37% of youth age 18 to 34 reported reading print more today than they did five years ago. Another 89% of respondents expressed a preference for hard-copy books rather than e-books. “There’s a real sense of revival in print actually, which I think is quite reassuring,” Findlay said. ADOPTING AI The future of street papers also includes learning how to use artificial intelligence to achieve their organizational goals, Findlay said. He cautioned that street papers should not adopt new technology just because it exists. Instead, the organizations need to identify problems that new technology can help them solve. At the same time, street papers can use new technology to make a poignant social critique. Findlay pointed to The Big Issue South Africa as an example of how street papers can adopt artificial intelligence without sacrificing their mission. The paper is the first in the world that was edited with the assistance of an AI-powered editor named Genevieve Stanley, which helped create an issue about Elon Musk and the dangers of AI. “It’s not about using AI to plagiarize, but it can help you synthesize information,” Findlay said. STRONGER COLLABORATION Street papers also can strengthen their standing by finding new ways to collaborate. At times, those collaborations happen outside of the newsroom or print shop. Curbside Chronicle, a street paper in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has developed a series of social enterprises that help support its monthly paper. For example, the outlet launched Curbside Flowers, a full-service flower shop that helps people transition out of homelessness. Curbside also has partnered with local organizations like the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA franchise to sell branded merchandise that supports Curbside’s operations. Street papers also are trying to find ways for newsrooms to do more collaborative reporting on issues that matter to their vendors and audience. Annemarie Cuccia, editor-in-chief of Street Sense in Washington, D.C., told Denver VOICE her organization is trying to find a way to provide national-scope stories for street papers to localize. In some aspects, the idea is like a national wire service for street papers. Two national stories that could be localized include the Trump administration’s attempts to rewrite the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s funding guidelines or the federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s streets. “We want to show how this story is affecting each of us in our individual communities and maybe go into local reporting from different areas,” Cuccia said. What’s most important in these collaborations is that local street papers maintain their independence, Cuccia added. “It’s really about making sure that we keep to that community-driven vision and that it is a place where people are close to the news,” she said. “We hope that our readers are in some ways close to the news, so people can sort of trust what they’re seeing and see different voices that are elevated.” Chief Executive of the International Network of Street Newspaper Mike Findlay-Agnew, CEO of Invisible People Mark Horvath, Managing Editor of the Denver VOICE Andrew Fraieli and former President of the Denver VOICE board Robert Davis at the autumn 2025 INSP North America conference. DENVER VOICE NOVEMBER 2026 9 ׉ 0s3://BcCboTHXW9qCpGtdP7DhqLcFUF5pZzMOcF9oDEA-Xdo&`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://0pXARhJsvZZ0lBDCxdfY3Ewx0tB8CnOcnQEi0OZEoloF`׉ 0s3://z2sxNf3TnzPOtPN8lvyA060jgk-2ni7BrRohqwk1ayIZT`p׉ 0s3://Fnqgy5foKOoVeGk_i0I0-VLfrICa5LePVVWZFchwA0M!i`j\| Bטddu׉׉ 0s3://4hM-twTj9fmkirNHVuV7O38Dn1undtqTFOKdOuvkej0`׉ 0s3://SReOZjYFP00RJdlHJJy-S352d-flJfqvzZ0TMV6Q2EM[`p׉ 0s3://BioZP8YouVBDIepKL_sqw-e07D3ueaNo_kR0-2pMnMQ `j\| Bנj\| BbFs9ׁH4https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/09/25/depaulׁ ׁ Ј׉ENew Denver Residence Will House At-Risk or Homeless College Students This story was originally published in September by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters DURING HER FIRST SEMESTER at Chicago’s Malcolm X College, Nikya Harrell had had enough. It was winter, and she was cold. She was bouncing to and from family members’ houses and sometimes could only afford one meal a week. Harrell came to school overwhelmed and crying. A concerned friend suggested she see the school’s therapist, who connected her with the Dax Program, which offers students at risk of or experiencing homelessness a place to live for up to two years. Harrell came to Denver for Depaul USA’s Dax Program’s By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat Colorado Thursday opening of the city’s first student residence near the Capitol building. Harrell had a message for other students who face challenges finding a place to live that she’s often repeated to herself: “You’re never alone.” Nikya Harrell, 24, used Dax Program housing in Chicago before she moved into her own apartment. Harrell stands outside the newest Dax residence on Sept. 24, 2026 in Denver. Photo by Jason Gonzales / Chalkbeat. 10 FEATURE ׉ 0s3://Fnqgy5foKOoVeGk_i0I0-VLfrICa5LePVVWZFchwA0M!i`j\| B׉EoDax provides students with a safe living space that allows them to focus on getting a college degree without worrying about where they’ll sleep. The program has partnered with Metropolitan State University of Denver and Regis University, but wants to expand services to other local colleges and universities. The nonprofit provides resources to people experiencing homelessness and operates 11 Dax student housing programs in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York. The program started in 2015 and has housed 494 students in those cities. The Denver Dax residence, an 1890s brick building that was originally a duplex in North Capitol Hill, is one of the national program’s larger residences and will be able to house up to 15 students. The Denver building will expand the program’s reach to about 110 students annually, according to a news release. Depaul USA’s website says about 95% of residents find permanent housing after participating in the program, and the Depaul USA news release says about 84% remain in school or graduate. To live in the house, students must work a minimum of 10 hours per week, be in good academic standing, and pay a reduced-cost monthly rent. Students in the program also get movie nights, Sunday dinners, and resources such as onsite food pantries, financial literacy workshops, employment assistance, and physical and behavioral health referrals. “Our program is really designed to transition students towards independence,” said Serita Reels, Depaul USA’s national Dax Program director. Nationwide, a recent survey of 74,350 students at 91 colleges in 16 states shared that about half of them experience housing insecurity and about 14% are homeless, according to a 2023-24 report from The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs. MSU Denver’s Abbie Kell, the school’s associate director of basic needs and housing support, said her office helps about 80 to 90 students annually who are experiencing homelessness. Erica Ingalls, Regis’ dean of students, said her school provides aid to four to six students a year who don’t have a place to live. Both campuses connect students with a list of resources Community members gather to bless the newly opened Depaul USA Dax Program housing on Sept. 24, 2026, in Denver. Photo by Jason Gonzales / Chalkbeat. that includes help applying to federal food aid, access to food pantries, and housing assistance. Regis provides two weeks of residence hall housing for homeless students, and MSU Denver offers emergency housing assistance. But some students might not be eligible for those resources, or the help might not last long enough to help them get on their feet. Students also typically stay away from community shelters, Kell said. “A lot of students usually live out of their car,” Kell said. MSU Denver helped a student move into the Dax building before the Thursday ribbon-cutting ceremony, Kell said. She said the process was respectful of the student’s circumstances. The student interviewed with Dax Program staff, talked about where they would wash clothes, and decided which room they wanted, Kell said. Harrell said Dax Chicago’s Cecilia house gave her her own living space for the first time. She decorated the walls with “Coraline” and One Direction posters. She also put affirmations such as “Take a deep breath” and “You might be going through a storm, but the sun is approaching soon” on the walls and in her desk. Her own space helped her open up. She dove deep into poetry and journaling. She’s participated in her school’s student government. She now lives in an apartment and plans to graduate from DePaul University in 2029 with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/09/25/depaul-usalaunches-denver-dax-housing-homeless-students/ T u DENVER VOICE NOVEMBER 2026 11 ׉ 0s3://BioZP8YouVBDIepKL_sqw-e07D3ueaNo_kR0-2pMnMQ `j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://gdQ7WQaEG6VB1xpq6Jlwq-GMLH6obRBOTwUuRaUQ3vc^%`׉ 0s3://IK0Ty998GTOSlGa2Q5ihMORFBPcNjVYifkotQHRhp_Qzg`p׉ 0s3://fReBdR-1qhHVtDHkAx-9YudQCr9zsPDeqaav8hDm3lk*`j\| Bטddu׉׉ 0s3://uXkWvZE2WHxY3GPVY5msIsmGg56uPNeEAix1m1-UB9s!`׉ 0s3://7suKolgkxr5615ltyPBHpqYyJwUloRSntBg2-UidTyAy`p׉ 0s3://hoieCmKf6ehNg_5WGIanTvGflVzTp30xqNrnnhBzRZY%`j\| Bנj\| Bj9ׁHhttp://regulations.Thׁ ׁ Ј׉EIN YOUR OWN WORDS Words from our vendors on their life and times, what they’re thinking and feeling, for their neighbors to know and share. RAELENE JOHNSON DENVER VOICE VENDOR The VOICE Matters I NEVER IMAGINED ALMOST 19 YEARS AGO when I started with the Denver VOICE that I could actually turn my life around because of a street newspaper. I loved that the Denver VOICE did not care what might be keeping me from a nine-to-five. They gave me an orientation, which back then was just a piece of paper with the rules and the regulations.Then I signed paperwork, and I had my own business. That was a shock. The first couple of months were hard as I had trouble selling the newspapers. But then one night I asked my higher power, who I called Jesus Christ, that if this is the job he wanted me to have, I needed to know what to say to approach people. In a dream, he gave me a pitch. That first week I sold over 300 papers, a good week especially back then as it was a $1 a newspaper. I couldn’t believe how well I was doing, and I couldn’t believe that I really had a job that was all mine. I told myself I can do anything, and over time, the paper proved me right. I was able to get out from sleeping under a bridge to renting a room in a house in Nederland to owning my own trailer in Erie. The newspaper gave me the ability to work at my own pace when I got diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and while doing treatments in 2024. I was gone for seven months due to chemotherapy — you can’t be around people because you don’t have an immune system — and when I came back, no one told me to get out because I hadn’t been there. All I heard was “Welcome back,” “How are you doing?” and “How many papers do you want?” Most of the time at a job, if you were gone for seven months, you wouldn’t have a job anymore, but the newspaper gave me work when no one else did. Now, 19 years later, I have an excellent credit score, I have my own car, my own home where I can come and go as I please, and even when I’m going through health problems, I know that my job will still be there when I get back. We need these papers in every U.S. city. That’s been my mission, spreading the Denver VOICE across the county, selling to people who tell me that they’re not from Colorado, who I tell to bring it to their hometown and maybe we can get more papers going. If you’re wondering if donations really make a difference, as a vendor I can tell you, they do. We need people’s donations to keep the newspaper going, and we appreciate any amount. I do what I can for the VOICE, going to fundraisers if they need me and I’m always willing to help a new vendor. On March 1 I’ll be 19 years clean of a 30-year crack cocaine addiction. I got off alcohol the same day I smashed my crack pipe, and it feels good to be clean and sober, and it was all because of the VOICE giving me a chance to work. I just wish we had this newspaper in every city to give people a chance, so I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. We all appreciate everyone who donates and buys the paper. On a Positive Note DURING THE YEARS I WAS HOMELESS, I clearly remember moments when someone was kind to me. It says a lot about a person’s character when they take the time to offer a bit of kindness to someone in despair. Years ago, around Thanksgiving, a limo pulled up in front of a gas station where I sat attempting to warm my face and feet with an extra shirt I had. I was so cold that I couldn’t move or speak. A beautiful young lady stepped out of the limo, dressed in all the latest fashion. Her hair, her makeup, the way she smelled and those heels — I remember thinking that I just want to look and feel normal again. She said to me, “You all make me feel so fortunate that I’m not SONDRA JEFFRIES DENVER VOICE VENDOR in your position” and followed it up with “Happy Thanksgiving” and a few dollars. I appreciated the gesture, although I would have rather ridden in her limo to warm up. I took the money she gave me and went to buy some coffee. I took as long as I could to decide, looking at every option of coffee and creamer in the shop just to allow myself a moment to warm up. After my purchase, I left the store immediately so I wouldn’t draw too much attention to myself or be told I couldn’t return. As I was leaving, a wave of sorrow hit me, and I began to cry. It was almost Thanksgiving and this would be another year that I was separated from my children. If I had owned a phone, I would have called them right then. When you lose everything you care about in life because of substance addiction, or any other reason, you truly feel completely alone and realize what really matters. The thought that would nearly take me out was thinking about how much my children’s hearts hurt and feeling hopeless to do anything about it. On a positive note, I am so very grateful that it is only in reflection that I feel this tremendous pain anymore, and I thank God for his grace. There are endless possibilities when it comes to giving to others this season. Please don’t let bias stop you from making sure someone is warm or safe this November. Kindness goes a long way. The gift you receive for sharing your kindness, love and support with someone who is without family this Thanksgiving is the greatest gift you will ever receive — joy. Happy Thanksgiving. 12 COLUMNS ׉ 0s3://fReBdR-1qhHVtDHkAx-9YudQCr9zsPDeqaav8hDm3lk*`j\| B׉E! A Response to the New York Times IAN STITT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NETWORK COFFEE HOUSE HAVING SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF time with you speaking about the issue of homelessness in Denver, and having spent almost 10 years fighting it, I was disappointed to see that your analysis of the issue was boiled down to a far too simplistic idea that solving homelessness is as simple as having the will, and that the struggle of homelessness in large cities is a failure of political ideologies. Both may be true, but the reality of solving homelessness isn’t as simple as willing it away. A colleague of mine says: “If we were going to enforce our way out of the problem of growing homelessness, then we would have done it by now.” We have had an anti-homeless camping ban in Denver since 2012, and it has done nothing but entrench people deeper into homelessness and overburden the police force and judicial system. It is well documented that large cities largely lean progressive politically, and that this reflects educational achievement, economic factors and population density, among other things, I am sure. The criticism of other large cities reads more like a love letter to Mayor Mike Johnston than a well-rounded critique of modern social services. I recognize that your reporting on Denver’s “progress” in fighting homelessness is of national interest since we have seen an increase in homelessness nationwide as a result of a complex series of factors that can be distilled down to several main economic and social issues that inconveniently are a direct result of federal-level decisions by both conservative and democratic administrations dating back to the 60s. This includes JFK’s push for the deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals and asylums, which never saw an equitable growth in community-based mental healthcare, leaving cities to grapple with mental health care through the use of ERs and Jails. It also includes the idea of trickle-down economics championed by Regan in the 80s, which has never been proven to work and has been used to obscure growing financial inequality that has driven the concentration of wealth in the top 1% and the death of the middle class. This was only made worse by the concerted effort of republican administrations passing tax breaks for the wealthiest. Combined with the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which declared corporations are people, we witnessed a drastic change in how politics is played. This led to a drastic increase in corporate spending to influence policy that maximizes corporate profits and decreases the power and voice of everyday constituents. Not to be forgotten is the incremental defunding of social safety nets championed again by conservatives, including defunding Medicaid and Medicare, reducing housing subsidies, removing workers’ rights and the continued growth of isolationism and fear-mongering that seems to have done nothing more than reduce social connection and radicalize those who struggle the most. To speak more directly about your opinion piece, I’m greatly disappointed by the lack of attention you paid to criticism of the mayor’s policies. By omitting any real alternative assessments, your piece suggests your journalism is biased and focused less on a critical analysis of the facts surrounding homelessness in Denver and more on a politically motivated advertisement that seems to do nothing but push a short-term narrative that Johnston has been deceptively campaigning on. As I stated in our interview, I am more than willing to acknowledge the benefits of Johnston’s increased attention to the issue of homelessness. I, however, also feel it is important to share the areas where he is not succeeding in his initiative to fight homelessness. Nowhere in your piece do you share that, in his pursuit to move more people out of unsheltered homelessness, he has increased service resistance, pushed for the criminalization of a state of existence that does little more than perpetuate a false narrative of moral failings being the reason for homelessness and not a broken economic system that Editor’s note: On June 22, New York Times editorial writer German Lopez interviewed Executive Director Ian Stitt of Network Coffee House for Lopez’s Oct. 13 editorial “We Know How to Fix Homelessness. Look at Denver.” The Denver VOICE is republishing what was originally an email from Stitt to Lopez on Oct. 15, with permission from Stitt, as a column. caters only to people already endowed with financial stability. This is best illustrated by the quote from a community member that I have worked with for years: “I walk and walk and walk because as soon as I stop to rest I am illegal!” and what is unspoken here is that being illegal means an increased likelihood of interacting with the criminal justice system, a deepening of individuals’ homelessness and the growth of service resistance are inevitable in a system that punishes people as if unsheltered homelessness is a choice being made willingly. Not once did your piece refer to those experiencing homelessness as anything similar to victims of a broken system, and that says more than you would wish about your belief in the causes of and solutions to homelessness, not to mention your journalistic integrity when writing biased opinion pieces that directly impact those the piece is written about. I challenge you to consider what the reality of an individual’s experience of homelessness is actually like without labeling, assuming and applying some capitalist ideal of a person’s worth being intimately tied to their work productivity. Only then will you understand that the solution to homelessness won’t come from political fortitude, but from a concerted effort by all Americans to put social welfare over corporate profits. I have worked with thousands of people in my time as a service provider, and not once did a community member suggest that they preferred homelessness, or liked the social castigation that comes with it. I encourage you to stop consuming the propaganda politicians push, which uses data to obfuscate the truth in favor of political points, and to explore issues through a more honest lens. Ian Stitt is the executive director of Network Coffee House, a 44-year-old nonprofit in the heart of Capitol Hill. His path to this work began with a year teaching English in Madagascar, an experience that shaped his commitment to community-centered service. Stitt brings nearly 10 years of homeless services experience in Denver — including street outreach, managing Saint Francis Center’s Safe Outdoor Space program, housing case management and a year in youth residential treatment. Answer the Call 10-4 SOME PEOPLE ARE SO POISONED by their environment that they will never achieve the level of success that they have right in the palm of their hands unless, by some miracle, greatness is thrust upon them and they answer the call. I too WAS AS SOME REA BROWN DENVER VOICE VENDOR OF YOU, looking at a homeless person’s shoe, wondering why they never do, not seeing who but through hesitant to even do what I thought was cool offering food instead of money so they can’t use it for brew. Yet to stay true to what turned me blue it was one of my crew for privacy sake i’II call him Jue now that I to have some confused wondering a thing or few, and yet don’t think that life is cruel, maybe unusual as stew, but must add the vegetables of fools that speak of this life as though they knew who are more apropos to school, white elephants, and baby kangaroos now back to Jue to switch the mood to black and white till klancy uses ku klux tools now im starting to wonder what was the blunder or do they even have an excuse. So many a check away from having nowhere to stay and the news around the way is the SUPER RICH are buying the land away it you believe what people say, OK now back to J I lost a friend just like The FRAY I’m dog-tagged with an AK in a war with my understanding grey is it Trump or DOJ will Mamdani try to make us pray where’s the back up for American made nightmares of Al upgrading hate what is the answer to fate or will the heart beat of earth make America SUPER GREAT. There’s talk that they found NOAH’S ARK the homeless house of bark which brings us back to start. OVER BLUE SURVEILLANCE Accountability for police misconduct is behind a paywall in Colorado — we tear it down. DENVER VOICE NOVEMBER 2026 13 ׉ 0s3://hoieCmKf6ehNg_5WGIanTvGflVzTp30xqNrnnhBzRZY%`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://Of2SKUYHzAmrePdMgs9_-0X8trWkhHtscHuT59b4WKw`׉ 0s3://3TXyJRgtDMzhp9rD_Ygyi5N6N9U8KQZ-f3w10AntB4s͐`p׉ 0s3://2LyFfWbexSBKXxfY6qLtEmYbCIaM2IGTk3GQA9uG3tY2 `j\| Bטddu׉׉ 0s3://8qCZg0ADLCcEwUoQdf9JB_I67NAwdX3RMw2gtIkahWY^^`׉ 0s3://4A-f_GaP_DXtTiyxgBRXr2uFCYhlgg0hhG78RjG3CJYz`p׉ 0s3://JVq8gL3LT2M0AGKyQ7bv2-kRieIQiqLA4ZC7GtjltZc$]`j\| B5נj\| BT V!U9ׁHhttp://urbanpeak.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BS ˁ̳ 9ׁH#http://sunshinebehavioralhealth.comׁ ׁ Јנj\| BR te9ׁH(http://www.urbanpeak.org/denver/programsׁ ׁ Јנj\| BQ ~9ׁH https://www.veteransguide.org/vaׁ ׁ Јנj\| BP fn̶9ׁHhttps://www.veteransguide.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BO W69ׁH3https://www.va.gov/findlocations/facility/vha_554A5ׁ ׁ Јנj\| BN 1̗ 9ׁH http://seniorsupportservices.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BM Y̰9ׁHhttps://www.trׁ ׁ Јנj\| BL *̯9ׁHhttp://lgbthotline.org/youthׁ ׁ Јנj\| BK ̮9ׁHhttps://www.thׁ ׁ Јנj\| BJTIy9ׁHhttp://voacolorado.org/gethelpׁ ׁ Јנj\| BI̦9ׁHhttps://www.soallmayeat.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BH̙9ׁHhttps://www.sfcdenver.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BG̴9ׁHhttps://www.stׁ ׁ Јנj\| BF ^9ׁHhttps://www.odmdenver.org/homeׁ ׁ Јנj\| BE'9ׁHhttps://www.holyghostchurch.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BD̻ 9ׁHhttps://www.krishnadenver.comׁ ׁ Јנj\| BCṶ9ׁHhttps://www.havenofhope.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BBT\̒9ׁHhttp://denverrescuemission.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| BA%̰9ׁHhttps://www.mealsforpoor.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B@̝9ׁHhttps://www.citysquare.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B?}ǁ̶9ׁHhttps://www.christinthecity.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B>Tz9ׁHhttp://www.christsbody.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B=TJu9ׁHhttp://denvercathedral.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B<̰9ׁHhttps://www.mealsforpoor.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B;9ׁH*https://www.capitolheightspresbyterian.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B:U9ׁHhttp://urbanpeak.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B9>*9ׁH)https://www.urbanpeak.org/denver/programsׁ ׁ Јנj\| B8̙ 9ׁHhttps://www.soxplace.comׁ ׁ Јנj\| B7T̷ 9ׁH$http://www.seniorsupportservices.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B6Ub̙9ׁHhttps://www.sfcdenver.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B5Ṳ9ׁHhttps://www.odmdenver.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B4UՁ9ׁH-https://www.homelessassistance.us/li/lawrenceׁ ׁ Јנj\| B3|u69ׁHhttp://DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCEׁ ׁ Јנj\| B2A̷9ׁH$http://harmreductionactioncenter.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B1̜9ׁHhttps://www.tgpdenver.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B0R9ׁHhttp://www.thoh.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B/W9ׁHhttp://denvergov.org/ׁ ׁ Јנj\| B.j9ׁHhttp://denverlibrary.org/ׁ ׁ Јנj\| B-[̞9ׁHhttps://www.thehotline.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B, 9ׁH,https://www.detoxrehabs.net/states/colorado/ׁ ׁ Јנj\| B+\ 9ׁH,https://www.coloradocoalition.org/healthcareׁ ׁ Јנj\| B*%9ׁH$https://www.saludclinic.org/commerceׁ ׁ Јנj\| B)W 9ׁHhttp://www.rainn.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B(؁̄ 9ׁHhttp://www.1800runaway.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B't9ׁHhttp://www.988lifeline.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B&q̪9ׁHhttps://www.viventhealth.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B%q\9ׁHhttp://connection.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B$9ׁH(http://www.harmreductionactioncenter.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B#9ׁH"http://www.drugrehabus.org/rehabs/ׁ ׁ Јנj\| B"dw̞9ׁHhttp://www.detoxlocal.comׁ ׁ Јנj\| B!@c9ׁHhttp://denverhealth.orgׁ ׁ Јנj\| B h 9ׁHhttp://rentassistance.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉E This column is a place for Denver VOICE vendors to respond to questions from fellow vendors, our readers, and staff. IF YOU COULD TELL THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THE DENVER VOICE 30 YEARS AGO ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? SONDRA JEFFRIES DENVER VOICE VENDOR I would like to thank them. They must have been the type of people who really believed that everyone’s voice matters. I love people who see the problems in the world and choose to be the change. There is a quote I love: “We come to love not by finding the perfect people; but by seeing the imperfect people perfectly.” LIZ HUBBARD DENVER VOICE VENDOR I would tell them “thank you” because it is a freaking godsend. It is a pivotal piece of the puzzle for recovery and positive reform and reconciliation, mutual respect from us to others and from others to us. When we get treated with respect, it helps us treat others well. There are just so many positive things. The one thing I JERRY ROSEN DENVER VOICE VENDOR I would say it is a pretty good paper, and it lets you work your own hours and your own days, so it’s a job I can do. It is a pretty good place to work. I have made quite a few friends working at the Denver VOICE, and they help me and give me a lot of tips. I need the Denver VOICE, and I am thankful it’s here. I hope the Denver VOICE is around another 30 years. want people to understand is that it is really hard to sell the Denver VOICE. If you go in on time, put in a reasonable amount of time and have a good attitude, you’re going to sell some papers. But it is hard to always have a good attitude when you’re looked at with disdain by most people for being homeless. Sometimes, I start a shift and have a bad attitude, but one good conversation, not even a sale, will change my attitude. It is hard to do this, and I would tell the founders and current administration that we should build in more support for vendors and expand the training program. The VOICE is a great program, but when I would like to say “thank you.” For seeing the unseen. For being unafraid to dream. Just want you to know, you made a difference. I hope you understand what I mean. REA BROWN DENVER VOICE VENDOR you look at the Maslow hierarchy of needs, we don’t have those basic needs of met, all this harder. making This program is life-changing in multiple ways — holistically life changing. To quote my friend Raelene: “Whatever you put into the void you get out of the void (times a thousand).” If you would like to help out a specific vendor by donating a few extra dollars, scan the QR code to make a payment through Venmo. Thank you! Please be sure to write your vendor’s name in the comments! HOMELESSNESS MYTHS CAN'T SURVIVE REAL CONVERSATION. Every time someone buys a paper from a Denver VOICE vendor, that's what happens. Not a transaction. A conversation. A moment where a Denverite sees past the myths and meets the person underneath, someone going through a hard stretch, trying to make it through. That's the whole model. Vendors earn 100% of what they sell. No handout, just a fair shot and a human connection. Buy a paper. Have a conversation. Change a mind. Keep fighting for those experiencing homelessness. BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR: 14 ׉ 0s3://2LyFfWbexSBKXxfY6qLtEmYbCIaM2IGTk3GQA9uG3tY2 `j\| B׉E'_RESOURCE LIST MEDICAL / MENTAL HEALTH / DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY LIFT: 5045 W. 1st Ave., Denver; https:// rentassistance.org DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: 777 Bannock St.; https://www. denverhealth.org DETOX LOCAL: Features information including mental health and substance use resources specifically for the AAPI (American Asian and Pacific Islander) community; http://www.detoxlocal.com DRUG REHAB USA: Addiction hotline - 888-479-0446; Organizations that take Medicaid: http://www.drugrehabus.org/rehabs/ treatment/medicaid/united-states/colorado/denver HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 112 E. 8th Ave.; 303-572-7800; HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on proper disposal of dirty syringes; M-F — 9am-12pm: http://www.harmreductionactioncenter.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER: 3800 York St.; Emergency walk-ins - 303296-1767; Dental — 303-296-4873; M-F - 8am-2pm LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION: 1325 S. Colorado Blvd.; Suite B302; Resources and support for those affected by Hep C. Free Hep C testing offered; 800-522-4372, 800-359-9272; info@hepcconnection.org; https://www.viventhealth.org NATIONAL AIDS HOTLINE: 800-342-AIDS/800-344-7432 NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: Text or call 988; https:// www.988lifeline.org NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFELINE: 800-RUNAWAY/800-786-2929; https:// www.1800runaway.org RAPE ABUSE AND INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK: 800-656-HOPE; https:// www.rainn.org SALUD CLINIC: 6255 Quebec Pkwy, Commerce City; 303-697-2583, 970-484-0999; https://www.saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC: 2130 Stout St.; 303-293-2220; Clinic hours for new and established patients - M, T, Th, F - 7am-4pm, W - 9am6pm; https://www.coloradocoalition.org/healthcare SUBSTANCE ABUSE REHAB GUIDE: HELPLINE — 888-493-4670; https://www.detoxrehabs.net/states/colorado/ U.S. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE: 800-799-7233 (English and Spanish); 800-243-7889 (TDD); https://www.thehotline.org EMERGENCY SHELTER INDIVIDUALS IN NEED OF SHELTER ARE ENCOURAGED TO GO TO “FRONT DOOR” SHELTER ACCESS POINTS: • For individual men — Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St. • For individual women — Samaritan House, 2301 Lawrence St. • For youth ages 15-20 — Urban Peak, 1630 S. Acoma St. • Families in need of shelter should call the Connection Center at 303-295-3366. ADDITIONALLY, DENVER PARKS AND RECREATION WILL OPEN ALL CURRENTLY OPERATING RECREATION CENTERS AS DAYTIME WARMING CENTERS DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS ON FRIDAY, NOV. 8 AND SATURDAY, NOV. 9, FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED A PLACE TO WARM UP. Denver Public Library locations are also available during regular business hours. Double-check library hours: denverlibrary.org/ locations. For more information about shelter access, visit denvergov.org/ findshelter or text INDOORS to 67283 for updates. DROP-IN DAYTIME CENTERS HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; Mon.-Fri. 7am1pm. Private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch, etc; https:// www.thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE: 1535 High St.; 303-321-4198; Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Tues. 8:30am-1:30pm; Daytime drop-in center for women, their children, and transgender individuals; Meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, referrals to other services, etc; https://www.tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER: 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am12pm; 303-572-7800; Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes; https://www. harmreductionactioncenter.org LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER: 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-2940157; day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services FOR INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR FINANCIAL INSTABILITY. DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST https://www.homelessassistance.us/li/lawrence-street-communitycenter OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES: 1567 Marion St.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center; bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI https://www.odmdenver.org T. FRANCIS CENTER: 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St. 6am-6pm daily. Storage for one bag (when space is available). Satellite Clinic hoursMon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm https://www.sfcdenver.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES: 846 E. 18th Ave. For those 60+. TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more. https:// www.seniorsupportservices.org SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES): 2017 Larimer St. Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. Tues.Fri. 12-4pm & Sat. 11-2pm. https://www.soxplace.com THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES): 2100 Stout St. 303-2910442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. YOUTH AGED 15-20 IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE OVERNIGHT SHELTER SERVICES: 303-974-2928 https://www.urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-andservices/drop-in-center URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES): Youth 14-24 in Denver and Colorado Springs. Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. 730 21st St. 303-974-2900 https://www. urbanpeak.org FREE MEALS CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: 1100 Fillmore St., Sat. lunch at 11:30am; https://www.capitolheightspresbyterian.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES: https://www.mealsforpoor.org CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee Mon.-Fri. 8:30am; https://www. denvercathedral.org CHRIST’S BODY MINISTRIES: 850 Lincoln; Mon. closed, Tues.-Thurs. 10am-3pm, Fri. 8am-11pm; groceries & hot meal on Sat. at 2pm (at 16th & York); Sun. church service at 6pm, dinner at 7pm; https:// www.christsbody.org CHRIST IN THE CITY: Home-cooked meal, weekly; Lunch in the Park is on Wednesdays from 12-1 at Benedict Fountain Park (Tremont and 22nd); https://www.christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER: 2575 S. Broadway; 303-783-3777; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm; https://www.citysquare.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES: 1820 Broadway (in front of Trinity United Methodist Church); Hot meals served M, T, Th., F - 11:45-12:15; https://www.mealsforpoor.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION: 1130 Park Avenue West; 303-294-0157; 3 meals 7 days/week, 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm; https://www. denverrescuemission.org HAVEN OF HOPE: 1101 W. 7th Ave.; 303-607-0855; M-F. 7am-1pm. Not open weekends; Breakfast is at 8am, lunch is served at 11am; https://www.havenofhope.org HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE: 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm; https://www.krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: 910 Kalamath St.; Community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, Men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the month, 8-10am, Women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11am; https://www.hislovefellowship. org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH: 1900 California St.; Sandwiches, M-Sat., 10-10:30am; https://www.holyghostchurch.org OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES: 1567 Marion St.; 303-830-2201; Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm); meal served at 6pm; https://www.odmdenver.org/home ST. ELIZABETH’S: Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria Campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; Food, coffee; https://www.stelizabethdenver. org ST. FRANCIS CENTER: 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month); https://www.sfcdenver.org SAME CAFÉ: 2023 E. Colfax Ave; 720-530-6853;Restaurant serving mostly organic food—not free, but pay what you can or work off your meal in the kitchen; Open Mon.-Sat., 11am to 2pm, Closed Sun. & holidays; https://www.soallmayeat.org VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA: 2877 Lawrence St., breakfast (8am), lunch (11:30am), dinner (5pm) Mon.-Thurs., 12pm on Fri., 1pm on Sun. Food & clothing bank 9:30am-4pm Mon.-Thurs.; https://www. voacolorado.org/gethelp-denvermetro-foodnutrition-themission LGBTQ+ SUPPORT THE TREVOR PROJECT: 866-488-7386: https://www.thetrevorproject. org LGBT NATIONAL YOUTH TALKLINE: 800-246-7743: https://www. lgbthotline.org/youth-talkline PRIDE INSTITUTE: 800-547-7433 TRUE COLORS UNITED: 212-461-4401, https://www.truecolorsunited. org VETERANS & SENIORS DENVER INNER CITY PARISH: 1212 Mariposa St.; 303-322-5733; VOA Dining Center for Seniors, aged 60 and older, W-Sat. 9am-12pm; Food Bank, W-F; Tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm; dicp. org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES: 846 E. 18th Ave.; For those aged 60 or older; TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, 3 meals, M-F -7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm; https://www. seniorsupportservices.org VA MEDICAL CENTER: 1700 N Wheeling St.; Aurora 303-399-8020: https://www.va.gov/findlocations/facility/vha_554A5 VETERANS GUIDE: https://www.veteransguide.org; Veterans Disability Calculator https://www.veteransguide.org/va-disabilitycalculator YOUTH SERVICES SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES): 2017 Larimer St.; 303-296-3412Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30; Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. T-F - 12-4pm & Sat. 11am-2pm. Instagram: @ Soxplace THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES): 2100 Stout St. 303-2910442; Youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, 303-974-2928; Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am https:// www.urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-incenter SUNSHINE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH (YOUTH SERVICES): 833-931-2484; Services for youth facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions; https://www. sunshinebehavioralhealth.com URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES): 730 21st St., Denver; 303-974-2900; Ages14-24; Serving Denver & Colo Springs; Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skill/straining, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing; https://www. urbanpeak.org Donate today and help the Denver VOICE help your neighbors. DENVER VOICE NOVEMBER 2026 15 ׉ 0s3://JVq8gL3LT2M0AGKyQ7bv2-kRieIQiqLA4ZC7GtjltZc$]`j\| Bj\| B בCטdu׉׉ 0s3://RHhvqgeyl9tNpQgmnPO4HVk5Z1cAJEF_YyhKlQMt4kIf`׉ 0s3://lqeoI6Oups0XYjm399ekx-VRXuvJ1MKdM3TpypXTz1ci(`p׉ 0s3://_OduHok3pTfTYV7Hc7vA1v9EjCk-RPbpu4EJGJ0b-sk0&`j\| Bנj\| B̷9ׁHhttp://denvervoice.org/donateׁ ׁ Ј׉EDONATE denvervoice.org/donate ׉ 0s3://_OduHok3pTfTYV7Hc7vA1v9EjCk-RPbpu4EJGJ0b-sk0&`j\| B׈Ej\| Bj\| B ,DV-11-2026jw"~D