FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

(SAN DIEGO, CA) 26 October 2022 — The Denver City Council recently approved a contract to provide basic income to move people out of homelessness and back into housing.

The contract, announced in Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s State of the City address and led by the Department of Housing Stability (HOST), utilizes $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to provide monthly cash assistance to more than 140 women, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, and families in shelters.

That is 140 women, transgender, and gender non-conforming individuals and families out of approximately 7,000 people on the street on any given night. “…Teams across the metro Denver area were able to locate and count 6,888 people on that single night this year in late January, the information system allowed them to estimate that the number of unhoused people is close to 31,000 throughout the course of the year…” (LINK) 

Of those homeless individuals identified in the Point in Time report conducted by HUD-approved programs and practices, almost 61% identified as male, and yet they are not eligible to receive any of the City of Denver’s contributed dollars. 

The National Coalition for Men (NCFM.org)  is not surprised by this blatant discrimination, but they are calling for the City of Denver to abide by Federal and State Civil Rights laws and provide at least 61% of their funding to men experiencing homelessness through this Basic Income program. 

NCFM President of the Board Harry Crouch said, “Municipalities need to serve ALL of their constituents, regardless of their immutable characteristics. We cannot continue to stand by while officials blatantly ignore the needs of men and discriminate against them, particularly in the rendering of aid.” 

61% of the funding provided by the City of Denver would equate to approximately $1.2 million. That could make a huge difference in the lives of these men who are living on the streets, unable to take good care of themselves and their families, and for whom, with the program as it stands, will continue to be ignored.

This program may be an innovative and unique approach to addressing the needs of the homeless in Denver, but it should not come at the expense of a majority of the individuals who are actually affected by homelessness. 

For more information on NCFM and the work they do to bring awareness to men’s issues, please visit www.ncfm.org or reach out to Tim Goldich, NCFM Vice-President, at tagoldich@hotmail.com or (773) 960-8159.

NCFM Press Release-Denver Homeless Basic Income Program

Tags: basic income program, City of Denver, discrimination, female privilege, homeless, homelessness