2019 denver municipal - ma yoral - cbwpa

2/21/2019 2019 Denver Municipal - Mayoral

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12sVb3IfN5APSmhLNlRYtyvwf4JdqRLVzULPQd6hq8e8/edit#response=ACYDBNg5kDBq1uhW_pdh9BEOliDycCrglC9EyXLX… 1/18

2019 Denver Municipal - Mayoral

This Questionnaire is Sponsored by: Colorado Black Women for Political Action; in association with the Colorado Black Leadership Coalition, which includes: NAACP Denver, NACCP Aurora, The Ministerial, Alliance, The Northeast Islamic Center, Greater Denver Interfaith Alliance, et al

The respondent's email address ([email protected]) was recorded on submission of thisform.

Michael B. Hancock

Full Name *



Poor people are poor because of social, economic and political structures that have been designed to work against disadvantaged individuals. For generations, racism, greed, and political decisions designed to increase the power of one community over another have resulted in income inequality, wage stagnation, uneven outcomes from our justice system, a lack of public education options, unfair housing practices, and limited access to transportation. In Denver, we are actively working to overcome the issues that prevent people from accessing more equity in our city. We are extending access to preschool programs, after-school activities and providing more free meals to students year-round than ever before. I will always work to support initiatives that increase education funding, so children can have the best opportunities to learn, grow, and be positioned for success. As our youth grow older, we are building new pipelines from primary education to college or a career. We are strengthening local, women- and minority-owned businesses and creating new job training programs, particularly for disadvantaged individuals. And I believe we need to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. We still have a lot of work to do. Investing in education, job opportunities, community participation, affordable and sustainable housing, and empowering small businesses – these are the most effective ways to lift up our people. We need to work harder on reforming our criminal justice system, correcting injustices including expunging low-level marijuana convictions, �ghting wage stagnation and increasing minimum wage on a large scale, and connecting our youngest residents and their families to resources and information that will help put them on a path to a stronger future.

Why are poor people poor? *



I know �rsthand the di�culty facing families when they don’t have stable housing. My mother raised ten kids by herself, and we often had to move or �nd short-term housing. The stress of not knowing where you’re going to sleep or if you can put enough food on the table is terribly disruptive to all aspects of the family. Once my family had a steady home, my brothers, sisters and I did better in school, we were more social, and we found a greater sense of connection with our community. Homelessness is a complex issue that can only be addressed with a multi-faceted approach. This includes creating shelters, expanding access to mental health care services and drug addiction treatment, addressing wage stagnation, identifying creative housing solutions and better connecting people to resources. Denver is facing an increase in homelessness for many reasons, including unprecedented population growth. Between 2010 and 2017, Denver saw more than 100,000 new people come to our city, including many individuals who arrived here experiencing homelessness. In many cases, the sheer number of people who are moving here increases the cost of living, which forces underprivileged families and individuals to make di�cult �nancial choices. This is not only an affordability issue. The opioid crisis and mental health challenges greatly contribute to homelessness as treatment services are underutilized and often stigmatized. My administration will continue to implement creative policy solutions that help people transition to a healthy, safe and thriving life. We’ve placed more than 6,300 homeless families and individuals into stable housing, nearly tripled our annual investment in services and support, and helped open three new shelters. We have launched innovative programs to better assist people experiencing homelessness, including peer navigator programs at the Denver Central Library, which connects people with resources to get off the street, and the Denver Day Works program, which employs people experiencing homelessness to work in city facilities and parks. We have added “tiny homes” as an innovative approach to providing more shelters with fewer resources.

Colorado is #3 in the nation for homeless families. Why hashomelessness increased exponentially in the metro area? Whatspeci�cally do you plan to do about it? *



In addition, our innovative Social Impact Bond housing program has allowed Denver to leverage $8.7 million from lenders to provide housing and supportive case management services to 325 individuals experiencing homelessness who frequently use the city’s emergency services, including police, jail, the courts and emergency rooms. By shifting the focus to preventative services, we can better serve this population.



I believe jail overcrowding is the result of greater social challenges that we must address to create a more just, welcoming and progressive society. Most importantly, we must address systemic economic disadvantages and an antiquated criminal justice system that force people of lower income into jail. The inability to pay small �nes, lack of transportation options or other socio- economic challenges often result in people being detained or incarcerated for procedural wrongdoings, such as a failure to appear in court. We must work to prevent crime by connecting individuals to resources and assistance to address their basic needs. My administration has taken President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge to connect young men of color to community mentors and career opportunities. I supported the creation of the Gang Reduction Initiative of Denver (GRID), which hires ex-felons to help with targeted outreach and intervention to active gang members. And I launched the co-responder program to pair police o�cers with mental health professionals to assist and divert those experiencing behavioral challenges to services, housing, and programs instead of jail and to deploy de-escalation tactics in the �eld. My administration is also working to support the formerly incarcerated with programs to reduce recidivism, provide job trainings and apprenticeships, and civically engage these individuals. Through local-hire ordinances, we are working to decrease prison recidivism rates by offering better job training for people who have been previously incarcerated and we are working to ensure that there are jobs available to them in their own communities. In 2016, I directed city agencies to “ban the box” and no longer ask applicants for many jobs about their criminal backgrounds in order to give prior offenders a second chance. We must do the same at the state and federal level. My administration was the �rst county in Colorado to work with the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (CCJRC) to allow voter registration in our Downtown Denver Detention Center and Denver County Jail. For individuals who have been incarcerated, I have instructed the Department of

Our jails are overcrowded, what speci�cally will you do about it? *



Public Safety to eliminate Pretrial Electronic Monitoring Fees for clients because of the extra cost and negative impact to low income and poor families. And just this year, I announced that the city would expunge low-level marijuana convictions through clinics and procedural requests. I am committed to making this as accessible and transparent of a process as possible. Lastly, the opioid crisis is affecting cities and communities across the country. My administration has taken bold action bold action by leading a federal lawsuit – along with sixteen local governments in Colorado - against opioid manufacturers. Locally, we are focusing on connecting individuals to drug treatment and mental health care to prevent further crimes from happening as a result of these situations. Through this collection of strategies and other policies, we are working to reform the criminal justice system and ensure everyone is able to pursue a life that is safe, healthy and productive.



African Americans are overrepresented in our jails and prisons because of systemic social, economic and political circumstances that have created uneven outcomes in our justice system. African Americans comprise just 10 percent of Denver’s population but 24 percent of its inmates as of December. This is a problem. Despite our best efforts, there is still a clear sense of over-policing in minority neighborhoods and systemic racism that leads to a disproportionate amount of arrests. Inequity exists in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in the jobs that are available to our community. We need to preserve the history, culture and diversity of our neighborhoods while lifting up the young people in our communities to give them the best opportunity for a future in this city. My administration’s most recent effort to address this is expunging low-level marijuana convictions in the city of Denver. These charges disproportionately affect minority communities. We also need to look at institutional discrimination that leads to limited access to schools, jobs and transportation. I am committed to criminal justice reform locally, as well as statewide and on a national level. In many ways, we have made major changes to the Department of Safety during my administration. We have created among the most progressive use-of-force policies in the country by training o�cers to use non-force alternatives and de-escalation tactics. This policy will improve trust between the public and police and create more accountability within the department. We have also created the Public Integrity Division – a civilian led agency to investigate wrongdoings, concerns and complaints about the Sheriff's Department. Additionally, through the Department of Safety, we have created the Opportunity Index to have a data-driven approach to identifying collaborative opportunities to address social factors that will help improve residents’ quality of life, thereby enhancing safety for everyone in Denver. Connecting safety interactions with

Why do you think that African Americans are overrepresented inthe jail and prison populations? And what speci�cally will you doabout it? *



community-based data will allows safety o�cials to look at the social factors that may be contributing to crime such as mental illness, addiction and instability in families. This approach creates a more robust conversation about what the needs of residents are, how we address them before they escalate or connect them to additional resources, and prevent crime from continuing.

When students’ lives are disrupted because of larger challenges they’re facing at home, they have a harder time being successful at school. Growing up, I knew that my outcomes at school improved once we had stable housing. The Mayor of Denver does not have direct authority over Denver Public Schools. Instead, we have our greatest impact outside of the classroom. As a city, it is our responsibility to �nd better ways to connect families to the resources, assistance and help they may need to improve student outcomes. One of my proudest accomplishments is the My Denver Card, which gives all Denver children free access to the city’s recreation centers, museums and libraries. My administration is currently working with RTD and DPS to offer a free RTD pass to students as part of the My Denver Card. Early in my administration we also established the Denver Education Compact and a Children’s Cabinet to create, support and advance policies and programs intended to improve outcomes for Denver’s youngest residents inside the classroom. We are investing more than $500,000 per year in summer and after-school programs, and are providing free, healthy meals to students year-round.

How can the Denver Mayor affect the outcomes of DPS students?*



I have dedicated my entire career to lifting up communities of color, from my early work with the Denver Housing Authority, National Civic League and the Urban League through my time on City Council and as Mayor. Lifting up small, local minority-owned and women-owned businesses is at the top of my list of priorities. In 2014, I issued Executive Order 101 and signed two city ordinances to help level the playing �eld and improve opportunities for Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBE) when they pursue City contracts. Through this order, we encouraged companies seeking business with the city to include their diversity and inclusivity policies in order to receive bids, as well as highlight their non-city related work with minority owned businesses. These efforts have sent a strong message to companies that, in Denver, no one will be left behind. Since I �rst took o�ce in 2011, the number of African American-owned �rms certi�ed through the City’s M/WBE and other programs grew 79%, from 165 in 2011 to nearly 300 today. This has resulted in average year-over-year growth of 43% in dollars paid to African American-owned �rms for City contracts. We must continue to strengthen the relationship between contractors to better position African American companies, create new opportunities for small businesses to bid on projects and explore how we give weight to inclusion of the value of equity. My administration has also awarded millions of dollars in Community Development Block Grants, small business loans and other funding to African American-serving nonpro�ts, community groups and local companies, including the Martin Luther King Holiday Commission, Denver Safe Streets Summer Program, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Urban League and Five Points Business District. These investments in our community create new pipelines of opportunities to support �edgling companies, train new business leaders and generate strength and growth in our small business community.

Black-owned businesses lag behind in overall annual revenues.What can be done to eliminate the parities between black-ownedbusinesses and their counterparts? *


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/12sVb3IfN5APSmhLNlRYtyvwf4JdqRLVzULPQd6hq8e8/edit#response=ACYDBNg5kDBq1uhW_pdh9BEOliDycCrglC9EyXL… 10/18

We have more work to do. We have learned from business owners who have succeeded and struggled and cities across the country on how Denver can create an ecosystem for African American owned companies to �nd more success. I am committed to strengthening our partnerships with community organizations; improving training programs to support companies pursuing city contracts and manage company resources, operations and marketing; streamlining contracting processes to support small businesses; and prioritizing engagement within the African American business community.



Growing up in Denver, I attended six different middle schools before my mom, nine brothers and sisters and I settled in public housing in the Five Points neighborhood. At times, we didn’t know where we were going to sleep, if there would be food on the table, or the electricity and water would be turned off in our house. While affordable housing and low income housing are often used interchangeably, low income housing is de�ned as housing affordable to households earning at or below 80% of area median income. Affordable housing may be de�ned to serve households earning up to 120% of area median income and below. Affordable housing is something all people should have access to. To begin addressing these issues, we need to ensure that landlords will accept all types of payment (vouchers, government assistance, etc.) and will not discriminate based on payment types or protected classes. We will continue to provide funding to develop and redevelop affordable housing units. To date, my administration has done more and spent more to address affordable housing than the entire state of Colorado. This includes LIVE Denver to utilize existing vacant properties, stabilizing households at risk of losing their housing through Temporary Mortgage Assistance Program (TMAP) and Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program (TRUA), creating and then doubling the city’s Affordable Housing Fund to build more than 6,000 units in the next 5 years, and partnering with Denver Housing Authority to deliver more housing faster. In 2018, my administration invested more money in one year than ever before to deliver housing Denver families can afford – $40 million – and we are using marijuana tax revenue and bonding to create and preserve more than 6,000 affordable homes in the next �ve years. Working with numerous partners, we are examining how Denver can utilize even more affordable housing tools, such as: land trusts, property acquisition, city-owned real estate, accessory dwelling units, resident-preference and income non-discrimination policies, and extending minimum affordability periods.

De�ne what affordable housing vs low income housing means forDenver. How will you solve the lack of each? *



In every industry, we have more work to do to ensure African Americans are able to operate on a level playing �eld with other workers, entrepreneurs and investors. My commitment to creating business opportunities for African Americans is evident from our work to level the playing �eld and expand the number of M/WBE certi�ed �rms. Within the marijuana industry, my administration is working to identify new policies to create a more equitable business environment for African Americans. Recently, we have moved to vacate low-level marijuana convictions to remove barriers for some workers to enter the industry. Currently, the state legislature is considering legislation to change industry workforce regulations by reducing the number of years since an individual has been convicted of a felony. This is legislation I would consider supporting. Additionally, we have reduced the number of years between a marijuana conviction and when you can apply for a position in the Denver Fire Department or Denver Police Department. More broadly, I am very interested in studying the populations affected by the War on Drugs so the city can provide workforce development and licensing support to communities who have been disadvantaged by these policies. In addition, while the city has currently reached a cap on new marijuana retail facilities, I am interested in exploring solutions for new licenses that would create equity. This includes creating preferences for specialty service licenses, such as delivery services. Finally, hemp licensing provides a new opportunity for the city to create equity within a new segment of the cannabis industry. When Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012 and later regulated it in 2014, we were the �rst city in the world to deploy a regulatory framework. In many ways, we’ve succeeded. But there’s more work to do to ensure this market represents the people of our city and allows all people to participate. Other cities have bene�tted

What are your ideas on making the Cannabis industry moreaccessible for African Americans? *



from our success, and improved upon it. We are actively monitoring their programs to �nd solutions and to create more equity in this industry.



There is a history of racism and institutional barriers to success for African Americans. It is only in the recent history of this nation that we were able to purchase and own land, attain business licenses and access education. We still need to peel back layers of inequity and �ght against racism, redlining and discrimination. To combat this, we need to set a solid foundation for the next generation of young Black Americans. As Mayor of Denver, this starts with opening access to the most basic needs of all people – access to a home, a job, and a community with access to healthy food, transportation and a quality public education. We are increasing before- and after-school programs, providing free access to rec centers, removing library late fees and opening job training programs for teens and young adults. We are delivering new pathways for housing assistance, sustainable business models, and the preservation of historic and culturally diverse neighborhoods. With billions of dollars of public projects currently or soon to be underway, it’s vital that we leverage this opportunity to invest in our people, not just our infrastructure. We do this by creating a diverse workforce, expanding access to job training, prioritizing hiring local, disadvantaged individuals - including those who have been previously incarcerated - and ensuring safe and ful�lling work. We are deploying training and hiring outreach requirements on major projects, including the National Western Center, Elevate Denver bond projects and the expansion of the Convention Center. These programs will help create generational wealth within our community. Finally, in 2014, I issued Executive Order 101 and signed two city ordinances to help level the playing �eld and improve opportunities for Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBE) when they pursue City contracts. My administration, the number of African American-owned �rms certi�ed through the City’s M/WBE and other programs grew 79%, from 165 in 2011 to nearly 300 today. This has

Income and wealth for African Americans is considerably lessthan their counterparts (even when adjusting for education ortenure) why do you think this is and what speci�cally will you doabout it? *



resulted in average year-over-year growth of 43% in dollars paid to African American-owned �rms for City contracts.



Growing up here, my family moved from Park Hill, to Montbello, back to Park Hill, then to Whittier and Five Points when we �nally secured public housing. I’ve seen Denver’s neighborhoods change. In many ways, Denver has made great progress. But it’s up to all of us to help manage Denver’s growth. To ensure vulnerable neighborhoods are able to continue growing and building wealth without displacing current residents or changing the fabric of our historic and culturally diverse neighborhoods, my administration has created the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization Team, or NEST. In this program’s �rst phase, we are going to focus on Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Montbello, Northeast Park Hill, Sun Valley and Westwood. This is a �rst-of-its-kind team that will deploy services speci�cally tailored to neighborhoods at risk of losing their identity and affordability as they experience surges in public and private investments, so we can work to ensure people aren’t displaced or forced out and that they can bene�t from economic prosperity in their area. In addition to NEST, we are continuing to require fees on new developments in order to provide funding for affordable housing for the most at-need residents. We will also continue to have collaborative conversations with neighborhood associations, promote solutions to end wage stagnation, provide job training and offer incentives to women- and minority-owned businesses. Finally, Denveright gives us a strategic roadmap to better manage our growth and provide sustainable infrastructure for the future of our city. This plan has engaged thousands of residents in the future of their city and how we manage growth and development, deliver accessible transportation and preserve and expand parkland in neighborhoods throughout Denver.

What creative ideas do you have to minimize the negative effectsof gentri�cation? *



Yes

No

Yes

No

This form was created inside of Colorado Black Women.

Do you support the MBE/WBE/DBE program *

Do you support "ban the box" for city jobs? *

Forms

https://www.google.com/forms/about/?utm_source=product&utm_medium=forms_logo&utm_campaign=forms

2019 denver municipal - ma yoral - cbwpa

Documents