Englewood staff proposed $80,000 downtown liaison, homelessness response
A regional assessment summarized by Englewood’s housing authority found no supportive housing in the Tri-Cities area and estimated 305 units would cost $100.3 million over 10 years.
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Englewood staff proposed a part-time downtown liaison costing an estimated $80,000 a year and a broader response to homelessness and downtown cleanliness in a Sept. 8 City Council packet.
A regional assessment summarized in a later Englewood Housing Authority report found no supportive housing in the Tri-Cities area and estimated a need for 305 units over 10 years, at a cost of $100.3 million. The city packet described the estimate as a need for permanent supportive-housing units to address chronic homelessness. The authority said the Corporation for Supportive Housing would convene partners to develop an implementation plan.
The proposals followed a July community conversation attended by 17 representatives from 13 businesses in the CityCenter, Broadway/South Broadway and Wellness District areas. The meeting report said the 90-minute, English-only session did not include every interested business and gave limited attention to services and housing.
The city staff presentation and meeting packet described the Sept. 8 item as informational and said staff sought council feedback and direction. The packet does not establish what direction the council ultimately gave.
Proposed liaison and reporting system
Staff proposed hiring or assigning a part-time Downtown Liaison to conduct daily inspections; document graffiti, debris, vandalism, nuisance activity and people needing assistance; enter quality-of-life issues into EngleFix; coordinate with city departments; and track follow-up. The packet targeted fall 2026 for the position.
The presentation estimated the position would cost $80,000 annually, including benefits. It proposed covering 35% of the cost with an existing 0.5 full-time-equivalent position in the Events budget and 65% with a vacant 0.5 FTE in the Parks budget. A separate staff memo recommended using part of roughly $150,000 already appropriated in two nuisance-abatement funds for the liaison.
The packet did not give a separate cost for a proposed website and reporting portal. Staff said they had developed draft content and targeted a mid-September launch, likely through EngleFix. Businesses would be able to submit concerns, and staff would use mapping and monthly status reports to track responses. Staff also proposed reviewing the data after October and adjusting resource allocation as needed.
Other proposals included quarterly Broadway Business Safety Network meetings, a business guide based on crime-prevention-through-environmental-design principles, additional daytime police presence when staffing allows, twice-daily weekday bus-stop inspections, graffiti and shopping-cart removal, and coordination with service providers for transportation and referrals.
Possible code changes
Staff asked the council to consider applying camping restrictions to private commercial property under standards similar to those used on public property. They also raised possible limited residential exceptions, such as allowing camping for up to 72 hours, while maintaining clearer restrictions on commercial property.
The discussion could also include advance warnings before abatements, partnerships with service providers and continued use of an abatement contract for specific encampments.
The packet said Englewood already prohibits blocking streets, passages and sidewalks; overnight camping in city parks and open spaces; camping on city-owned property where signs prohibit it; parking violations; and nuisances or other public hazards. It also said the city had not adopted a full public-property camping ban or a blanket camping ban in rights of way outside streets and sidewalks.
The City Attorney’s Office had separately identified unclear municipal authority to remove and dispose of abandoned personal property. The packet anticipated bringing an ordinance clarifying that authority to the council by October 2027; that was a staff expectation, not an introduced or adopted ordinance.
Regional assessment estimates 305 units
The Englewood Housing Authority’s report said Arapahoe County engaged the Corporation for Supportive Housing to assess supportive-housing needs in the Tri-Cities region. The authority said it contributed to the assessment and that the organization had released its final report. As summarized by the authority, the assessment found no supportive housing in the region and estimated a need for 305 units over the next 10 years, costing $100.3 million.
The authority said it would participate in partner planning and keep its board informed about policy decisions that might come before it.