We all know Colorado homelessness has become an increasingly hot-topic issue. Gov. Hickenlooper aims to fight the with a portion of Marijuana tax revenue.
Gov. John Hickenlooper has advocated for homeless relief since he first ran for mayor of Denver in 2003. Now, in his latest proposal he hopes to offset Colorado homelessness. He plans to make good on his promises to ease homelessness all over the state. The plan involves dedicating $12.3 million to develop housing units for those in need. This plan will also include an additional $6 million for low-income housing. These expenses have been outlined in his budget request for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The use of marijuana tax collections has garnered $134 million in the first nine months of 2016. Taxes on marijuana is currently allocated for law enforcement, healthcare and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.
Gov. Hickenlooper’s proposal would allocate $16.3 million in marijuana tax revenues and an additional $2 million in general tax collections a year toward three new programs to address affordable housing and Colorado homelessness issues.
A simplified version of the plan involves:
- $12.3 million to build 1,200 permanent housing units for chronically homeless individuals and 300 additional units for those with periodic homelessness in first five years.
- $4 million to acquire (or construct) 354 housing units coupled with behavioral health services
- $2 million in incentives for 250 additional affordable housing units for senior citizens. Also for those facing rising housing costs due to gentrification
Hickenlooper is determined to push his efforts to ease Colorado homelessness and assist those battling with issues that perpetuate their less-than-ideal living situations and lives. “My argument - and it’s the same argument- is we spend more than twice as much … perpetuating lives of misery by letting people live under bridges than we would getting them into housing and giving them wrap-around services. By which I mean, job training at the top of the list, counseling for addictions and medications for mental health,” the Governor told the Denver Post.
This new and ‘aggressive’ plan can effectively impact Colorado by helping those who truly need it. “Taking what used to be an illegal activity, now that it’s legal and taxable and using it to address another social issue was an opportunity that we felt important to take advantage of - and one that would make some sense to the public,” said the governor’s budget director, Henry Sobanet.
What do you think about this allocation of marijuana tax revenue? Do you have any thoughts on the increased Colorado homelessness? We’d love to hear what you think!
