Press Release
For Immediate Release
September 20, 2021

VOTE YES ON 2F
Repeal the Group Living Amendment | Details Matter

Denver - Safe and Sound Denver urges Denver residents to vote YES on 2F to repeal the Group Living Amendment (GLA) ordinance.

"The Amendment is massive, complex and so much more than 'just a couple of extra roommates.' Details matter," stated Florence Sebern of Safe and Sound Denver.

Some of the details of the Mayor and City Council's sleight-of-hand Group Living Amendment:

It allows a 150% increase to occupants in any single-family home 5 adults plus any minor children can occupy any single-family home.

• Our homes are not one-size-fits-all. Why isn’t this number proportional to the size of the home?

It uses single-family homes to increase density

• Density = more congestion, trash, and parking issues. Why are we compromising the well-being of our neighborhoods?

It allows new 1–10-person  24/7 homeless shelters in all single-family neighborhoods with no buffer zones

• Shelters were previously sited in industrial and urban centers. Why are we injecting instability into our neighborhoods?

It increases halfway house locations by 492% to 19,000 acres throughout the city in mixed-use, multi-unit and commercial corridor zones, which can be adjacent to single-family homes

• Denver’s recidivism (re-offense) rate is 41%, which means 4 in 10 will likely re-offend within 2 years. Shouldn’t improvements be made to rehabilitation programs first?

It removes historical 1,500 foot buffer zones between schools, residences, and halfway houses

• Where is the protection for Denver’s children?

It allows all family members to live together, inter-generationally

• The previous Zoning Code also allowed unlimited family members to live together, so a repeal will not affect families.

It commercializes single-family neighborhoods as service providers and investors buy single-family housing

• There are 134,000 single-family homes in Denver and the current owner-occupant-to-investor rate is 50/50.

It redefines housing uses

• These uses require services as a condition of residency:  halfway houses and shelters;
• These uses do not require services:  transitional/supportive housing (e.g., transitioning from camp, shelter or halfway house), tiny homes, and sanctioned camps;
• ​All of these housing uses serve populations that need services to stabilize and be successful;
• Why are services required for some and not others? If individuals are not invested in their own well-being, how successful will they be?

There is no increased budget for neighborhood inspection, fire, and police resources. 

• Currently, there are about 19 inspectors for Denver’s 155 square miles.

The GLA Committee charter stated zoning does not and cannot affect housing affordability.

• This is a huge experiment with our neighborhoods and our lives and no guarantee of affordability.

"Denverites want safe and stable neighborhoods; we want children to be protected with buffer zones between schools and halfway houses, shelters, sanctioned camps; we want less density, trash, congestion, and parking problems. The Mayor and City Council didn't listen; now it's our turn."

"Residents have the opportunity to decide what they want in their backyards, blocks, and neighborhoods by voting YES ON 2F," stated Sebern.

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About Safe and Sound Denver
Safe and Sound Denver is a grassroots effort of Denver residents who advocate for the safety, stability, and well being of our neighborhoods with sound policy that supports Denver's long-term growth. ​VOTE YES ON 2F

 For More Information: safeandsounddenver@gmail.com
 
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Authorized and paid for by Safe and Sound Denver Issue Committee