- Thanks to those who protect the Capitol
- Respond to the needs of children
- Upholding CU's integrity
- Understanding history will help maintain freedoms
- Leaders do not understand the ravages of war
- A century to be proud of
- Think about all Coloradans in expansion
- New way of financing government
- A Nation Of Legal Immigrants
- The Hype on, On-Line Gaming.
The Juan Diego project
This Speakout has not been edited
By Randle Loeb, Denver
Juan Diego Project in Highlands, across from the Neighborhood Recreation Center and three schools was debated in a meaningless public hearing last night before the full City Council, minus Councilperson Charlie Brown. The meeting was a courtesy hearing for the community and the advocates for the Colorado AIDS Project, who had Director Jacky Morales-Ferrard, of Housing and Neighborhood Development Services, explain what this seventeen unit individual permanent apartment building for homeless individuals with AIDS represents for Denver. Many residents resent the idea of doing more than their full share with regard to housing poor, disaffected people. Some said that the Juan Diego Project was in the wrong location. Others in the community lauded the presence of the homeless with AIDS as a necessity, but want the property used for an expansion of the recreation center in a few years.
Juan Diego was the farmer who discovered the bleeding roses outside Mexico City and saw the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe, for which a day of celebration is recognized on December 12 every year. The name of the project is for those who are poor and who have a place in the world, which certainly relates to these people who will be residing in Highlands.
Both sides had merits in their arguments regarding the placement of the apartment complex. Juan Diego is an expensive development and Del Norte has had many management problems. The use of this land for seventeen units of housing is over priced and questionable. I could not testify before the Council because I felt torn in my belief that it is not a cost effective program. What I believe though, more ardently, is homeless people have a place as citizens here and need places to live. When Mr Brown, the Councilperson is willing to site facilities in his district and the affluent White people in the Southeast and west are willing to shoulder their burden of the housing needed for low income people, who fall below 30% (Areas Mean Rental Income), then meetings like last night won’t be necessary. There was no doubt that almost all of us who attended the meeting agreed that housing for the poor (affordable housing below 30% AMI) is necessary. Work force housing would be a significant step in this direction since most families and those who are ill, on fixed incomes, who have disabilities, cannot afford to live here or even in North Denver.
This is the crux of the problem, and not that we have no tolerance for the homeless with HIV/AIDS.