It was a busy year in 2023 for Colorado’s most populous metro areas, with lots of turmoil, triumph and planning for the future in Denver and Aurora.

From homelessness response efforts, public safety challenges, rental assistance to curb the affordable housing crisis, court trials and elections — 2023 had it all. But what is there to expect for 2024?

Let’s take a look:

Denver

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, his administration and the City Council set an ambitious tone since being sworn to office in 2023, and Denver plans to continue that ambition in 2024.

Here are some notables to look out for:

• Johnston plans to move another 1,000 homeless people into temporary housing before the end of 2024. His administration comes fresh off a sprint to move 1,000 homeless people from city encampments and into temporary housing in 2023, telling The Denver Gazette he plans to do the same in 2024.
• Denver plans to help provide 3,000 more permanent affordable housing units in 2024, according to the mayor’s office, an effort that preceded the sprint that temporarily housed 1,000 homeless people in 2023. New affordable housing units are available for anyone in Denver, the mayor’s office said.
• Denver expects to earmark up to $242 million for homeless and related services in 2024, $115.1 million of which is meant for temporarily housing homeless people, according to the Department of Housing Stability budget.
• Denver is expanding funding for the emergency rental assistance program with $30.1 million set to help those under the 80% median income, providing rental assistance to those who need it most. Money earmarked for rental assistance next year doubles what was originally proposed by Johnston.
• Denver’s Department of Transportation faces a busy year of construction, notably for the $172.5 million 16th Street Mall renovation project originally slated for 2024 completion — but the discovery of underground lines built in the 1800s has delayed the project until 2025. Area businesses fear 2024 is going to be a tough year in downtown Denver’s anchor for tourism, shopping and dining.
• Johnston budgeted $8.2 million in 2024 for the Denver Police Department to recruit 167 new police officers to meet full authorized strength — a number which the department seeks to achieve after being under the threshold for some time. An additional $7.2 million is earmarked to expand the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) and co-responder programs.

Aurora

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman was re-elected to a second term in November, bringing with him a list of plans to address some of Aurora’s biggest challenges.

Coffman has pledged many times, both in office and during his campaign, to be “tough on crime,” proposing several changes that would bolster public safety efforts in the city. 

With Coffman’s re-election in November came a stronger conservative council majority as well. Prior to the November election, Aurora’s council sat at a 6-4 conservative majority. Now, it sits at 7-3.

Here’s what’s coming in Aurora this year:

• Coffman is working on two new proposals that would make Aurora stricter on homeless encampments and develop a new court system for low-level offenses by homeless people. The court would focus on getting people into treatment in exchange for dropping the charges, as long as they complete court-ordered requirements. He’s emphasized that Aurora will be a “work first” city with the goal of stable housing “earned through employment.”
• The city is working on developing a navigation and resource center, which would consolidate homeless services into one location, a model similar to that of the Colorado Springs Rescue Mission — which Coffman has cited several times as a model he admires. 
• Aurora Police Department is working on bolstering its workforce, with its most recent police academy bringing in over 30 recruits and expecting similar numbers for the next class in January. 
• In February, Aurora’s City Council will address city funding for homeless service providers, all of whom saw a significant cut in the city’s 2024 budget as marijuana tax dollar revenues have decreased. Councilmember Alison Coombs has strongly advocated for flat funding for the service providers, while other councilmembers have said the city’s funding needs to go elsewhere. Meanwhile, Coffman has suggested incrementally reducing funding to the providers rather than cutting it all at once. The conversation will happen at a February budget meeting. 
• The city will continue to work under the consent decree, which it entered into with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office in 2021, to implement changes to policing — notably in the use of force and how officers engage with residents. The most recent report showed the city making “significant progress,” but with plenty of work still left to do.
• City Council will get the results of a request for proposal sent out to determine the possible cost benefits of privatizing its public defender’s office, meaning it would contract out for defense attorney services for indigent residents rather than use its in-house public defender’s office.