Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has picked a policy adviser who played a key role in his campaign to curb homelessness as the next chief of the city’s housing department.

Cole Chandler is the new executive director of the Department of Housing Stability, Johnston said in a statement.

“Cole Chandler has been instrumental in turning our vision into reality,” Johnston said. “His leadership, urgency and deep commitment to service have helped us make historic progress. There is no one better to lead HOST as we build on this momentum and continue delivering results for our city.”

Chandler previously served as senior adviser for “homelessness resolution” to Johnston. He advised the mayor on Johnson’s initiative to move thousands of homeless people off of Denver’s streets into hotel-turned-shelters and “micro-communities.”

“We’ve shown that when we act with urgency and compassion, we can achieve real, measurable progress. I’m excited to continue working toward a future where homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring, and everyone who wants to can afford to call Denver their home,” Chandler said in a statement shared by the mayor’s office.

The mayor’s office has touted Johnson’s campaign as successful, though the number of homeless people in Denver actually grew, according to the latest count.

The city’s spending on homelessness has come under scrutiny, with critics citing the program’s price tag and reports of violence and security worries at shelters.

During an October 2025 presentation to the Denver City Council, Johnston’s office reported that the total cost of the program from July 2023 through June 2025 was about $158 million — $65 million more than what the mayor had said it would cost, according to 9News.

“I’m honored to step into this role and continue serving the people of Denver alongside the very passionate and talented people who make up the HOST team,” Chandler said in a statement from Johnston’s office.

During his tenure in the mayor’s office, Chandler coordinated efforts across city agencies and the Emergency Operations Center, overseeing the team that executed Johnston’s emergency declaration on homelessness. During his campaign for the office, Johnston had promised to end homelessness in his first term, assuming favorable conditions and strategies worked.

“Cole is an outstanding choice to lead HOST. He brings thoughtful leadership, deep understanding of effective solutions, and an unwavering commitment to the life-saving work of ending homelessness,” said Jeff Olivet, former executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Denver’s Office of Housing Stability is revising its approach to funding homeless shelter program services by ditching its flat-fee contracts in favor of pay-for-performance contacts.

The switch-up came on the heels of criticism from the Denver City Council and others over performance concerns with the city’s largest homeless shelter program provider, The Salvation Army, which severed its relationship with the city at the end of 2025, opting to transition away from operating the city’s hotel-based shelters toward rehabilitative services.

Meanwhile, a recent audit report concluded the mayor’s homelessness initiative lacked oversight and cost the city $20 million more than previously reported.

The audit determined that the initiative was poorly planned, with underreported expenses, no monitoring plan, inadequate “equity” considerations in shelter siting, and no one responsible for tracking the program’s citywide expenses.

The mayor’s office disputed the findings, calling some “instances” of the audit “willfully misleading.”

“$20 million in underreported costs is a lot of money, especially when the Mayor’s Office is cutting budgets,” Auditor Timothy O’Brien said in a statement to the media. “It is alarming there’s been no central oversight of spending and measurements of success keep changing.”

Shortly after he was elected in 2023, Johnston, who promised to end homelessness in his first term as mayor, declared a state of emergency and launched what he called the “House 1000” initiative. After the emergency ended, the program transitioned to what he dubbed “All In Mile High.”