Mayor addresses safety concerns as a new micro-community opens off Santa Fe

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was in the Overland Park neighborhood off South Santa Fe Drive on Monday where a new micro-community officially opened.

The new community, known as La Paz, is part of Johnston’s “All in Mile High” initiative, which was announced a couple of weeks ago as part of Johnston’s 2024 goals and is the long-term name for the House1000 initiative.

The micro-community will be home to a stretch of 60 tiny homes. Some 95 unhoused people from a select encampment off Colfax will be moved on Tuesday, with 60 of them moving into the La Paz community.

However, neighbors who live in the Overland Park neighborhood have voiced their concerns.

FOX31’s Courtney Fromm was at the micro-community where an alley separated neighbors from the tiny homes.

Johnston was at the community on Monday and addressed safety concerns. He said the community will be gated, secured and staffed 24/7 to help with any conflicts and situations.

Fromm asked Johnston about possible drug use on the property and was told that residents would only be kicked out of the community if they were caught with guns and weapons or if they were dealing drugs.

“It means we do not screen up front to say, ‘Have you gone through a drug rehab program? Have you already gone through a workforce training program? Have you already completed mental health services?’ What we know is it’s very hard to receive those services if you’re living in a tent every night and not sure if you are going to freeze to death or get attacked in the middle of the night,” said Johnston.

The goal of the community is to offer all sorts of services and stability with the end goal of getting people into permanent housing.