Denver Food Rescue: 2022 Ballot Positions

Up to date with our organizational ideals, enduring responsibilities, and current strategic goals, Denver Food Rescue has taken a position on several statewide, Denver, and school district ballot measures that would progress or prevent an impartial and thriving Greater Denver region. Our endorsements are informed by community-informed organizations, with whom we align strategy and action to improve policy outcomes for those furthest from opportunity. Read on to learn more about the specific ballot measures and our rationale for each position. 

 

Our 2022 Ballot Positions

 

Proposition 123: Dedicated State Income Tax Revenue for Affordable Housing Programs

Denver Food Rescue ENDORSES Proposition 123. Prop 123 would create and fund a statewide Affordable Housing Fund to incentivize municipal affordable housing development. 

Colorado is experiencing a housing crisis. As the demand for affordable housing has steadily increased over the past decade, the amount of housing being built has decreased by 40 percent. Prop 123 is a comprehensive approach to the state’s affordable housing challenges, addressing the entire continuum of needs – from homelessness through homeownership – and using various strategies to target support for low- and mid-income housing. The measure aims to mitigate the housing shortage across the state and lower the long-term trajectory of housing costs.  

Proposition FF: Healthy Meals for All Public School Students

Denver Food Rescue ENDORSES Proposition FF. IF PASSED, Prop FF would fund universal access to school meals by reducing income tax deduction amounts for high-income earners. 

No child should go hungry because they can’t afford a nutritious meal. Providing kids with a healthy breakfast and lunch improves their long-term development and makes them more attentive and engaged in the classroom – boosting grades, attendance rates, and graduation rates. Yet 44 percent of Colorado families struggle to put healthy food on the table for their children. By eliminating lunch costs and debts for all Colorado public school students, Prop FF would ensure all kids get the nutrition they need to thrive and allow families to focus on other critical needs like housing and utilities. 

DENVER BALLOT MEASURES 

Initiated Ordinance 305: No Eviction Without Representation

Denver Food Rescue ENDORSES Ordinance 305. If passed, the measure would guarantee free legal representation to Denver residents from the moment they receive an eviction notice through the resolution of their case. 

Being evicted can irreparably harm a person’s life, limiting housing and job opportunities in the future and reinforcing cycles of poverty. While landlords have legal representation in virtually every eviction case, tenants in Denver are only represented by an attorney in one to three percent of all cases. Tenant legal representation, or lack thereof, is a crucial predictor of whether someone facing eviction can stay in their home. This measure does not create any new rules around displacement, but it does help ensure that fewer individuals are unjustly evicted. 

Referred Question 2I: Denver Public Library Mill Levy Ordinance

Denver Food Rescue ENDORSES Referred Question 2I. If passed, the measure would create a dedicated funding stream of about $31 million per year for the Denver Public Library (DPL) system. 

With 27 locations in all parts of Denver, DPL is one of the few places free of charge, safe, and welcoming for everyone. New and projected revenue would diversify DPL’s funding beyond what it receives in the Denver City and County Budget and from fundraising, providing additional stability that would enable the library system to be more strategic and impactful, helping strengthen our libraries today and sustaining them for generations to come. DPL could potentially add more satellite locations and outreach in neighborhoods that currently lack access to library services; expand hours and staffing in higher-need areas; expand services for youth, older adults, and job seekers, and improve language access and digital inclusion across its libraries.