The neighboring cities of Denver and Aurora have begun planning their spending for the upcoming year — and how they’re allocating taxpayer dollars highlight their different approaches to homelessness, a crisis that has soared in the last several years despite significant resources poured into it by local governments.
Denver, which has adopted a “housing-first” approach, plans to spend $155 million on combatting homelessness in 2025, while Aurora is taking what officials call a “tough love” approach that will cost about $5.9 million next year.
While the two cities have divergent approaches to homelessness, both saw an increase in homeless people this year compared to last year…