A tent encampment along 48th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Four breweries, plus a distillery. A hostel a few blocks from Coors Field. A RiNo music venue. A convenience store within a city office building.
More than 300 Denver businesses applied for a city program that will award a cumulative $1 million in grants in the coming weeks to businesses that have been harmed by illegal homeless encampments — up to $15,000 each.
The deadline to apply for the latest installment of the city’s Business Impact Opportunity Fund, which uses federal dollars to help small businesses recover from the pandemic, was Dec. 14.
This round of grants is specifically earmarked for businesses that have been “impacted by an encampment within two blocks or less of their business location,” according to the city’s website. Businesses that had revenue between $30,000 and $100,000 in 2022 are eligible for a $7,500 grant. Those with revenue between $100,000 and $5 million can get a $15,000 grant.
“We know the pandemic struck a major blow to so many Denver businesses, and many continue to face impacts due to encampments,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement when the grant application window opened in November.
Johnston, who assumed office in July, has made getting homeless people off the streets his signature issue.
The city received about 310 applications for grants, according to a list of applicants provided to BusinessDen by Shelby Morse, spokeswoman for Denver Economic Development & Opportunity.
Morse cautioned that submitting an application does not mean a business will receive a grant or is even eligible for one. In fact, a BusinessDen review of application data found that several businesses listed an address in Aurora, despite the program being only for those within Denver.
Those receiving a grant will likely be announced in the next few weeks, Morse said.
While businesses in many parts of the city applied for a grant, the application rate was highest in the Ballpark/Arapahoe Square neighborhoods, which have a high concentration of homeless services providers and have struggled for years with large encampments.
Mapping the applicants clearly shows the East Colfax and Broadway corridors leading away from downtown. Businesses as far afield as Green Valley Ranch and the southeastern stretches of the city also said they’ve been affected by encampments.
Businesses applied under their legal business name, which doesn’t necessarily correspond to the name used by customers. Below are some notable businesses that included a recognizable name as part of their application, per the information provided by the city.
Click here to view a spreadsheet with all applicants.
Breweries/distilleries: Cerebral Brewing, Great Divide Brewing Co., Strange Craft Beer Co., Woods Boss Brewing Co., Mile High Spirits
Retailers: Mr. B’s Wine & Spirits, Totem Cyclery, FattE-Bikes, Coloradical, Quality Paws Natural Pet, Max Market, Blue Bridal Boutique
Hostels and entertainment/event/music venues: Hostel Fish, Asterisk, Denver Selfie Museum, Ophelia’s Electric Soap Box, Number 38
Design and construction firms: Open Studio Architecture, Bonsai Design Build, LVTD Design, Johnson Construction Company
Restaurants/bars: Little Man Ice Cream Factory, Butcher Block Cafe, The Hornet, Blue Sparrow Coffee, The Fainting Goat Pub, Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, Bigsby’s Folly Craft Winery & Restaurant, Triangle Bar, Wild Corgi Pub, Lost Lake Lounge, Sweet Action, Metropolis Coffee, High Point Creamery, Just Be Kitchen, BriDer Rotisserie & Kitchen, Lazo Empanadas, Room for Milly, Snooze
Not all applicants fit into one of the above categories. Various criteria restrict what firms can receive a grant, including that the business activity must comply with federal law, which eliminates companies in the marijuana industry.
Companies with multiple locations could apply for each location.
The city defined an “encampment” for this program as “a concentration of several people, the use of non-permanent structures for sustained habitation and evidence of sustained presence, possibly including trash, human waste, and combustible materials.”
A tent encampment along 48th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Four breweries, plus a distillery. A hostel a few blocks from Coors Field. A RiNo music venue. A convenience store within a city office building.
More than 300 Denver businesses applied for a city program that will award a cumulative $1 million in grants in the coming weeks to businesses that have been harmed by illegal homeless encampments — up to $15,000 each.
The deadline to apply for the latest installment of the city’s Business Impact Opportunity Fund, which uses federal dollars to help small businesses recover from the pandemic, was Dec. 14.
This round of grants is specifically earmarked for businesses that have been “impacted by an encampment within two blocks or less of their business location,” according to the city’s website. Businesses that had revenue between $30,000 and $100,000 in 2022 are eligible for a $7,500 grant. Those with revenue between $100,000 and $5 million can get a $15,000 grant.
“We know the pandemic struck a major blow to so many Denver businesses, and many continue to face impacts due to encampments,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement when the grant application window opened in November.
Johnston, who assumed office in July, has made getting homeless people off the streets his signature issue.
The city received about 310 applications for grants, according to a list of applicants provided to BusinessDen by Shelby Morse, spokeswoman for Denver Economic Development & Opportunity.
Morse cautioned that submitting an application does not mean a business will receive a grant or is even eligible for one. In fact, a BusinessDen review of application data found that several businesses listed an address in Aurora, despite the program being only for those within Denver.
Those receiving a grant will likely be announced in the next few weeks, Morse said.
While businesses in many parts of the city applied for a grant, the application rate was highest in the Ballpark/Arapahoe Square neighborhoods, which have a high concentration of homeless services providers and have struggled for years with large encampments.
Mapping the applicants clearly shows the East Colfax and Broadway corridors leading away from downtown. Businesses as far afield as Green Valley Ranch and the southeastern stretches of the city also said they’ve been affected by encampments.
Businesses applied under their legal business name, which doesn’t necessarily correspond to the name used by customers. Below are some notable businesses that included a recognizable name as part of their application, per the information provided by the city.
Click here to view a spreadsheet with all applicants.
Breweries/distilleries: Cerebral Brewing, Great Divide Brewing Co., Strange Craft Beer Co., Woods Boss Brewing Co., Mile High Spirits
Retailers: Mr. B’s Wine & Spirits, Totem Cyclery, FattE-Bikes, Coloradical, Quality Paws Natural Pet, Max Market, Blue Bridal Boutique
Hostels and entertainment/event/music venues: Hostel Fish, Asterisk, Denver Selfie Museum, Ophelia’s Electric Soap Box, Number 38
Design and construction firms: Open Studio Architecture, Bonsai Design Build, LVTD Design, Johnson Construction Company
Restaurants/bars: Little Man Ice Cream Factory, Butcher Block Cafe, The Hornet, Blue Sparrow Coffee, The Fainting Goat Pub, Billy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, Bigsby’s Folly Craft Winery & Restaurant, Triangle Bar, Wild Corgi Pub, Lost Lake Lounge, Sweet Action, Metropolis Coffee, High Point Creamery, Just Be Kitchen, BriDer Rotisserie & Kitchen, Lazo Empanadas, Room for Milly, Snooze
Not all applicants fit into one of the above categories. Various criteria restrict what firms can receive a grant, including that the business activity must comply with federal law, which eliminates companies in the marijuana industry.
Companies with multiple locations could apply for each location.
The city defined an “encampment” for this program as “a concentration of several people, the use of non-permanent structures for sustained habitation and evidence of sustained presence, possibly including trash, human waste, and combustible materials.”
