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Denver HRCP to Consolidate Offices into Four Divisions; $7.8M 2026 Budget Presented
Summary
Perla Gaylor, executive director of the Human Rights and Community Partnerships, told the City Council committee HRCP will consolidate nine offices into four divisions for 2026 and presented a proposed $7.8 million budget that includes $2 million from an energy-efficiency fund.
Perla Gaylor, executive director of the Human Rights and Community Partnerships (HRCP), told the City Council's Community Planning and Housing Committee that HRCP will consolidate nine offices into four divisions and continue core services for 2026. "Our mission is to proactively protect human rights by building and strengthening community connections and relationships," Gaylor said during the briefing.
Gaylor said the reorganization groups aging, financial empowerment and consumer financial protection under one division and combines disability rights, deaf and hard of hearing and anti-discrimination services under a single "access for all" division. The consolidation, she said, is intended to reduce silos and improve cross-agency coordination while keeping direct services in place.
The presentation included a proposed HRCP budget of $7,800,000 for 2026; Gaylor said about $2,000,000 of that funding derives from an energy-efficiency partnership with Excel that is expected to be available through 2026. She gave a general fund breakdown showing approximately $4,200,000 for personnel and $1,600,000 for services and supplies and reported HRCP plans to staff 29 positions in 2026.
Gaylor also flagged continuing ADA remediation work and a Department of Justice settlement reached earlier this year. "We had a settlement with the DOJ that we completed and submitted in July at 92% approval rate," she said, and added HRCP will continue to work on mitigation of thousands of ADA barriers across city facilities and services.
Council members pressed for additional detail on staffing and historical organization charts. Council Member Sedena Gonzalez Gutierrez said the provided materials were confusing and asked for org charts for 2024 and 2025 "before prior to the layoffs" so councilors can understand how programs are changing. Gaylor agreed to provide additional context and follow up.
Gaylor listed key contracts and vendors HRCP will continue to use in 2026, including LCM Architects (ADA barrier work), Find Solutions (mediation) and language/translation vendors. She also said the department used vacant positions first during earlier staffing reductions and noted the retirement of the aging director at year-end will prompt an internal program manager to assume a larger role for aging services.
There were no formal votes or ordinance actions taken during the committee briefing. The committee requested follow-up materials on staffing changes, compliance thresholds tied to DOJ and the state, and historical org charts for 2024 and 2025.
