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Metro Denver Homeless Initiative proposes board overhaul, vows wider county representation
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Summary
MDHI presented a mid-course strategic update and a proposed governance redesign to separate the MDHI nonprofit board from the CoC leadership, expand membership from 13 to 19 seats, and reserve a dedicated seat for Douglas County as it seeks deeper subregional representation.
The Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) presented a mid-course update to its five-year strategic framework and a proposed restructuring of its governing boards at the Douglas County Homeless Initiative meeting on March 12.
Sofia Vigil, MDHIs director of strategy and impact, described the organizations role as the HUD-designated continuum of care for the seven-county Metro Denver region and outlined five strategic drivers for the next two years: strengthening the crisis response system, improving ways of working, enabling cross-sector conditions, targeting homeless reduction strategies, and reinforcing organizational infrastructure. "We are designated by HUD, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to coordinate Metro Denver's response to homelessness," Vigil said during the presentation.
Jason Johnson, MDHIs executive director, described a governance redesign intended to address a perceived conflict of interest and increase regional representation. Under the plan Johnson outlined, the current single board structure would split into two separate boards: one for the MDHI nonprofit and one that would serve as the CoC leadership. The board would grow from 13 members to 19 (15 voting, 4 nonvoting). "The biggest opportunity in this restructure is that there will be nine seats on this board specifically for our subregional partners," Johnson said, adding that "Douglas County will have a seat at the table."
Johnson said the redesign would include two voting seats for people with lived experience, four at-large voting seats intended for system partners (health care, education, etc.), and four nonvoting advisory seats for data and homeless-systems expertise. He also described recruitment and governance changes: nominations should come from the CoCs general membership, the board would move to two-year terms with a maximum of three consecutive terms, and the charter and bylaws for both boards would be rewritten to reflect the new structure.
Johnson framed the proposal as a work in progress. "This is sort of half baked or half cooked. This is really still in the mixing bowl," he said, noting MDHI is holding community meetings in March and April to gather feedback and expects final board votes later in the year. He invited local partners to sign up for MDHIs newsletter, participate in the April 22 CoC convening at the Auraria Campus in Denver, and consider candidates for the Douglas County subregional seat.
Why it matters: MDHIs governance determines who sets regional priorities, who votes on policy and funding allocations for HUD-backed projects, and how lived expertise and local jurisdictions are represented. The proposed changes would create a guaranteed voice for each subregion, including Douglas County, and formalize roles for people with direct experience of homelessness.
Next steps: MDHI will present the draft charter and recruitment process to its board; community feedback collected in March and April will be folded into the final design. A formal vote on the new structure is expected later in 2026, with implementation plans discussed at the April 22 convening.
