Leslie Herod: “We must build homes on vacant land

CONCERNED ABOUT DENVER’S AFFORDABILITY| Leslie Herod, a legislator who aspires to be mayoress. (Picture/El Comercio Colorado)

ELECTIONS IN DENVER

WANTED TO BE MAYORESS OF DENVER

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

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Leslie Herold, a Colorado legislator, aspires to become Denver’s first mayoress. “I’ve been a legislator for over six years and have really been fighting for justice for all of us, whether it’s holding the police accountable or ensuring our small businesses can succeed. It’s been something I’ve been working on for quite some time. We want that the kind of policies that we have established at the state level be transferred directly to the personal, community and neighborhood level,” said Herod. Leslie Herod: “We must build homes on vacant land.

The legislator believes that the loss of affordability represents the main problem in Denver. Herod indicates that “we are in an affordability crisis. The cost-of-living increases. The purchase and rental value of homes increases. We see how the cost of groceries, such as eggs, increases. That is something I will focus on. I will work to bring more affordability to the city, specifically helping city residents cover their monthly expenses.”

Affordable housing

Herod emphasizes the impact affordability has on the homeless crisis. “We have so many homeless and so many people who are on the brink of homelessness. That is not compassionate. It is not humane to let people sleep on the street or in their cars. Everyone in Denver should have access to housing, and those who need access to mental health services should, too. I will also dedicate time to solve that”, assures Herod.

The candidate presented her strategy to solve the problem of the homeless. Herod said, “What we can do now is build homes on land that Denver already owns. Denver, Denver Public Schools (DPS) and RTD own the majority of the vacant lots in the city. Why can’t we build affordable housing and transitional housing on that land across the city, not just in communities that have been under-resourced? We need to focus on that, and we can do it now.”

Fighting crime

Herod is concerned about the crime affecting the city’s residents. “We must get to the root causes of violence and in particular youth violence, which is getting out of hand. It breaks my heart when I hear and see the news about the loss of another young child to senseless violence, whether it be gun violence or other incidents in our communities. We must make sure there are more programs for our youth”, concludes the mayoral candidate.

Short answers

Do you like music?

Leslie Herod: I like to listen to Soul, R&B and old school. That music keeps me calm. But my friend Joanna always tells me about Bad Bunny. I think I’m going to go to one of his concerts very soon.

Where do you go to listen to live music?

LH: I go to Red Rocks in Denver which is one of the most amazing concert venues in the US.

In what other activity do you spend your free time?

LH: I’m a big fan of the arts. As a child I participated in folk Mexican dance and African dances. My sister and I understood that dance was our main language.