“It's clear that the pandemic and social instability have taken a toll in our communities, and the number of people experiencing homelessness has risen as a result,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, an Arapahoe County Democrat. “We won't fully address this crisis unless we address the root cause of homelessness.”

Jodeh is sponsoring a bill that would direct $50 million of federal pandemic assistance funds to Denver and its surrounding counties that would allow for a collaboration between countries to build a homelessness resources campus.

While the details are still being worked out and construction of the campus could be years away, Jodeh said bill supporters envision a series of buildings providing mental health and substance abuse support, medical and dental care, transitional and permanent housing, job skills and emergency shelter.

Jodeh said the Denver area lacks transitional and supportive housing, which is often the first step into getting unsheltered residents into permanent housing. Because of this, Jodeh wanted to ensure legislation prioritized such housing for the state’s largest counties.

[Related: Study: First-time homelessness doubled in Denver area over the past year]

Another bill — sponsored by Gonzales — would pour $105 million to a number of options for homelessness support, including transitional and permanent housing for those who need it.

The bills come at a time when Denver-area housing prices are reaching all-time highs. Gonzales said she lives in affordable housing, which has given her access to serve as a state senator and lead a successful life.

“It’s the only reason I’m able to stand before you as a state senator today, because access to affordable and safe and secure housing changed my life,” Gonzales said. “This pandemic hit our communities hard, particularly working class Coloradans and communities of color.”

While unsheltered residents have always struggled in Colorado, Jodeh said Denver’s homeless shelters saw a 99% increase in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who were unhoused prior to the pandemic saw a 90% increase in drug overdose rates.

“The bills we’re working on this session will look at every angle of this crisis,” Jodeh said.

[Related: Colorado lawmakers are betting millions that factory-built homes are a solution to the housing crisis]

Governor Jared Polis said while the state is happily supporting the issue, he believes municipal leaders should be at the frontlines of the fight, as the issue is specific in different cities and municipalities have more power to legislate their unique needs than the state does.

“Homelessness is an issue that primarily lives at the municipal level, and because of the statewide importance, the state is taking an unprecedented step,” Polis said. “State government does not have the authority or jurisdiction to implement local ordinances. We can be a supporter and an investor in local efforts, but at the end of the day, it will take a force of local efforts to meet this issue on the ground."

Alison Berg is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at alisonberg@rmpbs.org.