"Dede has been a vital part of the organization, leading with compassion and an unwavering commitment to the CVC mission of supporting the unhoused community," Elizabeth Szewczyk, director of development and communications for CVC, said in an August 26 statement. "CVC's Board of Directors and staff are profoundly grateful for Dede’s dedication and passion. Her efforts have left an indelible mark on the organization, and she departs with best wishes for her future endeavors."
When asked about her resignation, de Percin responded: "I resigned and am taking sometime before my next work adventure. That's all."
CVC is best known for its Tiny Home Villages and Safe Outdoor Spaces (SOS), which have temporarily housed more than 1,000 people since the nonprofit's founding in 2017. The Tiny Home Villages are groupings of shed-like units where people can live temporarily, while the SOS locations have tents and services on site, but both are intended to transition people out of homelessness. When asked about her resignation, de Percin responded: "I resigned and am taking sometime before my next work adventure. That's all."
Mayor Mike Johnston adopted CVC's model for these sites to create micro-communities, which de Percin described as a cross between the shed-like units of the Tiny Home Villages and the accessible services of the SOS sites. Johnston also named Cole Chandler, who was de Percin's predecessor and the founder of CVC, as his senior advisor on homelessness resolution when the mayor took office in July.
Johnston had originally planned to open ten micro-communities across Denver, but after residents pushed back and deals with property owners for proposed sites fell through, he managed to open only three sites, which are operated by homeless service providers CVC, the Gathering Place and Bayaud Enterprises.
After canceling most of the micro-communities and delaying the rest, Johnston relied on million-dollar contracts with hotels to house 1,000 people in 2023 and another 1,000 this year, as part his campaign promise to end homelessness in Denver in his first term.
Johnston says he doesn't plan to open any more micro-communities after the lessons from last year, but he is putting city funds into upgrading CVC sites to match the services and facilities at his micro-communities. Those upgrades include adding units and community centers to the Tiny Home Villages, closing one SOS site and replacing the tents at another site with pallet shelters, or shed-like units.
Those upgrades started on July 26; de Percin left shortly after CVC began the city-funded transformation of the CVC sites. CVC hasn't commented on or responded to questions about the progress of those changes.
After canceling most of the micro-communities and delaying the rest, Johnston relied on million-dollar contracts with hotels to house 1,000 people in 2023 and another 1,000 this year, as part his campaign promise to end homelessness in Denver in his first term.
Johnston says he doesn't plan to open any more micro-communities after the lessons from last year, but he is putting city funds into upgrading CVC sites to match the services and facilities at his micro-communities. Those upgrades include adding units and community centers to the Tiny Home Villages, closing one SOS site and replacing the tents at another site with pallet shelters, or shed-like units.
Those upgrades started on July 26; de Percin left shortly after CVC began the city-funded transformation of the CVC sites. CVC hasn't commented on or responded to questions about the progress of those changes.
De Percin took over for Chandler in March 2023. She previously led other nonprofits around the country involved in anti-LGBTQ violence, access to health care and conservation.
"When I took this role, obviously we knew we were going to have a new mayor, but it was in March. We had no idea who the new mayor was going to be or any direction anything was going to go," de Percin recalled in a December 2023 interview with Westword. "And as it has emerged, we are the organization that has the most experience."
CVC is best known for running small, outdoor transitional housing like the La Paz Micro-Community, which opened in March.
Bennito L. Kelty
"CVC is thrilled to announce the return of Shay-La Romney as Interim CEO," Szewczyk added in her statement. "Her familiarity with our mission, team and values makes her the ideal candidate to guide CVC through this transition."
The City of Denver put its trust in CVC to operate its largest micro-community, the sixty-unit La Paz site in the Overland neighborhood. Originally slated to host 155 units and more than 200 people, the La Paz site sparked controversy after Overland residents first heard about it in late September last year.
After several delays to the Overland site's opening, it began housing people in March who were moved off the streets by city encampment sweeps. Six months later, reaction among Overland residents was mixed, with reports of individual success stories, but also of theft, drug use and trespassing at nearby homes.
Jenn Greiving, the president of the Overland Park Neighborhood Association, says de Percin was "great to work with. I wish her the best."
The City of Denver put its trust in CVC to operate its largest micro-community, the sixty-unit La Paz site in the Overland neighborhood. Originally slated to host 155 units and more than 200 people, the La Paz site sparked controversy after Overland residents first heard about it in late September last year.
After several delays to the Overland site's opening, it began housing people in March who were moved off the streets by city encampment sweeps. Six months later, reaction among Overland residents was mixed, with reports of individual success stories, but also of theft, drug use and trespassing at nearby homes.
Jenn Greiving, the president of the Overland Park Neighborhood Association, says de Percin was "great to work with. I wish her the best."
De Percin isn't the only CEO of a nonprofit handling a micro-community to leave her position this year.
In February, Megan Devenport left her position as CEO of the Gathering Place, a nonprofit dedicated to sheltering homeless women, children and people who identify as LGBTQ or non-binary. Devenport departed the Gathering Place a month before it opened Elati Village, a 44-unit micro-community on West 14th Avenue and Elati Street. Neither Devenport nor the Gathering Place revealed why they parted ways after a year of her leadership.
The Gathering Place announced on August 16 that it had appointed Heather Beck as its new CEO after she held the interim position for five months.
Greiving notes that de Percin wasn't on the good neighbor committee with Overland residents, and she doesn't expect the leadership change to affect the nearby La Paz micro-community. De Percin was "more involved at the beginning of the process," when CVC and residents were hammering out a good neighbor agreement, according to Greiving.
Szewczyk said in her statement that CVC doesn't expect the transition to affect any work going on at CVC.
Szewczyk said in her statement that CVC doesn't expect the transition to affect any work going on at CVC.
