Where are homeless people without shelter supposed to sleep? 
How are they to stay warm?
Denver needs help in solving these problems

Denver Homeless Out Loud calls on all to commemorate the one year anniversary of passing the “Urban Camping” Ban on May 14, 2013. Join us for a Town Hall community time with FOOD and speak out about your experiences with the ban.

The information in the survey shows that the 16th Street Mall and Civic Center have been largely cleared of the homeless, but hundreds of homeless people still walk the streets of Denver every night as they did before with a few changes. Now they cannot lie down, cover themselves and are constantly urged to “move on” by the police.

Denver Homeless Out Loud has requested that the Downtown Denver Partnership meet (in light of the new information in the survey), and work with the homeless community and other caring groups to end this situation which has been made worse by the ordinance. They have declined.

The Downtown Denver Partnership initiated the ordinance and now that it has passed, life is worse for the homeless. Help us ask the Downtown Denver Partnership to join with us and take a lead in the efforts to end this situation.

Denver’s homeless community, service providers, and concerned people joined together a year ago to resist the passage of this hurtful ordinance. We invite you to join together again one year later to continue to stand for the right to sleep.

For further information on how the camping ban has been effecting people’s lives, read the report prepared by Denver Homelesss Out Loud.

Respectfully,

Snooze

As people of faith we believe that all people are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion, We believe that “If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks” (Deuteronomy 15:17)

We support policies and efforts that preserve people’s rights and dignity and oppose those that are detrimental, especially those affecting vulnerable populations. Therefore, we support the recommendations of Denver Homeless Out Loud’s Denver Camping Ban: A Report from the Street. This report of a survey of over 500 homeless individuals, conducted as a response to Denver’s Unauthorized Camping Ordinance criminalizing homeless individuals sleeping on the streets, demonstrates to us that this ordinance is morally reprehensible.

The report shows that the lives of unsheltered Denver residents have become more challenging, more stressful, and less safe since the ordinance’s enforcement began. They report being displaced, moved farther from resources and contacted by the police more often. And sadly, while police contacts have increased in frequency, the law’s enforcement protocol has not aided Denver’s unsheltered residents nor provided options other than sleeping on the streets.

This ordinance was passed by Denver’s City Council in May of 2012, despite the lack of sufficient shelter beds, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, affordable housing and living wage jobs, and without the support of homeless providers and churches.

We believe that a solution to the needs of our unsheltered brothers and sisters will only come about when citizens, churches, non profits, businesses and the City work together.

We strongly urge you to take action to:

• Repeal or modify the camping ban ordinance;
• Provide a legal and safe place for unsheltered people to sleep;
• Reform enforcement procedures so that social services are readily available to those who desire access;
• And Prioritize permanent affordable housing, shelters and resources for Denver’s homeless population

We strongly urge you to make these changes in policy and law, so that we, as the community of Denver can truly work together for the betterment of Denver’s homeless community, and not to its detriment.

Sincerely,

Reverend Liliana Stahlberg, Pastor, Highlands Lutheran Church
Wolfgang Stahlberg, Pastor and Spiritual Director, Messiah Community Church
Pastor Tina Yankeee, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
Reverend J Paul Howard, Montclair Community Methodist Church
Reverend Vernon K. Rempel, Senior Pastor, First Mennonite Church of Denver
Reverend Mark J Hill, Cleaves Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Mohammed Hamdi

See Also:

• Letter from the Denver Catholic Worker (pdf)
• Letter from Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Colorado. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (pdf)

Camping Ban Proves to be Counterproductive and Cruel

Survey finds law criminalizes activities necessary for homeless survival without providing alternatives.

By Chris Casey | University of Colorado Denver, University Communications

DENVER – Denver’s controversial “camping ban” has left the homeless no place to sleep outdoors safely and legally at night, forcing them into hidden spots or to seek indoor options that don’t exist, according to a report written by a University of Colorado Denver political science professor.

In collaboration with the Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) community group, Associate Professor Tony Robinson, Ph.D., compiled survey results of 512 homeless individuals regarding the Unauthorized Camping Ban. The 80-page report details the background of the ban, survey results and policy recommendations in the wake of one of the nation’s most severe laws against public homelessness.

The Denver City Council passed the ordinance in May 2012 under pressure from members of the downtown business community who argued that the growing number of homeless camping on the 16th Street Mall and Civic Center Park was impacting business and harming the perception of Denver.

Robinson and DHOL presented their study to the Denver Homeless Commission and held a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Denver.

Among the survey’s findings:

• 59 percent of respondents said it has become more necessary to avoid police after the ban; 4 percent report police being more helpful.
• 53 percent said they feel less safe in Denver since the ban; 6 percent feel more safe.
• 79 percent who used to sleep downtown regularly now avoid the area far more; 69 percent said they now seek more hidden places to sleep at night.
• 50 percent their sleeping habits have been negatively affected.
• Though there has been a reduction in outdoors sleeping, the decline is minor. Before the ban, 72 percent of survey respondents said they sometimes or always slept outside in Denver, as compared to 64 percent reporting outdoor sleeping after the ban.
• No arrests have yet taken place under the ordinance, though citing and arresting people for other code violations and moving homeless people along through oral and written warnings are very common.

The statistics reveal a deteriorating quality of life for most of Denver’s homeless since the ban passed. “That’s a key finding,” Robinson said. “There was a reason people were sleeping on 16th Street before (the law). It was safe, well lit and patrolled by police. This law has changed all that.”

Camping ban supporters said the ban would improve the quality of life for the homeless by connecting them with health alternatives. Ban enforcement follows a series of steps: 1) determining if there are other violations that the camper should be cited for; 2) issuing the violator an oral warning to quit covering themselves, and/or to “move along”; 3) issuing a written warning; 4) attempting to connect the homeless person to services before arrest.

However, the latter step of intervention rarely occurs, the study found. Instead, the ordinance criminalizes activities necessary for survival, without providing alternatives.

“They’re just spending their time in constant motion,” Robinson said of the homeless. “Some of them are trying to get into shelters, but 75 percent say they’ve been turned away frequently because of lack of space.”

A shortage of shelter space is especially acute for homeless members of the LGBT community, couples without children, fathers without children and the mentally ill, Robinson said. “We’re 48th in the nation for not having enough service beds to care for mentally ill homeless persons.”

The report recommends four actions:

• Space should be designated in Denver that guarantees homeless individuals safe, outdoor places to sleep and engage in other survival activities. This space should be well-lit and accessible to homeless services downtown.
• Increased funding should be developed for programs that address homelessness, ranging from rapid response services for homeless people in crisis to the development of permanent low-income housing units.
• Dedicate new revenue streams to the “most under-served unsheltered populations” and to the “most effective” programs in reducing homelessness.
• Change the camping ban enforcement protocol to emphasize provision of services rather than oral and written warnings to desist from “camping” or to “move along.”

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has singled out these types of law as being cruel and counterproductive, Robinson said.

“We know there will be hundreds of homeless out there tonight, so we either turn our heads and pretend they’re not there — being forced to make the impossible choice between shelter or criminality — or we admit the reality and find a clean, safe place where our residents can live with us,” he said.

Read or download the full report:

The Denver Camping Ban: A Report from the Streets

Videos:

Videos from Denver Commission on Homelessness and Report Release

Contact Us:

info@denverhomelessoutloud.org

Denver Homeless Out Loud presentation to the Denver Commission on Homelessness on April 2, 2013. The presenter is Dr. Tony Robinson, professor of political science at the University of Colorado Denver.

Councilmembers Speak at DHOL Report Release

Councilwoman Susan Shepherd (District 1) and Councilman Paul López (District 3) speak at the Denver Homeless Out Loud report release event on April 3, 2013.

The Homeless Community Speaks at DHOL Report Release

The homeless community speaks at the Denver Homeless Out Loud report release event on April 3, 2013.

On LGBTQ Homeless Youth at DHOL Report Release

Rachel Pater speaks about LGBTQ homeless youth and other marginalized communities at the Denver Homeless Out Loud report release event on April 3, 2013. Pater discusses systems of privilege in politics that leave the most vulnerable behind.

Impact of the Unauthorized Camping Ban on Denver’s Homeless Community

Download Flyer (pdf)

Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) invites the public to the release of a survey on the impact of the City of Denver’s Unauthorized Camping Ban on 500 homeless people living in Denver. The ordinance authorizes the police to require the homeless to go to a shelter or move along whenever they are caught covering themselves from the cold and elements or face criminal sanctions.

When: April 3 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Where: Cornerstone Residences, 1001 Park Ave. (at Curtis St.), Denver, CO 80218

Refreshments will be served.

The survey was drafted and conducted by DHOL, homeless people and experienced researchers who are deeply concerned about the impact of this law enforcement tool on those living in the streets without homes and in shelters. It was painstakingly prepared, and surveyors were carefully trained to be unbiased in conducting the survey. DHOL believes that speaking with the homeless is the only way to understand the impact of the ban.

Over 500 people experiencing homelessness in Denver volunteered their time to complete the survey. The report is produced in collaboration with Professor Tony Robinson and students of the University of Colorado Denver, Department of Political Science. The survey results provide valuable information about the impact of the ordinance and how we can better serve the homeless in Denver. DHOL will make the data publicly available to the homeless, the Mayor’s Commission on the Homeless, and constituencies who work with the homeless. We hope our data helps improve the safety of those who live on the streets, increases services, and improves rapid re-housing options.

For more information on the DHOL survey or the release event please contact info@denverhomelessoutloud.org or visit our website at http://denverhomelessoutloud.org/

Denver Homeless Out Loud has accomplished the following:

• Created a website that documents our projects, frames the injustice of the ‘Urban Camping’ Ban, provides resources and connects people with our work.
• Connected with at least 18 partners in justice including the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, the Denver Catholic Worker and the St. Francis Center.
• Announced our work with an article in The Washington Park Profile.
• Developed a survey to gather data from the homeless about the impact of the ‘Urban Camping’ Ban on their community.
• Developed a core team of 17 and wider team of at least 50 volunteers.
• Secured a $2,500 grant.
• Surveyed over 600 homeless people about the impact of the ‘Urban Camping’ Ban.

The team at Denver Homeless Out Loud is currently entering data from the surveys. The University of Colorado Denver Department of Political Science will then work with us to analyze the data and publish a report about the results. We hope this work will be completed by the end of February 2013.

If you would like to volunteer with Denver Homeless Out Loud, simply fill out this volunteer form. We will add you to our email list(s) where you will receive information about our meeting times and ongoing projects.

From the whole team at Denver Homeless Out Loud, we wish you a happy new year.

Shannon Hogan, left, and Katie Latrell shed tears during the singing of “Amazing Grace” as people gathered on the steps of the City and County Building during a Wednesday night vigil to pay their respect to the homeless men, women and children who have died on the streets. Mayor Michael Hancock read some of the 147 names of those who died so far in 2012. (John Leyba, The Denver Post).

When:

Denver Homeless Out Loud, a coalition of Denver residents and organizations working hand-in-hand with and for the homeless to challenge their criminalization in our city, is preparing to conduct a survey. The “Urban Camping” Ban Survey will gather field data on how Denver’s recent “Urban Camping” Ban is affecting the lives of homeless individuals in Denver.

The surveying will be kicking off soon and we are looking for people interested and willing to be surveyors! Surveyors need to be willing to dedicate volunteer time to surveying homeless individuals at least in November and potentially into December. Surveyors need to be able to set aside bias concerning personal opinions about the “Urban Camping” Ban in order to conduct objective surveys on the effects of this ban on homeless.

We will be holding a Surveyor Training on Saturday November 10th, 1-3pm, at the Deer Pile (13th and Sherman – above City O City). All persons interested in being a surveyor are welcome!

Below is the statement of intent for this ‘Urban Camping” Ban homeless survey.

Sincerely,
Denver Homeless Out Loud team

Over 158 street checks for unauthorized camping impacting 386 members of the homeless community occurred in the first four months since the “Urban Camping” Ban went into effect on May 28, 2012. The Denver Police Department provided these statistics in an update to the Denver City Council on October 9. Though we know the official data regarding numbers of contacts between policy and homeless individuals, Denver stakeholders do not have data from members of the homeless community regarding how the ban is affecting their lives This survey project will allow members of the homeless community to share the impact of the ordinance on their lives.

The survey will be drafted and conducted by a coalition of homeless individuals and experienced researchers and will be conducted by trained volunteers among people on the streets who identify as homeless or houseless.

Trained interviewers will survey Members of Denver’s homeless community regarding such things as:

• Frequency and nature of police contacts with homeless individuals
• Result of those police contacts
• Patterns of shelter use or non-use
• Nature of services being offered to homeless individual
• Whether homeless survey respondents have changed their behavior following the ban, such as by changing sleeping arrangements, daily routines, service-access, or areas of town frequented
• Whether homeless people feel more or less safe since the ban, and why
• Personal stories regarding experiences on the street that might shed light on the implementation of this new law.

The completed surveys will be analyzed in a report produced by University of Colorado Denver professors. This report will provide field-level data regarding how the urban camping ban is being implemented, how it is being experienced in the homeless community, how well the ban is achieving its aims, and possible problems or challenges associated with the implementation of the law. The results of this survey will provide valuable information as all parties go forward in understanding the effects of the law, and in informing future service-delivery plans or even possible legislative changes.

It’s been three months since the City banned camping, sleeping and resting in public and private places in the city and county of Denver. In this time, the effects of the camping ban, which took effect on May 29, have begun to come to light. According to Melissa McKewen, spokesperson for the Salvation Army, many shelters find themselves working at full capacity on a nightly basis, and these conditions have led the City to seek options to open more shelters before winter.

“There is too much demand and not enough supply, and it is pushing people to the streets,” said Stephanie Hoing, a homeless woman who testified against the ban during a City Council hearing.

She also said many on the streets feel threatened by the prospect of receiving a citation or arrest for being found sleeping in public spaces. However, to date the Denver Police Department reports that there have been no arrests or citations directly relating to the ban.

The annual Point-In-Time study, conducted by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative in January, five months before the ban went into effect, indicated that 964 homeless individuals were unsheltered within metropolitan Denver. According to Jamie Bradley, spokesperson for Denver’s Road Home (DRH), there are now 1,200 shelter beds available on a night-to-night basis during the summer months in Denver.

However, according to Bradley these beds include those that were previously used as overflow and emergency beds, leaving less beds available in the winter months for extreme weather conditions or emergencies.

DRH director Bennie Milliner echoed McKewin. He said shelters have been operating at 95-100 percent capacity in wake of the ban, but so far have been able to accommodate all clientele. DRH has opened additional space since the passing of the ban, including the opening of two new low-income apartment buildings. They are also in discussions with government and nonprofit facilities to open more shelters for “extraordinary weather conditions.”

Milliner said many faith-based and government facilities offered help during the winter months in case of extreme conditions. “We have not lost any shelter capacity with the current overflow plan,” he said. “We will evaluate our government and non-profit facilities, and are confident we have plans and means [to address extreme weather conditions].”

The Salvation Army’s Crossroads shelter was asked to remain in operation year-round, though it normally functions as an emergency shelter from October to April.

Crossroads generally shelters 180-200 guests a night, according to McKewen. “At this point, our focus is simply to take as many people as we can take,” she said.

She says staying open in the summer months has added a dramatic budget increase to the shelter, raising concerns about the cost of keeping it open full-time. She said the Salvation Army is working with DRH to find sources for additional funding and talking with other inter-agency shelters about the possibility of opening up more space.

Denver Rescue Mission’s Lawrence Street Shelter is another which has seen an influx of clients since the ban’s passing. The shelter offers 300 beds, with 100 normally reserved for overflow. In response to the ban, these 100 have been available for general use. According to spokeswoman Alexxa Gagner, the shelter has seen an average of 275-300 clients each night and anticipates operating at capacity every night during the winter months.

However, from the perspective of the street, there are still not enough places for people to go.

“There are people calling in four to five weeks ahead of time to shelters and still can’t get in,” Hoing said.

Many homeless, who are not or cannot make use of the shelters, say not being able to sleep on the 16th Street Mall leaves them vulnerable to violence and theft.

“It’s dangerous to sleep in places besides the mall,” said Bill Miller, a five-year vendor of the Denver VOICE. “We get kicked off the mall and pick up and there’s nowhere to go–it’s somebody’s territory.”

“If they are going to pass a law like this they are supposed to create a place to go,” he said.

Despite the criticism of the ban initially by Denver’s homeless advocacy groups, Milliner said the ban has helped to drive the needy to services they may have otherwise been unaware of.

However, VOICE vendors Dave Simmers and Dennis Day say the effort is unnecessary. “The people that want to use the services are already using the services,” said Day. “This law does nothing but give them the right to harass you.”

Miller said many homeless plan to continue their day-to-day lifestyles as if there is no ban in effect.

“As far as most of us are concerned, we’re going to carry on,” he said. “It’s just so inconvenient because we are not doing anything wrong, every city has homeless.”

Several counties near Denver have also looked at drafting camping bans, including Aurora County. Despite expectations and claims that the Denver ban would push homeless into the suburbs, there have not been reports of raised numbers of homeless. “One thing people need to fully understand is that homelessness really has no boundaries and is an issue we need to address as a region,” Milliner said.

“Regardless of the legislative landscape,” he said, “we’re going to continue to deliver services, update our plan, and continue to evaluate our system for better ways to serve the homeless.”

A ban on unauthorized camping, approved by Denver city council in May and going into effect on June 4, has definitely impacted the lives of many St. Francis Center guests, and not for the better.

The law prohibits individuals from sleeping or sitting in any type of makeshift “shelter” with the intention of “dwelling” there.

“If it’s a blanket or cardboard or newspapers, that’s ‘shelter.’ Clothing is not,” said Layla de Steffany, a member of the Denver Police Department’s Homeless Outreach program. “And there has to be some evidence that they’re living there. Maybe all their stuff is there, or they’re there every day. Every situation is different.”

Denver police have agreed not to arrest those charged under the camping ban, but rather to assist them in finding appropriate shelter for the night. But available shelter beds continue to fall short of the need, despite city assurances that more resources will be made available.

St. Francis Center Executive Director Tom Luehrs notes that the 16th Street Mall is now pretty much clear of campers. But comparing the numbers from the summer of 2011 to the numbers of this summer, there are 200 to 225 more men staying at the Crossroads Salvation Army Shelter, 100 more men using the overflow shelter at the Denver Rescue Mission, and 45 more women using church shelters.

“Despite these increases, we have no new overnight shelters for teens, families, couples, or single men and women,” Tom said. “Outreach workers are seeing more people hiding in alleys, behind bushes, and going even deeper into hiding. We have reports from neighbors and other citizens of people sleeping on their property, in their alleys, and behind dumpsters where they hope not to be seen.”

St. Francis Center guests also report there are more people camping in secluded areas of Commerce City and south Denver and under highway bridges. They no longer have tents or even sleeping bags because they have had to move quickly from other locations.

“Where’s everybody going to go? What do they want us to do, hide?” asked James Z. “If they don’t want people camping, they should provide somewhere for us to live.” He said he and his wife are already on five waiting lists for housing. Even still, James empathizes with the downtown businesses that have complained about campers not cleaning up after themselves, and he understands the reasons for the ban. “It only takes a few to spoil it for everyone else,” he said.

But others are less understanding.

“They’re not even allowing us to have blankets out,” said Deven T. “We’re considered ‘campers’ just for sitting and enjoying the park. People lie out at the beach and look that way, and nobody assumes they’re camping. What’s the difference? I got a verbal warning, just for not wanting to sit in the dirt. It’s harassment, plain and simple.”

Rik K., who camps occasionally, says he hasn’t noticed any difference in police enforcement. “Camping outside can be really uncomfortable. You have to wake up early and make sure your area gets cleaned up. You risk being beaten up or robbed, but you do what you gotta do. The alternative is dealing with the lottery at the shelters, where our anxiety goes up exponentially over whether or not there’s going to be enough room.”

Even though St. Francis Center does not provide overnight shelter, the camping ban appears to have impacted our numbers as well. In June, SFC had 3,001 individual visitors, a 27 percent increase from June 2011.

“They tell us they are afraid that if they go on the 16th Street Mall even during daylight hours that they will be put in jail – even though we tell them that no one has been incarcerated under the ordinance yet,” Tom said. “Many of these new visitors have serious mental illnesses and need shelter, housing and health services, all of which are in short supply.”

Tom estimates at least 300 people in Denver are still without shelter. “Most of these folks are single men, single women and some youth. They are no longer sleeping on the mall, but even if not seen, they are in need of humane treatment.”

St. Francis Center will continue to monitor the effects of the ban with particular focus on the weather turning colder and personal safety becoming a critical issue. If you would like to help, please consider a financial donation to help defray expenses created by the increase in shelter visits.