Read the Writ of Mandamus filed April 1st 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND HOMELESSNESS: LEGAL ACTION

Denver, CO—Homeless advocacy groups have come together from around the State to address

the nightmare confronting thousands of Colorado homeless during this pandemic crisis. A brutal

Hobson’s choice, where homeless can either sleep in overcrowded shelters in beds inches from

people exhibiting classic symptoms of the disease, or out on the streets where they are often the victims of abuse and violent crime.

The conditions in shelters and state mismanagement of homelessness in the time of pandemic,

not only affects Coloradans suffering homelessness, but towns and cities across Colorado as the shelters serve as ideal hotspots for spread and retransmission of the virus. Nb. As of press time, at least ten homeless persons in shelters have tested positive for Covid-19. The number is almost certainly much higher as testing has been widely unavailable.

In a rare move, these groups courageously advocating for the invisible, voiceless and most

vulnerable in our society are demanding, through this Extraordinary Petition, that the State fulfill

its obligations with regard to public health and take steps to immediately mitigate the conditions

in the shelters by providing housing to the homeless during this crisis. Some cities and states around the country are stepping up more to provide housing in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, e.g. Milwaukee, Connecticut. Colorado must follow and go beyond by protecting every person in this state. 

The Extraordinary Petition was filed this morning