Homeless camp grows around Denver school
City receives complaints; advocates urge temporary encampment be set up
The colorful tents that line the street next to a Capitol Hill school exemplify Denver’s struggle to serve people experiencing homelessness as the coronavirus pandemic stubbornly sticks around.
The encampment around Morey Middle School has grown in the past seven weeks or so, prompting neighbor Brendan McCormick and his wife to call the police multiple times. They’re concerned for their 8-year-old son and the other neighborhood children, especially as schools look forward to reopening in mid-August.
But at the same time, COVID-19 cases are increasing within the city’s unhoused population, and evidence suggests people are more likely to contract the virus in a group shelter rather than in an outdoor
encampment. Homeless advocates as well as some residents and Denver City Council members say that absent better options, Mayor Michael Hancock should provide encampments with more services and create a dedicated site for those living on the streets.
So far, Hancock hasn’t hinted at a change of approach.
Dozens of people are estimated to be living outside Morey. Between May 15 and June 22, Denver police received 26 complaints about the encampment, including accusations of dumping, threats and trespassing, spokesperson Jay Casillas said.
“There’s a blue tent across the street where there appears to be some prostitution going on,” McCormick said. “Women have gone into that tent, been there a short time and then they go across the street and buy drugs from guys under a tarp.”
He isn’t asking the city to simply push the people out. They should develop a more comprehensive approach that could include a dedicated campsite, McCormick said. Providing existing encampments with trash bins, showers and bathrooms would also help residents keep the sites clean, he said.
“The city needs to come up with a plan here so they don’t just kick them out and they move to the next area where there’s a right of way they can take over,” McCormick said.
That lack of strategy has plagued Hancock’s administration since the pandemic began. While shelter space has increased in recent months, city officials have still leaned on controversial cleanups — also known as sweeps — to clear out encampments, despite recommendations to the contrary from the federal Centers for Disease Control.
Eight Denver City Council members and five state lawmakers wrote Hancock in late April asking him to create a temporary encampment “where those who have not been using shelters can be better protected in a safe, healthy, secure environment that provides access to the resources required to slow the spread of the virus.”
The need for such a temporary site remains, said Lisa Calderón, chief of staff for Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca. Councilman Chris Hinds, whose district includes Capitol Hill, agreed, saying a temporary encampment would be a good interim step to helping those experiencing homelessness.
Hancock never formally responded to the request, Calderón said. Hancock spokesperson Mike Strott said the mayor has followed up verbally.
“The pandemic has certainly shined a brighter light on the needs of people experiencing homelessness in our city,” Strott said in a statement. “We appreciate the engagement of everyone who is participating in this community conversation, and we continue to evaluate all options.”
The numbers and sizes of the camp sites are growing, said Cathy Alderman, a spokesperson for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. That’s partially because with the ongoing pandemic many spaces like libraries, shops and restaurants are closed, leaving those experiencing homelessness with no place to go.
A criminal element is almost sure to follow once an encampment grows past more than just a few tents, Alderman said.
While many of the city’s permanent and temporary shelters are being used, many people living on the streets avoid them.
They don’t want to be separated from loved ones or a pet or they’re concerned their property might be stolen. Also, shelters can be dangerous: Someone was fatally stabbed last week in the temporary shelter at the National Western Complex.
And some people are fearful of contracting COVID-19 in group settings — a concern that appears to be grounded in reality.
Leaders of the CDC’s coronavirus task force have noted that risks for contracting the virus are magnified in group shelters because of the close quarters and difficulty enforcing precautionary measures. Health experts also agree the virus generally spreads more easily indoors than out.
A test of 50 people living unsheltered in the downtown area earlier this month yielded zero positive results, Alderman said, even though the number of COVID-19 cases among the city’s homeless population overall continues to rise.
As of Tuesday, 442 people experiencing homelessness have tested positive for the virus and eight have died, said Nancy Kuhn, a spokesperson for the city.
That’s why the city should embrace and regulate encampments — at least for now, Alderman said.
“We really do need to provide services to these encampments rather than just moving them along,” she said.