NewsBreak Original

(Denver, Colo.) From those recuperating from hernia surgery to people undergoing chemotherapy, the Denver City Council will consider awarding a $720,053 contract Monday to Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to provide respite care for people experiencing homelessness.

(Denver, Colo.) Home prices are the biggest drivers of homelessness, according to a new study released Wednesday. The new data by Home Bay lists Denver seventh in the U.S. for home prices. A typical home in Denver costs $559,309, according to Home Bay. Denver ranks tenth in the U.S. for the number of people experiencing homelessness, at 231.6 per 100,000 people, according to the data. Denver ranks 14th for rent prices, with an average cost of more than $1,800 per month, the data shows.

(Denver, Colo.) Clothing for men experiencing homelessness will be collected Saturday, July 8 at Christ’s Body Ministries, 850 Lincoln St., Denver. People can drop off clothing at the men’s day shelter from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food from a barbecue will be available. People who want to let Christ’s Body know they’re coming can call 303-860-1272. Drop-ins will also be welcome. Clothing can always be donated from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. at Christ's Body.

(Denver, Colo.) The man accused of fatally shooting a homeless panhandler in Lakewood earlier this month had ranted on Facebook about people experiencing homelessness and other minority groups, according to Sarah Schroeder.

(Denver, Colo.) Denver is shutting down another homeless hotel. The Rodeway Inn will cease operation as a non-congregant homeless shelter Aug. 23. Since summer 2020, the motel at 4765 Federal Blvd. has served women and transgender people.

(Denver, Colo.) While falling short in some areas, the Department of Housing Stability reported Friday that Denver is mostly on track to meet its lofty goal of significantly curtailing homelessness by 2026.

(Denver, Colo.) A Denver City Council committee has approved spending $500,000 to nearly double the size of the tiny home village at 4201 Monroe St. That site hosts 24 tiny homes. Now 20 additional homes will go up at 4001 Monroe St.

(Denver, Colo.) A group advocating for people experiencing homelessness will host a rally June 12 at the Denver City Council meeting to protest the case manager system. Last month, a group of front-line workers for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless created a petition on Change.org demanding a meeting with Coalition CEO Britta Fisher. They complained of bloated caseloads and unrealistic expectations.

(Denver, Colo.) Employees in the trenches at Colorado Coalition for the Homeless say working conditions have deteriorated due to heavy caseloads and unrealistic expectations. Several employees created a Change.org petition directed at Coalition CEO Britta Fisher. In it, they demand a town hall meeting with Fisher before the end of June. They say their wages are so low they qualify for many of the programs the Coalition administers.

A reader recently asked me to look into the phenomenon that there seems to be very few homeless bald people. My first reaction was that most homeless people don’t show a shiny head even if they have one. Heat escapes through your head, and many homeless people cover theirs with hats or with whatever hair they have.

A write-in candidate for Denver mayor alleged racism and white supremacy Monday during public comment period at the City Council meeting. Jesse Lashawn Parris said write-in candidates aren’t being allowed to participate in debates, which he believes is unfair. Parris did not qualify for the ballot based on the signatures he submitted. He blasted the “white-owned media” and said, “whomever is putting on these forums are racist white supremacists.”

We think of snowbirds as wealthy seniors who jet to warmer climes in the winter. But some snowbirds can’t even afford a bus ticket. Indeed, people experiencing homelessness in Denver often migrate to places like Florida, California, Arizona, and Nevada when the weather gets cold. Some hop aboard freight trains, a few hitchhike, and others do save up for a bus ticket.

A column in the Colorado Sun Oct. 22 caught my attention. The writer advocated for “Rehabilitation First” for people experiencing homelessness. Rehabilitation First is a philosophy that people who experience homelessness suffer from addiction and need substance abuse treatment if they are to succeed in housing. Aurora recently charted a “Rehabilitation First” approach. That doesn’t mean people who aren’t sober have to sleep outside. But cities with a Rehabilitation First approach tend to stockpile those not willing to undergo treatment in congregant shelters. Those who agree to treatment get better, more long-term accommodations.

(Denver, Colo.) I am glad I quit smoking cigarettes several years ago, long before I experienced homelessness. One thing about most homeless people, it seems, is that they smoke cigarettes. And some will do anything to get a cigarette.

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless may buy the Clarion Hotel at 48th Avenue and Interstate 70.Photo byGoogle Street View. (Denver, Colo.) Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has purchased the Clarion Hotel at 48th Avenue and Interstate 70. They plan to turn it into a complex for the unhoused.

Aloft Hotel in downtown Denver.Photo byGoogle Street View. (Denver, Colo.) The Denver City Council voted Tuesday to cease leasing Aloft Hotel for use as a homeless shelter after April. The city has spent more than $16 million since 2020 housing people experiencing homelessness in the hotel.

Mr. Bojangles sometimes can be seen in a stroller at the corner of 37th and Quebec.Photo byDavid Heitz. (Denver, Colo.) People who panhandle in Denver say they cashed in Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, making considerably more money than usual.

(Denver, Colo.) One of the few places where people experiencing homelessness can get a new backpack will pass them out Dec. 25. The annual Christmas in the Park hosted by After Hours will be Dec. 25 in Civic Center Park. I remember attending this event in 2018 when I experienced homelessness.

Fusion Studios, a permanent supportive housing complex for people experiencing homelessness in Denver.Photo byDavid Heitz. My dad always used to say, “David, never (poop) in your own nest.”

Denver squad cars at an encampment sweep last winter near Martin Luther King Jr. Park.Photo byTara Kane. (Denver, Colo.) Several doctors and two public health organizations have sent a letter to the Denver City Council asking that they reconsider encampment sweeps in temperatures below 32 degrees.