NewsBreak Original

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 City Council committees will act on several affordable housing projects this week totaling about $66 million. The Finance and Governance Committee will consider Tuesday issuing $11 million in bonds to All Saints Apartments to build a four-story, 63-unit apartment complex for seniors. The building will be restricted to people making 30% to 60% of the average median income. Thirty percent AMI is $24,650 annually for one person.

The Aurora City Council will consider during a study session Monday restricting RVs to parking only 24 hours on a public-street in a seven-day period. “Currently Aurora allows a recreational vehicle to park on a public right-of-way for up to five days,” according to a memo from the City Attorney’s Office to the council. “This ordinance reduces the five days to twenty-four hours during any seven day period to be as strict as Denver’s ordinances.” RVs and campers in violation of the ordinance will be towed and impounded.

The act of feeding the hungry has become a contentious issue in West Palm Beach, Florida. A recent ordinance has sparked debate, requiring a permit to feed groups of 25 or more people. Advocates argue that this regulation hampers their efforts to provide assistance, while city officials assert that it is necessary to address sanitation and long-term solutions. Let's delve into the details and explore the different perspectives surrounding this controversial measure.

In a recent development, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries in the United States will face new requirements to collect Food Stamps shortly. After a challenging negotiation process regarding the debt ceiling, the White House and Republicans have agreed on the matter.

A Denver City Council committee will consider Wednesday expanding its contract with the Colorado Safe Parking Initiative to double the number of parking lots in the city for people experiencing homelessness who live in their cars.

Roanoke Area Ministries also known as the RAM House is offering a challenge to the Roanoke Valley to assist them in offering help to the most vulnerable in the area. RAM is in need of a new building due to an increase in homelessness in the area and the current building at 824 Campbell Ave SW is no longer able to fill the growing needs of the agency. RAM serves breakfast to the homeless and lunch to anyone who is in need and they are open 365 days each year. They feed an average of 200 people a day just for lunch and have helped about 2,000 individuals with over $300,000 in financial assistance that prevents them from being homeless.

By Mike McKibbin / NewsBreak Denver / June 1, 2023. [DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLO.] — Camping on Douglas County property will be illegal when an ordinance takes effect this summer. The county commissioners gave initial approval to the measure on May 23. It will go into effect 30 days after publication following the final reading.

In Los Angeles, the issue of homelessness has reached a tipping point, with landlords asking individuals between $600 and $800 to lease their recreational vehicles. The state of homelessness has reached a tipping point in Los Angeles, California, where landlords have found themselves charging residents somewhere in the $600 to $800 mark to lease their Recreational Vehicles (RVs).

Homelessness elicits fear in most people. Living on the street is dangerous in myriad ways. I experienced homelessness in 2019. I frequently worried about my safety and with good reason. I was beaten up randomly by other homeless people several times.

Photo by(Nathan Howard/Getty Images) (PORTLAND, Ore.) Hello Portlanders! It's Thursday, June 1 - Here's your daily round up of all the news happening in the City of Roses.

(Denver, Colo.) John Parvensky, the former CEO of Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, has endorsed Mike Johnston for Denver mayor. Parvensky made the announcement on LinkedIn. He said Johnston’s opponent, Kelly Brough, has “had many chances to prove her commitment to real solutions to homelessness as (former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s) chief of staff and CEO of Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce. Her record shows neglect and indifference. She favors business over people.”

(Denver, Colo.) A formerly homeless woman who advocates for the unhoused has petitioned the WellPower CEO regarding long wait times for mental health treatment. Mary Anna Thompson created a petition on Change.org that calls on Dr. Carl Clark to implement changes to expedite appointments at WellPower, formerly Mental Health Center Denver. “When a person needs therapy, it can take up to six weeks from the time of intake to being assigned a therapist,” she alleges in the petition. “It takes a lot of courage to admit that you need help especially when mental health carries the stigma that it does.”

(Aurora, Colo.) Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman again visited Colorado Springs last week for ideas on clearing homeless encampments. Aurora would like to build a homeless campus but is waiting on funding from the state. Coffman and others on the Aurora City Council have said they would like to model a new homeless facility after the Colorado Springs Rescue Mission.

(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.

(Denver, Colo.) The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless highlighted several legislative victories May 25 during its online education series. The webinar, “Legislative Wrap 2023: Homelessness, Health, and Other Key Issues for Coloradans,” focused on action at the Colorado statehouse.

A recent poll conducted in Multnomah County, Oregon, sheds light on the public sentiment surrounding homelessness in the Portland area. The survey, commissioned by advocacy group People for Portland, reveals that a significant majority of voters perceive the homelessness situation as an "out-of-control disaster." Moreover, there is strong support for implementing stricter measures, including mandatory addiction or mental health treatment for individuals living on the streets. These findings highlight the growing urgency and demand for action to address this pressing issue.

(Denver, Colo.) A man who lives in my building recently told me his life is lacking purpose. He said he can’t get excited about anything. I told him I’ve been thinking about writing about purpose. It’s the only thing that saved me when I experienced homelessness in 2019.

Few issues bring out the anger in Denver homeowners like homeless encampments. It is understandable that people don’t want a view of tents, garbage and people doing drugs from their $556,125 Denver bungalows. That’s the median price of a home in Denver, according to Forbes.