• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
WRAP

WRAP

Western Regional Advocacy Project

  • Donate Now
  • Get Email Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • 20 Years of Unhoused People Fighting for Dignity + Respect
    • 40 Years of Fighting
    • History
    • Mission
    • Strategy
    • Members
    • Board / Staff
  • Campaigns
    • Business Improvement Districts
    • House Keys Not Sweeps
      • TARGETED, BANISHED, DISPLACED & SWEPT
    • Legal Defense Clinics Project
    • Homeless Bill of Rights
    • Without Housing
    • Street Outreach
  • Organizing Tools
    • Without Housing Organizing Toolkit
    • Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign Manual
    • WRAP Organizers Manual
    • WRAP Artwork
  • Resources
    • Pipe Dreams and Picket Fences Report
    • Art in Action Power Point Slide Show
    • Hobos to Street People
    • House Keys Book
    • Political Education
    • Legal Research
  • Media
    • Newsletters
    • Blog
    • Hobos to Street People Art Show
    • Street Newspapers
    • Sweeps Gallery Videos
    • Videos
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Become a Monthly Sustainer
    • Volunteer
    • Support WRAP
    • WRAP Newsletters & Updates Sign Up

The Fight for the Right to Survive Continues

May 18, 2019 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

On Tuesday May, 7th 2019 Initiative 300, the Right to Survive, did not pass. Denver voters were the first in the nation to have a chance to vote on a ballot measure to decriminalize homelessness. Never before has an initiative that protects the rights of people without housing or shelter been taken directly to the voters.
 
The Right to Survive Initiative was placed on the ballot by poor and homeless people who said “enough is enough”.  We can not let the City continue to use our police to chase us around the city with nowhere to go. This campaign has made homelessness the number one conversation in the election.  Thus forcing city leaders to be confronted by communities all over the city with the reality that policies of criminalizing homelessness do not work.
 
The YES on 300 campaign was never on an even playing field. The NO on 300 campaign called “Together Denver” spent at least $2.4 million – outspending 300 proponents 24 to 1. This money was used to drum up fear of “homeless people sleeping on your front lawn” and/or “taking over the parks.” Our opponents took great lengths to mislead voters about the effects of the initiative. Completely disregarding the current reality of homelessness and the likely effects on our city if the initiative would it have passed.  Unfortunately, it seems as though their cynical tactics based on teaching communities around the city to fear and despise our homeless communities succeeded.
 
 
Yet, this is a growing movement noted by the fact that 33,685 Denver voters chose compassion and reason. Those numbers will continue to grow. This time around hundreds of volunteers, donors, dozens of supporting organizations, and thousands of people surviving on the streets made this a historic campaign.
 
The fight for human rights and dignity has never been easy in any oppressed community. Working towards these rights and dignity is a long-haul struggle. Ending Denver’s urban camping ban, protecting basic rights for people trying to survive in public, and building the resources to guarantee housing as a human right for all will not happen overnight. But progress is being made.
 
This campaign has moved the issue of homelessness in our city into pain view. Very counter to policies that try to hide our homeless communities from our eyes. We have thousands and thousands of people experiencing homelessness in our city.  They will continue to be homeless as the needed housing is years off in being available. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Let’s end this insanity.

So NOW what…??

To City Hall, to the courts, to the streets… to work…

There is a runoff election for Mayor and five City Council seats on June 4th. Every Mayoral candidate except Hancock supports repealing the camping ban and 75% of City Council candidates supported repeal of the camping ban. (Check out this voters guide for where they stand http://denverhousingmatters.com).

Over the past few weeks Mayor Hancock has directed police to be in full force against “illegal camping” (aka public survival). Sweeps and camping ban enforcement have been pretty much non-stop all across the city. Night after night people are being awoken at midnight or 3am told if they don’t pack up and leave “somewhere out of sight” they face arrest. Even in the rain.

Let’s end this inhumanity and insanity. 
 
Get involved in Denver Homeless Out Loud.
 
For the past 7 years we at Denver Homeless Out Loud have been fighting against criminalization, for housing, and to ensure people with direct experience of homelessness are leading the fight. You can join us in this work. Everyone has something to contribute…
 
Contact:
info@denverhomelessoutloud.org
720-940-5291
Office Hours 2-5pm Mon-Fri at 2260 California St Denver CO
Onward toward the right to survive…
 

Filed Under: #right2rest, WRAP Members

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Footer

Instagram Feed

LACAN, Los Angeles Community Action Network https: LACAN, Los Angeles Community Action Network https://www.instagram.com/p/DJpwYq2S8Me/
The roots of Neoliberal Fascism in America today, The roots of Neoliberal Fascism in America today, and what we can do about it! We could write a whole article on the shit storm that has hit at the federal level and then reel off reactionary oppressive measures that local and state governments are imposing in response to the massive numbers of people they know damn well are going to be dying, suffering, hurting, living in the streets — and be mad as hell. https://conta.cc/4iWZe2j
Instagram post 18049351151095766 Instagram post 18049351151095766
Instagram post 18498041989022625 Instagram post 18498041989022625
Signs-on for a letter to support the SF Public Def Signs-on for a letter to support the SF Public Defender’s budget this year to address the systemic underfunding of our office compared to the rest of the criminal legal system, and to address the increasing high and unmanageable caseloads that our attorneys are facing. https://wraphome.org/2025/04/30/san-francisco-ca-sign-on-in-support-of-parity-for-the-sf-public-defenders-office/
Over the last few months, we’ve witnessed an ava Over the last few months, we’ve witnessed an avalanche of federal efforts to dismantle housing, healthcare, education, racial justice, environment, food assistance, and myriad other programs. Read More https://conta.cc/431XgJ2
A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and ev A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and every day thereafter!!! https://wraphome.org/2025/04/16/a-national-call-to-action-for-april-22nd-and-every-day-thereafter/
A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and ev A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and every day thereafter!!! https://wraphome.org/2025/04/16/a-national-call-to-action-for-april-22nd-and-every-day-thereafter/
A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and ev A National Call To Action for April 22nd …and every day - Communities across the country are gathering with teach in’s, art builds, Ice Cream, music and art to celebrate our creativity and intelligence and to band together learn from each other, make new friends and build power to fight back... thereafter!!! https://conta.cc/42hEo8T
“Since the city began increasing enforcement las “Since the city began increasing enforcement last summer, San Francisco police officers have made 756 illegal lodging arrests, which is more than the prior six years combined. Last month, the city recorded 119 such arrests — the highest of any month in the last seven years.”
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Facebook Icon

Facebook Feed

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

This content isn't available right now

When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
18 hours ago
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • likes 0
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

0 CommentsComment on Facebook

Twitter Icon

Twitter Feed

Twitter feed is not available at the moment.

YouTube icon

Youtube Code

Our Channel

Copyright © 2025 Western Regional Advocacy Project WRAP · Log in