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Designated Outdoor Tent Sites Made Legal in Denver! IMPORTANT: Designated Spaces Do Not Make Criminalizing Everyone Else Ok Rights for All and Housing for All Must Be Supported at the Same Time

July 1, 2020 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

Today, the Mayor gave the go ahead to legalize Safe OutDoor Spaces (i.e. designated tent camp sites) in Denver! This was not something he wanted to do…but he finally announced approval to go ahead. This comes after 20 plus years of effort in Denver to make such spaces legal and real. The first Tent City effort in Denver was in 2000.

The need for a legal pathway for land to be used for people to survive in tents could not be more clear. As mass homelessness grows under COVID and people can’t afford rent, people have to live somewhere. SOS sites can provide critical space with the privacy of your own tent, necessary hygiene resources, and some basic stability of location. SOS sites should start to spread immediately across every city council district to even begin to meet the vast need!

We must be real. One, two, or even 10 of these sites will not be enough to meet the need and will not be an appropriate option for all. The Point in Time count was roughly 5,000 people homeless in Denver – this is of course a massive undercount and is also pre-pandemic. We are probably looking at at least 15,000 now. And 100K evictions right around the corner. To have enough SOS spaces for all these people is not likely to happen. Even to have enough sites for all those currently staying outside at least 10 or 20 one hundred person sites would probably be needed. Furthermore, large sites with lots of people, at certain locations, run by shelter providers with strict rules, or other constraints may not be what works for many people. Being real, we must recognize that supporting the creation of SOS sites also means supporting people living in non-designated encampments with the resources and stability they need.

DHOL Resurrection Tent City action back in 2016 while fighting for space and legalization

 

In the Mayor’s press release it states, “Starting this week, Mayor Hancock has directed city agencies to focus their efforts on guiding people living in neighborhood encampments scattered throughout downtown to motel rooms? Safe Outdoor Spaces and shelters.” To this we ask… How many more motel rooms have been added this week? We have been just under 700 COVID related for several months now. Are they adding over 2000? That’s the scale that would be needed to actually have this as an option to which the City can guide people. How many SOS sites are open this week? None, yet. And as noted above, even with over 10 large sites, this would not be enough or work for all. Are you really still trying to say you intend and will guide people to shelters?? Shelter spaces are about to decrease with the National Western shelter closing. Also, enclosed shelters breed COVID and have had recent incidents of murder.

The City will not get away with using the existence of some vitally needed SOS sites to further criminalize people living at other non-designated encampments. They will try to shame our economic refugees in every manner possible. People cannot be forced to go to certain sites like prisoners. We have basic rights that cannot be violated – Denver cannot criminalize people living on our streets for simply being homeless. People want housing. But no one can be forced to go places or criminalized for existing.

The City’s commitment in their press release to provide increased trash services, needle exchange, and outreach to existing encampments is a much needed and hopeful statement. We have already seen the City place trash cans at two encampments in the past few days, and await their placement at other camps around town. These services cannot be provided if encampments are being swept from block to block.

In closing we must make it clear that the creation of SOS sites, while vital in our immediate need, are not the final answer. Everyone deserves housing. Housing should not be a privilege for the rich and white. As we create immediate options for people to survive in tents now, the City must be creating attainable housing for all, starting NOW.

Contact:
info@denverhomelessoutloud.org
720-940-5291

Filed Under: Denver Homeless Out Loud, WRAP Members

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Part 12... Infractions and Due Process Rights Ant Part 12...
Infractions and Due Process Rights 
Anti-homeless laws and ordinances and their application have, in fact, created a loophole that allows for the circumvention of a homeless person’s right to due process under law. The process by which homeless people face repeated incarceration generally follows this scenario: A homeless man is sleeping on the sidewalk. A local ordinance makes it illegal to do so. The man gets a ticket and is later arrested for not paying the ticket. He spends a couple of days in jail, and is just as homeless now as he was before, only now he has a criminal record. This was the case for many of the individuals interviewed by RWHP. One man relayed the familiar scenario, “I was sleeping in a tent in a hidden spot near the freeway. They gave me a ticket for trespassing. I don’t have money to pay it. I’ve never been in jail before. I keep to myself, but now they’re going to make me a convict just for sleeping.”
SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TALKING DOWN THE PEOPLES TOWMH SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TALKING DOWN THE PEOPLES TOWMHOMES ENCAMPMENT https://www.instagram.com/tv/ChAT9N5jNTY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This morning @phillysheriff ‘s came and evicted our protest encampment to Save the UC Townhomes. When asked why they were doing it, Rochelle Bilal responded that she “felt compassion for the townhomes residents but was just doing my job”

Even if the tents are gone WE AINT GOIN NOWHERE‼️
Saturday AUGUST 27 — 9 am to 4pm Sunday AUGUST 2 Saturday AUGUST 27 — 9 am to 4pm
Sunday AUGUST 28 — 12:30pm to 4pm

Westminster Presbyterian Church
1300 N Street, Sacramento

https://wraphome.org/2022/08/02/sacramento-ca-advocates-community-summit-on-homelessness-august-27-28th/
California. (S)Care Court Hearing Tomorrow 8/3 Las California. (S)Care Court Hearing Tomorrow 8/3 Last Hearing before floor Vote
https://conta.cc/3vzRoWo
Part 11 ... California’s “anti-Okie” laws of Part 11 ...
California’s “anti-Okie” laws of the 1930s and the South’s Jim Crow laws in effect from the late 1800s to the 1950s are examples of the kinds of local laws overturned in previous generations. Yet, modern “quality of life” legislation and enforcement targeting homeless people can be found in communities across the nation.
The City Council postponed their vote on the 41.18 The City Council postponed their vote on the 41.18 expansion to August 2nd. If passed, this motion will add approximately 1,900 additional sites–a 376% increase in exclusionary zones across the city. 41.18 would then cover at least 88 sq miles (that’s 20% of the entire city).

Services Not Sweeps is urging EVERYONE to come to City Hall at 9:00am on August 2 and tell City Council that 41.18 is BAD POLICY and should be repealed.

When we fight, we win. 
But this fight isn’t over.

The community flooded City Hall inside and out on Wednesday to protest the expansion of 41.18 but the fight is not over. It’s clear that President Nury Martinez and friends weren’t prepared for our numbers and realized they were unable to rally their (few but loud) 41.18 supporters. Council delayed the vote to Tuesday August 2nd in an attempt to erode our momentum and stifle our voices. 
 
We won’t let that happen. The fight now is to keep the pressure on and show up next week!! See you next Tuesday 9am. Bring a friend.
 
WHO: You and your friends!
WHERE: City Hall, 200 N Spring St 
WHEN: Tuesday August 2nd at 9:00am
HOW: Read more details on our toolkit.
AGENDA ITEM 14 https://lacity.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=102513
Part 10... In fact, however, enforcement is very m Part 10...
In fact, however, enforcement is very much impacted by both skin color and appearance. Local governments cannot legally discriminate against people strictly because they do not have housing. Federal protections prohibit local and state governments from removing people from their communities due to the color of their skin or economic/employment status.
Part 9... This nationwide pattern has escaped Civi Part 9... This nationwide pattern has escaped Civil Rights protections because on their face, these programs are not clearly discriminatory. Local laws are often drafted in such a way as to appear to apply equally to all people in a community.
Part 8... While certain communities highlight diff Part 8...
While certain communities highlight different controls at different times, often depending upon the outcome of local elections and legislative and court efforts, all have one primary common goal: to remove the presence and resulting impact of people without housing from local communities. As the Mayor of Las Vegas stated when she outlawed feeding people in city parks: “If we stop feeding them, they will leave.”
Part 7... This type of ticket is not uncommon. The Part 7...
This type of ticket is not uncommon. The most common public space and activity restrictions are those aimed at camping, sitting, lying, or trespassing on either public or private land, panhandling, sleeping, blocking the sidewalk and possessing “stolen property,” such as shopping carts and milk crates—to name just a few. Furthermore, these restrictions are often implemented in conjunction with the closure of public parks and the outlawing of free food and clothing distribution.
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Statewide fight against Newsom's "Care"-LESS Courts continues!

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Thank you to everyone who signed the open letter to Governor Newsom urging him to reconsider his CARE Court proposal. There were over 500 si...
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On August 11th, Newsom's "Care" Act passed out of the Appropriations Committee. The bill was amended on the 15th and will be scheduled for a floor vote any time between August 17th and 31st. https://conta.cc/3JXM4SF
https://conta.cc/3QOytPM

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#NoCARECourt KPFK Lawyers Guild Show "CARE" court Wed. 8/17 - 2-3pm - WRAP

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Thank you to everyone who signed the open letter to Governor Newsom urging him to reconsider his CARE Court proposal. There were over 500 signatories!

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Sacramento, CA. Open Letter to Governor Newsom re: Opposition to CARE Court - WRAP

Dear Allies, Thank you to everyone who signed the open letter to Governor Newsom urging him to reconsider his CA...

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"Tiny homes" not a homeless solution in any location via @TheMiamiTimes

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"Tiny homes" not a homeless solution in any location

While the bad reviews of Miami City Commissioner Joe Carollo's 'tiny homes' proposal for Virginia Key, now catching ...

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Join us and our friends @APTPaction to say NO to C.A.R.E Court next Thursday, August 18th for a teach-in followed by feeding the people, and a march!

RSVP on Facebook here: https://fb.me/e/1CFrMznNP

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