Re-Vote on No Freezing Sweeps Tells Denver Keep Sweeping People in Freezing Cold

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Yesterday, Denver City Council held the re-vote on the No Freezing Sweeps bill after Mayor Johnston’s veto. The vote was yet again 7-6, not meeting the needed 9 to override the Mayor. Councilmembers Chris Hinds and Flor Alvidrez, who had been the two possible swing votes who voted yes for the bill on first reading but then changed to no on the final reading, gave no justification for the no vote – just choosing to vote in line with the Mayor. All 6 no votes should be ashamed of themselves for putting the money driven interests of “keeping clear streets” over the human beings who have to exist on our streets. 

Because this bill did not pass people without housing living in Denver will continue to be swept in the freezing cold, like Gary who we have shared his story – swept the other week, lost everything, ended up in the hospital, then back on the streets with nothing but him and his dog and a freezing catheter bag. Because this bill did not pass, more people will lose limbs as they freeze on the street in hiding with no gear. 

One council member, Amanda Sawyer, even had the audacity while voting no to call this issue a “storage issue” – as if human beings are items to be stored. This comment shows council members complete disconnection from reality on the streets. If this was just a “storage issue” the houseless person is expected to pack up their tent and all their belongings in the freezing cold, take it to storage, travel through the cold to a shelter, than travel back to get their property, somehow haul it with no car to where a spot to re-set up, and set back up their tent and property. This is so utterly insane and yet council members don’t take the time to walk through this scenario and realize how impossible that is. 

A huge thank you must go out to all the Council members who did vote yes on this bill, to the bill sponsors, to Candi CdeBaca who helped get this bill going in the first place, to all the organizations who supported this bill, to the doctors who spoke up and advocated for this bill, to on ground houseless advocates who drafted this bill and support people dealing with freezing sweeps, and most importantly to every houseless person who shared their experiences of freezing sweeps in pushing for this bill and dealing with this shit on the streets. 

The fight goes on… we have no option to stop…