• 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

Colorado Right To Rest

colorado

Right to Survive Initiative

Shall the voters of the City and County of Denver adopt a measure that secures and enforces basic rights for all people within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver, including the right to rest and shelter oneself from the elements in a non-obstructive manner in outdoor public spaces; to eat, share accept or give free food in any public space where food is not prohibited; to occupy one’s own legally parked motor vehicle, or occupy a legally parked motor vehicle belonging to another, with the owner’s permission; and to have a right and expectation of privacy and safety of or in one’s person and property?

Be it enacted and ordained by people of the City and County of Denver…  Read Full Details Here

Public Notice for Homeless Class Action
Handout for Right to Survive Initiative
Right 2 Survive FAQ

What is the Right To Rest ?

Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) is the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) member leading the Right to Rest Campaign in Colorado. Through WRAP, California, Oregon, and Colorado are working together in a broader Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign to end the criminalization of homelessness and build a movement that exposes and eliminates the root causes of civil and human rights abuses of people experiencing poverty and homelessness in our communities.

All across Colorado, and the country, people are being criminalized and pushed “away” for performing basic acts of survival like sleeping, sitting, sleeping in your vehicle, and having belongings in public space. Our Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign in Colorado will create bills that protect the following rights and prohibit the enforcement of any local laws that violate these rights:

The right to move freely, rest, sleep and protect oneself from the elements in public spaces.
The right to occupy a legally parked vehicle.
The right to a reasonable expectation of privacy of your property in public space.
The right to eat, share, accept, or give food in any public space in which having food is not prohibited.
The right to 24-hour access to “hygiene facilities.” *(this will be a part of a separate bill at a later time)

The core of our HBR campaign is based on our outreach to homeless people across Colorado. To learn more about what our survey research revealed, visit our Colorado Situation page.

History

In April of 2014 members of Denver Homeless Out Loud hit the streets with questionnaires to document homeless people’s experiences with police and private security, shelters, and basic survival on the streets. Soon after groups in Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Boulder, Colorado Springs and other cities/towns through Colorado join on and started gathering these same questionnaires on the streets in those cities. In November 2014 we examined the findings and determined the rights which would be in the Right to Rest Act based on the activities people were being negatively impacted by the most and which are acts of survival which all people must do. Through street outreach in Colorado, we came to the same core rights as California and Oregon came to through street outreach.

At this time we in Colorado joined Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP)! Together with WRAP, we wrote the Right to Rest Act.

In December 2014 Representatives Joe Salazar and Jovan Melton agreed to take the lead in sponsoring the Right to Rest Act HB 1264 in the Colorado State Legislator! And on April 15 and 27 2015 the Right to Rest Act was heard in the State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. Testimony was given by people criminalized for surviving in public space, faith leaders, lawyers, and others sharing the need to pass this bill and protect our rights. Business representatives, city lobbyists, and others said this bill must not pass because they did not want to see homeless people sleeping by their business, because they did not want lawsuits, and because they believe the laws against resting in public help police connect homeless people to services. The committee members voted with the business and anti-homeless interests and voted down the bill on an 8-3 vote.

From The Get Loud Video Magazine
Watch 2015 Testimonies Here
Watch 2016 Testimonies Here

After HB 1264 was voted down in committee we got right back to work gathering more questionnaires on the streets, doing research and presenting with the campaign all over the state. In January 2016 our Right to Rest Act published again: this year as HB 1191. In February 2016 DU Sturm College of Law presented the report we worked with them to produce called Too High a Price: the Criminalization of Homelessness in Colorado.

On February 24, 2016, the Right to Rest Act HB 1191 was heard in the Local Affairs committee. The hearing went for over 8 hours with testimonies from over 30 people calling for the Right to Rest and a handful of business representatives, local government lobbyists, and police calling for the continued criminalization of homeless and poor people. In the late night when the bill went to vote the committee voted 5-6 against the right to rest. We were one vote short of passing this committee.

Watch Livestream of the last 20 min of the hearing here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsh2kOxzeVY

Because this bill did not pass the people of Colorado will continue to be awakened and moved about the city with no place to legally rest; the people of Colorado will continue to be ticketed and later thrown in jail for covering up with a blanket to stay warm; the people of Colorado will continue to hear taps on their window from officers telling them they can’t sleep in their own car. Laws will continue to be used to attempt to hide, to move “away,” the fact we live in a State and a Country with mass homelessness and poverty.

But we cannot be hidden and forced “away.” We are here and we will continue to exist in public space. And just as we must continue to exist, we will continue to join together and fight for our rights to exist…!

The day after HB 1191 was voted down we got right back to work speaking out, documenting, gathering input, and organizing for our rights. After the massive increase in police harassment and sweeps in Denver since March of 2016, our work and resolve have gotten that much stronger to bring the Right to Rest Act to Colorado. Together with Representatives Salazar and Melton, we are reaped up and ready to bring the Right to Rest Act back to the capitol again in 2017… May this be the year where our basic rights to survive our respected in the law… We will continue to stand strong and press on until our rights are respected.

Watch Live Stream by Unicorn Riot of most of the 2017 hearing here https://livestream.com/unicornriot/events/7291299

Additional Information:

Why We Need a Homeless Bill of Rights for Colorado
Homeless Bills of Rights Across the United States
Download DHOL (Denver Homeless Out Loud) Booklet

Download the PDF file .

Campaign Materials

  • R2R Summary
  • Right to Rest Act half sheet
  • Why We Need the Right to Rest
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Historical Criminalization
  • HUD Housing Fact Sheet
  • Findings from UN Rapporteur visit
  • Cost Analysis
  • Criminalization Does Not Connect to Services
  • Myth Buster
  • Christian Case for the Right to Rest
  • Right to Rest for All
  • Talking Points
  • Without Housing and HBR Powerpoint
  • R2R Does and Does Not
  • Get Involved!

 

Research

No Right to Rest Report
Too High a Price Report
Denver Camping Ban
Why We Need a Homeless Bill of Rights for Colorado
Homeless Bills of Rights Across the United States

Colorado WRAP Members:

Denver Homeless Out Loud

Endorsers

List of Organizations that have Endorsed the Campaign

Get Involved with the Campaign

The best way to get involved with the Colorado Statewide Homeless Bill of Rights Campaign is to get in touch with one of the WRAP core members to find out about working on the local level to push for change on the state level.

Some other ways to get involved:

  • Invite Colorado organizers to come to your community and hold a forum to talk about criminalization and the Homeless Bill of Rights campaign.
  • Participate in WRAP’s street outreach to people on the streets in your neighborhood to hear their experiences and build a collective voice around criminalization.
  • Provide connections with universities who want to do research on criminalization or others who want to support moving anti-criminalization legislation.
  • Donate to WRAP or the 1 core member of WRAP in Colorado.

If you have questions about the campaign you can write to us or call us:

info@denverhomelessoutloud.org

Social Media

You can contact Denver Homeless Out Loud at Info@denverhomelessoutloud.org on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Check out Denver Homeless Out Loud’s publication Get Loud here.

Artwork

see more at the Denver Homeless Out Loud Gallery  

Research

No Right to Rest Report
To High a Price Report

Publications

Denver Camping Ban

Footer

Instagram Feed

Urgent Help Needed Grants Pass is facing over 100 Urgent Help Needed 
Grants Pass is facing over 100F temperatures for the next 4 days Our homeless neighbors have no shelter, no shade & no water. Please help by donating bottled water or funds - we'll put every drop to good use! 
Venmo | Helen Cruz 
https://account.venmo.com/u/Helen-Cruz-30

Let's come together for those left in the heat, every bottle & dollar makes a difference
Community spirit and perspective and a cool organi Community spirit and perspective and a cool organizing training!
With sweeps and fascist policing/immigration tactics ramping up all over the country, we must make sure our initiatives to fight them are informed by, come from and are supported by the people who are directly impacted!!! Street outreach is how we do this!
https://conta.cc/46GwXKG
Join WRAP on Tuesday, July 22 on zoom at 3pm pt | Join WRAP on Tuesday, July 22 on zoom at 3pm pt | 4 pm mt | 6 pm et for a training on the different methodologies, context and implementation of street outreach! There will be examples from WRAP members who represent organizations in different states who have been fighting back against criminalization and sweeps in their communities.
Accountable organizing through street outreach! 

With sweeps and fascist policing/immigration tactics ramping up all over the country, we must make sure our initiatives to fight them are informed by, come from and are supported by the people who are directly impacted!!! 

Street outreach is how we do this! 

📣 WRAP : STREET OUTREACH TRAINING 
🗓️ Tuesday, July 22 | 🕒 3pm PT | 4pm MT | 6pm ET
🎟️ RSVP : bit.ly/wrapoutreach 
✉️ Contact joemae@wraphome.org for any questions

Read More: https://conta.cc/3ZXkCxS
Last year, on April 22nd, I stood with over 700 pe Last year, on April 22nd, I stood with over 700 people from around the country in front of the US Supreme Court demanding that the court focus on proven solutions to homelessness like housing, and not on things like handcuffs and jails that make homelessness worse. Months later, SCOTUS shamefully decided that homeless people are not included in the Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment and could be ticketed or arrested for simply sleeping outside. https://conta.cc/44m9rjl
The city continues to sneak in their sweeps of our The city continues to sneak in their sweeps of our friends and neighbors to nowhere. They sneak their sweeps in and hope those that care and give a sh&! against this violence won’t show up. We will do all we can to challenge this and won’t let the city block us from the community care they are afraid of.

Join us for a virtual gathering to learn how to show up, how to build community care. July 10th from 7-8:30pm. DM us for more info.

#sweepskill #fucksweeps #stopthesweeps #stoptheharrellhorrorshow #communitycare #showup
🏠Housing is a human right, and it is about time 🏠Housing is a human right, and it is about time our communities actually accept this!

On June 28th 2024, Grants Pass v Johnson was overturned (a case that had required cities to not criminalize the unhoused if adequate shelter was not provided by the city). On June 28th from 10am-12pm, we are asking our community to gather on the Missoula Courthouse lawn to show our city that we don’t support the ways they are criminalizing unhoused Missoulians. 📣

After the rally, from 12-2pm we will hear from various local organizations that are impacted and addressing this issue in our community. 🫂 From those working in the legal system to renters to mutual aid groups, our entire community is impacted by the overturning of Grants Pass v Johnson, the closure of the Johnson Street shelter, and the criminalization of unhoused Missoulians. Municipal elections are coming up this year and it is critical that we show city council where our priorities lie.
The Sovereign Roses Virtual Alumni Chapter invites The Sovereign Roses Virtual Alumni Chapter invites you to WRAP with the Roses! Learn more about the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) and a potential Project I.M.P.A.C.T area we’re exploring. WRAP is dedicated to ending homelessness and poverty by uplifting the voices of those directly impacted and advocating for systemic change rooted in justice and equity.
Discover why WEE believe that partnering with WRAP is a powerful step toward making a real, sustainable difference in our communities.

📅 Date: June 30

🕔 Time: 5:52 PM CST

📍 Zoom:
Meeting ID: 98812438845
Code: 567524

🌐 Learn more about WRAP: www.wraphome.org (http://www.wraphome.org/)

Together, we can push for change, challenge injustice, and build impact that lasts. Don’t miss this opportunity to get informed and get involved!

#GammaSigmaSigma #ServiceSorority #SRVAC #WRAP #Projectimpact #GSS #SFE #ServiceFriendshipEquailty
June 28th marks the One Year Anniversary of the Su June 28th marks the One Year Anniversary of the Supreme Court making it illegal to be homeless. Join me in the fight to push back! Helen Cruz
June 28 4-7pm | Echo Park Lake, LA for more inform June 28 4-7pm | Echo Park Lake, LA
for more information: @lacanetwork_official
Instagram post 18073374346940611 Instagram post 18073374346940611
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.
1 day 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