In recent days and months, clean-up volunteers in Grand Junction have had their hands full as they’ve removed an amazing amount of debris from homeless camps along the Colorado River.
The squalor and sheer volume of garbage are graphic evidence of why cities cannot allow such encampments to become entrenched.
The approach in Grand Junction has been similar to those adopted recently in Denver and Colorado Springs — the homeless are engaged by specially trained teams whose goal is to connect them with services that could put them on a better path.
It is the right way to deal with what are very difficult situations. Cities cannot let public — let alone private — spaces be commandeered by the homeless. It’s not good for the affected jurisdictions, and it’s not good for the homeless, either.
Yet, merely forcing them out is not a responsible approach, either.
In Grand Junction, according to a story in The Sentinel, some campers have been helped to reconnect with their families. Others have been moved into permanent homes, or have found a bed at a local shelter.
Critics there have echoed objections voiced in Denver when the city decided to ban camping near downtown, namely that there are not enough services for the homeless. Grand Junction Deputy Chief John Zen said service providers have in fact told his agency they have ample capacity.
In Denver this week, we were glad to see the city approve a request from the Denver Rescue Mission to continue offering 100 emergency overflow beds to the homeless. This is something that typically happens during the winter, but the recent enactment of Denver’s camping ban had led to increased demand. Given the record-high temperatures the city has been enduring, a shelter is surely a more comfortable place as well.
The unfortunate truth about dealing with the homeless situation — whether it’s in Denver, Colorado Springs or Grand Junction — is that homelessness is often a symptom of much more serious and deep-seated problems.
A story in the Colorado Springs Gazette earlier this year included examples from those who work the front lines with the homeless. One meth addict, for instance, has gotten numerous warnings for sleeping under a bridge. Police haven’t arrested him. They just keep trying to get him help.
“He did check into a shelter and stayed a few days, but he left … to get high,” said M.J. Thomson, a member of the Colorado Springs Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team, according to The Gazette. “We’ll just keep working on him.”
This situation seems unlikely to end well, with the addict shifting to a productive life, but it’s possible.
However, Colorado Springs’ effort over the last two years has resulted in the chronic homeless population shrinking from 150 to 75, according to the story. It had been about 600 in 2009. And that is good news.
As difficult as these circumstances can be, allowing unregulated tent cities to exist is not good for either the homeless or the community.