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City wants homeless inside for convention

Emergency shelter will open during '08 Dem gathering

Stuart Steers, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 15, 2007 at midnight

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Denver plans to clear downtown streets of the homeless during the Democratic National Convention here in 2008.

The city will open an emergency shelter normally used during winter deep freezes, and keep other shelters in the city open 24 hours during the August gathering. In addition, an army of outreach workers will fan out across downtown to persuade the homeless to come inside during the convention.

"Shelters will be open the entire time to make certain everyone can go inside and that the outreach folks have a place to take any person from the streets," said Roxane White, Denver's manager of human services.

White said the effort is motivated by security concerns and is not just an effort to spruce up Denver's image at a time when the city will be under a media spotlight.

Special attention will be paid to the "security zone" around the Pepsi Center, which includes the South Platte River, a favorite campground for the homeless.

For several years Denver has operated an emergency shelter during winter cold snaps. The shelter, which has been in different locations, is intended to handle overflow from the city's permanent homeless shelters.

However, the ranks of the chronically homeless have been shrinking in Denver recently, and city officials have speculated they may not need to open the emergency shelter again. But that won't be the case come 2008, when there will be an all-out effort to bring everyone inside.

"They will have to clear the security perimeter, and we have already asked that our outreach workers be involved in those efforts," said White.

Other cities that hosted national political conventions have mounted similar efforts to get the homeless off the street. Cities try to put their best face forward during the events, which bring swarms of national media.

Denver's commission to end homelessness met Monday to approve revisions to its 10-year plan.

In the past two years, the group has moved hundreds of people into housing and treatment programs.

The commission soon will appeal to dozens of downtown restaurants to hire the homeless.

"Our goal is to have a way to reestablish the work ethic and get (the homeless) plugged into an industry that has a demand for them," said Deborah Ortega, director of the commission.

Comments

  • July 29, 2008

    7:09 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    franny writes:

    I know there are several people that are working to HELP the homeless everyday and for all of their efforts, bless you. But to speak of "cleaning up" the homeless off the streets. It's underhanded and self serving. Obama should see it as it is. He's the presidential candidate who's going to make a change in this country. He needs to find out who they are and why they are out there on the streets in the first place. My guess is it has alot to do with those brilliant insurance policies and the excellent medical coverage we all so desperately need. Why does the richest country in the world have the largest homless population? We need to look inward and find out what we can do to save our country so we can help others around the world. Not hide it away for a good clean impression of the city. Obama's no dummy, let him see for himself.

  • July 29, 2008

    10:28 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Pamela writes:

    I agree that Obama and everyone should see the homeless situation "as it is". But they are NOT cleaning up the streets for Obama's sake. They are doing this for political pressures. Obama's group wants the world to see a comfortable situation, not a miserable one with homeless people wandering around.

    But, Franny, I totally disagree with your statement that the USA has the "largest homelss population". Where did you get your facts, or rather your non-facts? Just put worldwide homeless population into your search engine and you will find out that most other countries have a much higher percentage of homeless people.