December 11, 2023
Dear Denver City Council,
We the undersigned are writing to ask for the City Council to vote to pass the proposed bills to stop sweeps and to open warming centers when it is under 32 degrees. This legislation is necessary to protect the lives of houseless people. No one should have their property taken and be left with nothing or be forced to move all their belongings when it is under freezing. And everyone should have access to a warm place to be when it is freezing.
Medical professionals state that the risk of hypothermia is present anywhere under 32 degrees. If it is wet that risk goes up even more. Frostbite leads to lost limbs. People who are elderly, sick, disabled, or otherwise not in full health are even more affected by cold temperatures. Losing property to stay warm in a sweep and then being on the streets with nothing can be deadly.
Houseless people are being prevented from going inside in the freezing cold to get warm because they have to stay out to keep the City from taking all their property in a sweep. When people do go inside, they lose all their property when they get out. This does not help people get inside to be warm and it leaves people out in the streets in the cold with nothing.
When sweeps are conducted in freezing weather, this process itself is dangerous and traumatizing. Houseless people are forced to pack all their belongings in the cold and snow, often getting themselves and their property wet, dragging property long distances in the cold. When someone is sick or disabled this process is even worse. People are already often dehydrated, malnourished, sleep deprived dealing with stress, trauma, anxiety, mental health and physical health challenges. The stress of moving is bad enough without facing freezing temperatures and wet snow.
Warming centers and overnight emergency shelters should be open in all freezing weather. Existing day and night shelters are at capacity – people are turned away due to lack of space, and in freezing temperatures there are consistently hundreds of people using whatever emergency shelter is available. But now, emergency shelters are only opened if it is under 20 degrees. This means hundreds of people seeking warm shelter are left in the cold when it is freezing temperatures as spaces are not opened.
Policy needs to be set in place to ensure a safe standard is followed regarding opening warming centers and halting sweeps of houseless people and their property in cold weather. City Council’s job is to set policies for our City and this is a critical policy to set for the safety of our community.
Please take action to protect the lives of houseless people in our community.
Sincerely,
9to5 Colorado
American Civil Liberties Union, Colorado
American Friends Service Committee
Atlantis Community
Bayaud Enterprises
Be-Konnected: The Housing Connection
Bring Our Neighbors Home
Buck Foundation
Clergy for Freedom and Justice and Family Advocacy and Crisis Education Intervention Team
Colfax Cats
Colorado Care Workers United
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
Colorado Poverty Law Project
Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee
Denver Catholic Worker
Denver Democratic Socialists of America
Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing and Public Safety
Dry Bones Denver
Elevated Denver
Empowerment Program
Green Latinos Colorado
Growing Home
Harm Reduction Action Center
Headwaters Protectors
Housekeys Action Network Denver
Janet’s Kitchen
Mutual Aid Monday
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
New Covenant Alpha And Omega Church
New Era Colorado
Occupy Denver
Reciprocity Collective
Redress Movement
Romero Theater Troupe
Seasoned with Grace Unboxed
SEIU Local 105
Spring Institute
Swing By Street Supply
The Gathering Place
Together Colorado
Together Denver
Warm Cookies of the Revolution
Western Regional Advocacy Project
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