Letter to Council Re NO Vote for Urban Alchemy

Dear Council Members, We are reaching out regarding the proposed contracts with Urban Alchemy (UA) coming before City Council on Monday (12/8) to ask you to vote no.  If you research UA and their track record in other cities, it wouldn’t have taken long to find the insurmountable evidence of corruption and illegal activity that…

Park Ave Inn Residents Speak Up and Demand Housing and Humane Treatment

Park Ave Inn Residents Speak Up and Demand Housing and Humane Treatment Monday November 17th residents of the Park Ave Inn hotel shelter will be coming to City Council to speak up on their collective demands for proper housing and case management assistance as the Park Ave Inn is slated to be closed at the…

Correction to Unsheltered Point in Time Count

Correction to Unsheltered Point in Time Count  Ever since the 2025 Point in Time (PIT) Count of houseless people was published, Mayor Johnston and his team have been touting a “45% reduction in unsheltered homelessness” from 2023 to 2025. The PIT counted 785 people as “unsheltered” in 2025 (11% of the 7,327 total houseless population…

City Council Votes Down Shelter for Families – SHAME

City Council Votes Down Shelter for Families – SHAME Yesterday, Denver City Council voted 5 to 8 to NOT fund shelter for houseless families. This vote is leaving HUNDREDS of little children and babies on our streets, in cars, and the like. Because of this vote, we will continue to be approached by countless families…

No More Families without Shelter!! Call on City Council to Fund More Family Shelter! 

No More Families without Shelter!! Come Call on the City Council to Fund More Family Shelter!   Monday October 27th  4pm Rally in front of City Hall (1437 Bannock St)  5pm Public Comment to City Council on Budget  Join us in calling on the City Council to fund shelter for houseless families!  Council members Parody, Lewis,…

The Denver Pay: $175 Million for Looks & State Crooks Protest 

The Denver Pay: $175 Million for Looks & State Crooks Protest  On October 4th there will be a grand re-opening event, called “The Denver Way”, for 16th Street after spending $175million for a revamp. Mayor Johnston and the Downtown Denver Business Partnership will be celebrating this investment in downtown image and increased policing of houseless…

Letter to Mayor Re Treatment of Houseless People

October 1st 2025 Dear Mayor Johnston,  At many meetings we have spoken with you about the criminalization, terrorization and segregation of houseless people living on the streets of Denver. We have shared quotes and stories from houseless people who are suffering on the streets due to police forcing them to sleep without tents or often…

The Evolution of Johnstonomics: 

From “Progressive” to Enforcement Obsessive “Police have been coming at early hours of the morning and at 1 or 2 in the afternoon, grabbing our stuff, trashing it. They run our names, they’re honking their horns, they’re flashing their lights. He just wanted us all to wake up and start moving and when we didn’t…

Still More Families on Streets – Emergency Family Shelter Needed NOW!!!

Right now in Denver, a single mother and her four children are in need of emergency shelter after having done the difficult work of finally escaping domestic violence despite being financially reliant on the father. This should be the start of a story of resilience and community support that eventually leads to them finding safety,…

Salvation Army Contracts Cut!!

In case you did not hear… The City is not going to contract with The Salvation Army to run the three hotel shelters they have been running!! This happened because of community voice speaking up on how TSA runs these shelters and needs to go. Thanks to all directly affected living in these shelters under TSA who spoke up…! …

Court Sides with Hate, Control, and Discrimination Against Houseless Family

Court Sides with Hate, Control, and Discrimination Against Houseless Family  On August 27th the court ruled against this family who was torn apart simply for being houseless. The jury trial went on for 6 days. The testimony from the parents and community spoke clearly to how this family cares deeply for each other, works incredibly…

Family Goes to Trial After Kids Were Taken Due to Houselessness

Family Goes to Trial After Kids Were Taken Due to Houselessness **Extreme Criminalization of Houselessness** On May 21st 2025 the State took 7 children from their parents with the primary reason being because they were houseless living in a van. There was no violence, abuse, or any such thing in this case – just a…

Corrections to Mayor Johnston’s State of the City Address

Corrections to Mayor Johnston’s State of the City Address  On July 21st, Mayor Johnston gave his 2025 State of the City Address. In order to respond properly to this address, we have copied the sections of the address transcript that are relevant to houselessness, bolded and underlined parts, and made corrections/comments highlighted in yellow after. …

Where Queer Sheltering & Migrant Detention Collide

Yesterday, July 14th, HAND received a call. The 23 year old voice on the other end spoke steadily through a warm accent, with a sort of tired, forced optimism. Eric (name changed for his safety) said he’d just learned that after 6 months detained within the immigrant detention center, he could qualify for sponsorship by…

Housing Not Detention!: Housing Instability & Immigration Enforcement

Across the United States, communities are being torn apart by the collision of two destructive systems: aggressive immigration enforcement and the deepening housing crisis. While these issues are often treated separately, they are tightly intertwined. The expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), bolstered by bloated budgets and increasingly harsh policies, is creating a pipeline…

Emails with CEO of Mental Health Colorado on Keeping SAFER Open

Email follow up from us with questions for CEO — Vincent Atchity,  In our last email we asked for the following information:  Your response was that SAFER operates on 200k a month, and that the building will be sold as soon as possible.  While we appreciate some answers here, these answers still leave much to…

Statements from SAFER Residents, Family, Friends, and Supporters on why SAFER must be kept open!

Statements from SAFER Residents, Family, Friends, and Supporters on why SAFER must be kept open! Name:  Saptarshi BhattacharyyaConnection to SAFER:   Resident Experience of the program:   Excellent shelter transitional sober program. Has given me a safe space to get all my medical needs addressed, legal issues addressed, medications and therapy dialed in. Allowed me to rebuild relationships with…

Survey Shows Constant Sweeps in Freezing Cold

Survey Shows Constant Sweeps in Freezing Cold  In January and February of this year (2025) we surveyed 97 houseless people about sweeps as part of a regional survey we did in California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, and Colorado with Western Regional Advocacy Project. The full findings of this regional survey can be found on WRAP’s site…

No more TSA contracts for Best Western and Tamarac

Dear City Council,  Last week we missed the fact that both Best Western (Stone Creek) and the Tamarac family shelter contracts with the Salvation Army are also up for renewal. Just as with Crossroads and Doubletree, we ask you to vote no and not keep the Salvation Army as the provider for these sites.  In…

Response to Mayor Johnston

Mayor Johnston,  We wanted to respond to a couple things you said in our meeting June 3rd that we did not get a chance to respond to.  When we asked what we should tell the countless houseless people we are speaking with (many of which former hotel shelter residents who have been kicked out and…

City Council Vote on Salvation Army Shelter Contract TODAY Monday

City Council Vote on Salvation Army Shelter Contract TODAY Monday  The City Council is set to vote on renewing the Salvation Army’s contract to run Crossroads shelter today (Monday), and then set to discuss renewing their contract to run the Doubletree on Wednesday.  The Salvation Army has proven they cannot be trusted with operating shelters…

No more TSA in Doubletree

Dear Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness Committee members,  Again we are writing to you to ask for your no vote on a proposed contract renewal with the Salvation Army: this time to run the Doubletree (Aspen). The most serious horrors of the Doubletree are well known including… These are just the most well known atrocities…

Children Taken From Parents because they are Houseless

Children Taken From Parents because they are Houseless – The Next Level of Criminalization of Houselessness  A family has been living in their vehicle making due the best they can while seeking housing and finding nothing. They go to free meals every day, park near portapotties, shower at friends houses, and do their very best…

No More TSA Contract to run Crossroads

Dear Safety, Housing, Education, and Homelessness Committee, We are writing to you to ask for your no vote on the proposed contract renewal with the Salvation Army to run the Crossroads Shelter. Crossroads shelter residents have been telling us about deplorable conditions and operations by TSA for years. Our members who lived at Crossroads witnessed…

Houseless Family with 7 Kids Needs Van for Home! Donate Today to Help!

Houseless Family with 7 Kids Needs Van for Home! Donate Today to Help!  Rehema and 4 of her 7 kids, other kids asleep in the van  Donate to Help! (HAND PayPal @HousekeysAction – note ‘for Rehema Family’ in the memo) Rehema, her partner and their 7 kids are living in a mini-van where they have…

The Salvation Army Needs to GO! Protest April 8th! 

The Salvation Army Sexually Assaults!!! TSA Needs to GO! Protest April 8th! End the Contracts!  The Salvation Army (TSA) currently runs the majority of Denver shelters. This month, one of their staff members, with a known record of aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault convictions, sexually assaulted a resident at the Doubletree (Aspen) hotel shelter. This…

Letter to Mayor from Houseless Families regarding Crisis of No Shelter

After HAND united numerous houseless families that then met with various representatives with the City of Denver – including City Council, the Department of Housing Stability, and the Denver shelter program – they found themselves still without solutions, without support, and instead, locked into a seemingly endless cycle of calls to a hotline that never…

Follow up on ‘RV Dwellers Treated Un-worthy of Life’ 

Follow up on ‘RV Dwellers Treated Un-worthy of Life’  Back in December 2024 we made a post about a couple living in their RV who have been harassed by police non-stop for years and then suffered a hit and run leaving their RV and trailer seriously damaged with no real investigation and no insurance payment…

DISABILITY ADVOCATES SUE DENVER for SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION & FAILURE TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE SHELTER & SERVICES TO DISABLED, HOUSELESS PEOPLE

DISABILITY ADVOCATES SUE DENVER, ALLEGE SYSTEMICDISCRIMINATION & FAILURE TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE SHELTER &SERVICES TO DISABLED, HOUSELESS PEOPLE Press Conference: Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 12 PM MT, at Denver City & County Building 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80202 DENVER, CO – Disability Law United, Newman | McNulty, LLC, and Brooklyn Law School’s Disability &…

No Children on our Streets!@#  Support Needed!

Families Kicked to the Streets at the Closure of Cold Weather Shelter No Children on our Streets!@#  Your Support Needed! Cold Weather Shelters closed yesterday – kicking HUNDREDS of families to the streets. The City opens cold weather shelters at 25 degrees and puts families with nowhere else to go in hotels. Now, these families…

Letter to Mayor re Cold Weather Shelter Needs

February 21, 2025 Dear Mayor Johnston and staff,  We are writing today to make clear what is needed for cold weather shelter for houseless people in Denver this winter.  We are in the community on the streets and at shelters every day and deeply aware of the suffering of houseless people in the cold. We…

Denver Needs A Queer Shelter!

As of today we are 23 days into the new administration, and we’ve already seen the attacks on the queer community, especially our trans community, escalate at an alarming rate. On day one of the administration many Executive Orders were signed, including one stating the United States government will only recognize two genders: Male, and…

No Water Access for 5 Days at Edge of Lowry

Yesterday, January 23rd, five cop vehicles, and eventually a firetruck, showed up and entered buildings, having tenants initially fearing that they were there to ask questions about immigration again in another unexpected raid. Instead, they threatened tenants with arrest for trying to access water when two of the four buildings (1238 and 1248 Dallas St)…

Absent, Illegally Assigned CBZ Lawyer Gets More Rights Than Displaced Tenant Families

On Monday, January 13th, Housekeys Action Network Denver, The Redress Movement, and others gathered with tenants of CBZ buildings in Aurora and Denver to protest CBZ Management’s horrible neglect and mistreatment of their tenants, and the resultant wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric being echoed by local and national leaders. Aurora tenant Juan Carlos Alvarado Jimenez shared…

Rally & Court Watch:  Justice for Edge of Lowry Tenants

Press Release: Press Conference, January 13th, 2025 at 1:30pm  AURORA, CO For months, the residents of CBZ Management properties have been vilified by the local and national press, categorizing many working families as gang members. This is in spite of years of documented complaints against CBZ management for unlawful conditions to include sewage leakage, rodent…

RV Dwellers Treated as Un-Worthy of Life

RV Dwellers Treated as Un-Worthy of Life A couple who have been living in their RV for years now, including an older woman with serious health problems, was the victim of a hit and run that crashed their trailer and damaged their RV home on December 14th 2024. But unlike normal hit and runs where…

Denver says it’s a queer friendly city. Is It?

Not if you are queer and houseless.  Denver is known as a “Sanctuary City” for queer people escaping persecution from other states. In 2024 alone, 43 states passed 48 laws out of 669 (14%) proposed anti-queer laws, compared to 2023 when 49 States passed 87 out of 604 proposed anti-queer laws (7% a 2 fold…

HAND & Redress Movement Condemn PMI Aspire’s & the City of Aurora’s Treatment of 1357 Helena Street Residents

Aurora, CO — Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) and Redress Movement strongly denounce PMI Aspire’s treatment of residents at Whispering Pines Apartments. Since assuming management in October 2024 through a court-appointed receivership following severe violations by CBZ Management, PMI Aspire has perpetuated the cycle of neglect. Despite rampant ongoing issues such as broken plumbing, inadequate…

   Trans Day Of Remembrance

Today is International Transgender Day Of Remembrance, a day to honor those people we’ve lost to violence and suicide.  This year is especially poignant with the avalanche of anti-trans laws across the country and the incoming Trump administration. 45 different anti-trans laws have been passed, in Texas they’re offering $10,000 “bounties” for anyone who turns…

City Council Voted for Enforcement over Outreach

City Council Voted for Enforcement over Outreach – the Fight to End SET continues… Monday (11/4), the City Council voted against defunding SET and moving the funds to real outreach. This vote was a vote to continue the ‘enforcement not resources’ approach to houselessness. It was a vote to prioritize the desire of rich white…

G.A.G. choked, and the fight continues!!

On the morning of October 5th, 2024, Members of  Housekeys Action Network Denver, Denver Communists, Mutual Aid Monday, Lunch Punks, Revolutionary Communists of America, and Denver Community In Solidarity With Palestine, plus many other allies descended upon the Capitol to dispel myths and drown out groups like Gays Against Groomer (G.A.G.), Mom’s For Liberty, Dad…

HAND Budget Amendment Support

Housekeys Action Network Denver (HAND) supports for the following proposed budget amendments, and to ask for City Council’s “yes” votes.  Not making these accommodations will lead to most of these RV residents being back on the streets.  We ask that City Council support our community by voting YES for these budget amendments, and then work…

Defund SET, Fund Actual Outreach

The City budget is before the City Council and amendments are in discussion. One of these proposed budget amendments is to defund the Street Enforcement Team (SET) and instead fund actual outreach with resource connection.  SET is a civilian team hired under the Safety Department as a non-police enforcement team. The City website describes SET…

The Time to Protect Transgender Kids Is Now!!!

On Saturday October 5th, 2024, various anti-trans hate groups will be convening at the Colorado State Capitol building for what they are dubbing “Stop The War On Our Children” rally. Groups like Gays Against Groomers, Moms For Liberty, Dad Army, and others are holding a rally to spread their dangerous rhetoric against the trans community,…

IMMEDIATE RELEASE & CALL-TO-ACTION: Springfield’s Migrants Aren’t “Eating Cats & Dogs” & Aurora’s Buildings Aren’t “Taken Over By Gangs”

IMMEDIATE RELEASE & CALL-TO-ACTION: Springfield’s Migrants Aren’t “Eating Cats & Dogs” & Aurora’s Buildings Aren’t “Taken Over By Gangs” JOIN US for a Community Care Day of Solidarity with Tenants TOMORROW Saturday, September 28th, at 2:30pm at 1357 Helena St Media contact information: V Reeves, Housekeys Action Network Denver, info@housekeysactionnetwork.com, 701-484-2634 We’ve all seen the headlines…

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY HOSTED BY PAYING TENANTS & THEIR FAMILIES ACCUSED OF BEING “GANGS” BY SLUMLORD’S PR FIRM & VOTE-HUNGRY POLITICIANS

Today, September 3rd, the tenants of Dallas St, Helena St, E 13th Ave, and formerly Nome St – all living in buildings owned by Zev Baumgartner of CBZ Management, are hosting a press conference at 4pm at 1206 Dallas St to “clear their name”. Pictured: threatening text message recently sent to a Dallas St resident…

URGENT ACTION FOR NOME ST: ¡¡¡Queremos Tiempo!!!

Ever since the City of Aurora condemned an apartment building due to the slumlord’s negligence, and in the process forcefully evicted over 350 tenants (including nearly 80 children registered in school) with less than a week’s notice, a handful of community organizations have been working tirelessly around the clock with former tenants to try to…

Families at 1568 Nome St. and Aurora Community Host Press Conference to Demand the City Prevent Mass Displacement Crisis

Media Contacts: V, 701-484-2634, info@housekeysactionnetwork.com Nate Kassa, East Colfax Community Collective, 720-665-8928, nate@eastcolfaxcc.org Media Advisory: Families at 1568 Nome St. and Aurora Community Host Press Conference to Demand the City Prevent Mass Displacement Crisis  Dozens of families from 1568 Nome St. are being joined by Aurora community members ​​to demand Aurora City Manager Jason Batchelor…

RACISM IN AURORA LEADS TO PLANNED SHUTDOWN OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDING WITHOUT NOTICE, IMMEDIATELY UNHOUSING 50 MIGRANT FAMILIES

In response to Sunday’s election in Venezuela, as well as the racist and bigoted belief that all people and their children from Venezuela are part of a “terrorist” militia proposed by Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky and Aurora Police Department’s Twitter accounts, the city of Aurora is choosing to evict an estimated fifty families, majority…

Body Cam Shows Latinx Unhoused Trans Womxn Yell “Kill Me” in Spanish Less Than 10 Seconds Before Copicide – Police Then Investigate Themselves & Drop All Charges

Now that the District Attorney Beth McCann released a letter calling the cop shooting of an unhoused trans BIPOC womxn during a suicidal mental breakdown justified, relieving the officers from any sort of charges, and simultaneously managing to misgender her in her death based on how the “medical examiner identified him”, let’s revisit the slew…

Vigil for Queer Unhoused Victim of Police Murder Still Happening

When George Floyd was murdered in a most gruesome manner by police, many bootlicking police supporters began to dig into his past to revive aspects of his criminal record so as to tarnish his reputation and justify the way in which he lost his life. Still, much of the world knew better than to be…

DENVER POLICE OFFICERS MURDER UNHOUSED BIPOC TRANS WOMXN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT SUNDAY BEFORE PRIDE WEEKEND & LEFT HER BODY IN THE STREET FOR 4 HOURS.

Welcome to this year’s #DenverPride . As queer Denverites gather this weekend and recite horrific stats about early deaths of trans womxn, orchestrate moments of silence as their names are spoken, and talk about the need to #protectourtranssisters , will that make them feel better about the fact that just last weekend, a precious member…

Police Records Show Significant Increase in Ant-Houseless Law Enforcement in 2024

Since January of 2024, after Mayor Johnson touted “housing” over 1000 visible houseless people from Denver streets, we’ve experienced a significant increase in police, SET, and other “enforcer” enforcement of anti-houseless laws (otherwise known as “quality of life crimes”) across Denver. We asked the City for data on the enforcement of a list of these…

Migrant Families Returning to Streets Due to Shelter Conditions and Lack of City Follow Through

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  BE GRATEFUL FOR BROKEN PROMISES The City’s Written Commitments to Migrant Families Demanding Humane Shelter Conditions & The Lack of Implementation Resulting in Families With Children Returning to the Streets May 10, 2024 Around 8 families this morning threatened to walk out of Denver’s congregate family migrant shelter due to WRITTEN COMMITMENTS…

Rapid Rehouseless Update – Some Progress.. Still more to do…

Rapid Rehouseless Update – Some Progress.. Still more to do… After raising attention to the pending exit to the streets of people currently in housing through Rapid Rehousing which was part of a City “Housing Surge” in 2022, some steps are being taken to extend this housing assistance for the people timing out today for…

Denver Asylum Seeker Program (DASP) Destined for Failure – Because It Doesn’t Exist

Denver Asylum Seeker Program (DASP) Destined for Failure – Because It Doesn’t Exist Press release for April 29, 2024 On April 10th, Mayor Mike Johnston announced a new migrant plan that would supposedly offer 1000 asylum seekers that are currently sheltered in Denver the opportunity to receive 6 months of employment, housing, and legal support.…

Lasting Effects of 8th and Navajo Sweep – Terrorizing our Community

Lasting Effects of 8th and Navajo Sweep – Terrorizing our Community On April 16th 2024 the City swept the encampment of 150 people staying at 8th and Navajo area (and surrounding many blocks) to scatter them around the city with nowhere to go.  This sweep to nowhere was in direct contraction from Mayor Johnston’s promises…

Rapid Re-Houseless Update and Acton needed

Rapid Re-Houseless: Action Needed for people in Rapid Rehousing being kicked to the streets end of April!@#  Monday April 15th 2024 at City and County Building (1437 Bannock St)  Press Conference: 3:30-4:30pm Deliver Demand Letter: 4:30-5pm City Council Public Comment: 5-5:30pm After putting out our demands regarding people in Rapid Rehousing being kicked to the…

Rapid Re-Houseless:

Action Needed for 126 people from Rapid Rehousing being kicked to the streets Rapid Re-Houseless: Action Needed for 126 people from Rapid Rehousing being kicked to the streets end of April!@#  Monday April 15th 2024 at City and County Building (1437 Bannock St)  Press Conference: 3:30-4:30pm Deliver Demand Letter: 4:30-5pm City Council Public Comment: 5-5:30pm…

HAND Scorecard for Mayor Johnston

Housekeys Action Network Denver Scorecard for Mayor Johnston In order to evaluate Mayor Johnston’s actions around houselessness over his first 5 months in-office for 2023, we created a scorecard that lists specific promises made by the Mayor during the campaign trail (Mayor’s campaign commitment), commitments he made while in-office (Mayor’s in-office commitment), and asks the…

Absolutely No Shelter Available The Night After Warming Center Pilot Program Ends, Many Stranded

Absolutely No Shelter Available The Night After Warming Center Pilot Program Ends, Many Stranded: Confirmed by Mayor’s Office On Friday, February 16th, the Mayor’s week-long pilot program for a warming center at the Coliseum ended. This had been a space that individuals and couples without children could access during freezing temperatures. The Mayor had promised…

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

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

Letter to City Council re concerns over No Freezing Sweeps

See letter sent to City Council regarding concerns over No Freezing Sweeps below. — Dear City Council,  I wanted to share some of what I sent certain council members in addressing concerns over the No Freezing Sweeps bill. I also want to encourage you to watch at least some of the video interviews included here…

Mayor Johnson Vetoes Life Saving No Freezing Sweeps Bill&^%$

Mayor Johnson Vetoes Life Saving No Freezing Sweeps Bill&^%$ Today, Friday February 2nd 2024, Mayor Mike Johnston Vetoed the No Freezing Sweeps bill passed by City Council. Through this act he has sentenced houseless people of Denver to more sickness, suffering, loss of limbs, and potential death. He has made it clear to the people…

City shuts down migrant camp in freezing temperatures

On January 19, park rangers and EHS crew members showed up to shut down a critical camp that was providing refuge to nearly a dozen migrants with more expected to join in the next few days (what with migrant hotel shelters resuming their shelter time limits for both individuals and families with children). Many of…

No Freezing Sweeps Survey Key Findings 

No Freezing Sweeps Survey Key Findings  In December 2023, 34 houseless people shared their experiences and input regarding freezing sweeps and emergency shelter. We (HAND) did this survey to build off one conducted by B-Konnected also on freezing sweeps. People shared their direct experiences with being swept in the freezing cold.  Have you been swept…

Update from Zuni Camp Migrant Sweep Wednesday

Update from Zuni Camp Migrant Sweep Wednesday Yesterday, January 3rd 2023, the City closed the migrant camp of 400 people near Quality Inn. Fencing was put up around the whole area before 7am. Many camp residents believed it was ICE putting up the fence and ran in fear – leaving all their belongings. Because of…

Ahead of Sweep, City Offering Some (but NOT Enough) Resources for Migrants at Zuni Camp

This week, the City announced plans to sweep the migrant encampments at 26th and Zuni on Wednesday January 3rd. There are nearly 400 people at this site along streets surrounding Quality Inn.  After announcing a protest of this sweep yesterday, December 28th, City officials gave us more information about resources being offered. Today, December 29th,…

PROTEST FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES & AGAINST THE CLOSURE OF QUALITY CAMP

STAND UP FOR OUR RIGHTS! OUR COMMUNITY WILL NOT BE STEPPED ON! PROTEST FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES & AGAINST THE CLOSURE OF QUALITY CAMP DAYS OF EVENTS:PROTEST ON MONDAY, JANUARY 1ST AT 2 PMSTATE CAPITOL BUILDING (200 E COLFAX AVE)PUBLIC COMMENT ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 2ND AT 5 PMCITY AND COUNTY BUILDING (1437 BANNOCK ST)(HOPEFULLY CANCELED) CAMP…

Salvation Army Seeks to Kick Domestic Violence Victims Back Onto Streets

Salvation Army Seeks to Kick Domestic Violence Victims Back Onto Streets December 11th, 2023 After HOST and the Mayor’s office promise to provide safe, non-congregate sheltering to incredibly at-risk and vulnerable survivors of domestic violence following the closure of their hotel, site provider and partner Salvation Army is now going back on that claim, threatening…

45 Organizations Ask City Council to Stop Sweeps and Open Warming Centers when Freezing

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…

Translated Interviews with Migrant Families kicked to the streets

Watch these interviews and read the translations to hear families please for humanity firsthand… THANK YOU to volunteer Verena O’Malley for reaching out and offering such timely translation!!! Video 1: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzHE0QFrBf6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Translation — ENGLISHThis is V with HAND. I am about to do an interview with a family that was just kicked out from the migrant…

It’s Now This Bad… Denver Pushes Babies into Tents This Winter

It’s Now This Bad… Denver Pushes Babies into Tents This Winter Today, mutual aid groups in Denver that usually work to support the already deeply in-need unhoused community are finding ourselves asking to collect items for infants as young as 20 days old… A new all-time low for Denver. Are we meant to wait around…

48th Street Shelter has Kicked Multiple Houseless Women to the Streets

48th Street Shelter has Kicked Multiple Houseless Women to the Streets for Petty and Corrupt Things –  Women are made Vulnerable for trying to Speak Up about it!!! Last month, on September 22nd, roughly 35 women were kicked out of the 48th street shelter for such ridiculous, corrupt and petty reasons as having their bed…

Call on the City Council to Vote for a Budget for the People, not the Police!

Call on the City Council to Vote for a Budget for the People, not the Police! The City Council will be voting on amendments to the Mayor’s proposed City budget these coming weeks. Before that they need to hear from the people the outcry to move money from police and jails and shitty shelter systems,…

Update on our Meeting with the Mayor and “House” 1000 Demands 

Update on our Meeting with the Mayor and “House” 1000 Demands  In our letter to the Mayor, shared publicly, we demanded a meeting with the Mayor this week before the City Council vote on renewing the State of Emergency.  The Mayor did meet with us on Thursday.  We went over the specific minimal demands we…

Letter to Mayor re “House” 1000 initiative and Houseless State of Emergency

October 7, 2023 Dear Mayor Mike Johnston,  When you first declared the Houseless State of Emergency we were cautiously hopeful that this would lead to some relief from constant traumatic displacements, some resources for houseless people living on our streets, and that it would lead to real housing for houseless people most in need. Instead…

Letter Sent to Mayor Johnston: Six Criteria for Houseless State of Emergency Housing

August 30, 2023 Re: Houseless State of Emergency Dear Mayor Johnston, We are glad for your goal to house 1000 houseless Denverites by the end of the year, and appreciate your serious focus on this issue, as evidenced when you declared houselessness in Denver to be a State of Emergency in the early days of…

Statement Regarding the Unprecedented Sweep Reasoning of August 24th

Statement Regarding the Unprecedented Sweep Reasoning of August 24th On August 21st, a random masked man decided to shoot someone walking by an encampment between 17th and 18th on Logan St. This led to two residents personally falling victim to stray bullets, as well as another individual receiving up to $7k in damage to his…

Release Event Aug 30th: Boundaries and Barriers  

Boundaries and Barriers: Denver’s Policy to Force Visible Poverty from Public View  A Research Report by the Homelessness Policy Project of Denver University  Exclusionary land use policies have taken many forms in the state of Colorado, dating back to its colonization.  To answer the question of who has the right to use public space, this…

Mayor Johnston Plans to Sweep Encampment with less than 24 hours Notice!@$#

Mayor Johnston Plans to Sweep Encampment with less than 24 hours Notice!@$# After promising in writing to sweep camps as rarely as possible until housing is ready to move into, and with 7 days notice, Mayor Johnston is now planning to sweep the camp on 18th and Logan – with about 50-60 houseless residents -…

Immediate Action for City Council Re: Homelessness 

Immediate Action for City Council Re: Homelessness  The following is a list of legislative, budget, or other actions City Council should take to address the immediate needs of houseless people in Denver. Some of these take money and some do not.  We are more than happy to go into further detail on any one of…

Trash Service Street Survey Results

2023 HAND Trash Services Survey 1 – Data Analysis In July of 2023, 59 total respondents were surveyed regarding a trash services program. All respondents were currently houseless. Locations surveyed included: Below are the questions asked on the survey, followed by the analysis of responses.  Question 1: What type of trash receptacle do you think…

HAND Statement on Houseless State of Emergency

HAND Statement on Houseless State of Emergency:   What it should do and what it should not do The new Mayor’s recently declared State of Emergency could be used for good, or it could be used for bad.  The houseless community has been declaring we are in a state of emergency for many many years now!…

Letter to Mayor from Rodeway residents

July 14th, 2023 Dear Mayor-elect Mike Johnston, We are writing to ask that you follow through on your campaign promises to support housing for the houseless. We are residents of the Rodeway Inn, a hotel used as a non-congregate shelter for women and LGBTQ+ houseless people since 2020. DHA is selling the property and kicking…