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Aurora passes ordinance that removes warning time before homeless camp sweeps
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coloradopolitics.com, Local

Aurora passes ordinance that removes warning time before homeless camp sweeps

By Kyla Pearce | Colorado Politics, via The Denver Gazette Aurora lawmakers officially passed an ordinance in a final vote Monday night that gets rid of requirements to provide shelter options and 72-hour notice before sweeping homeless encampments. The ordinance, which was passed in an initial vote at the last council meeting and in a final vote Monday night, prevailed with three 'no' votes from councilmembers Alison Coombs, Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo. Previously, city code read that "no city employee authorized to issue a citation shall issue a citation, make an arrest, or otherwise enforce this section against a person camping on public property unless the city has a shelter option available for the person ordered to move from the camp and the person has been offered plac...
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Homelessness among families with children in Colorado grew by 134% in 2024, according to federal report 
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State, The Colorado Sun

Homelessness among families with children in Colorado grew by 134% in 2024, according to federal report 

By Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun Colorado saw one of the biggest increases in the nation in the number of families who were homeless in 2024 — a 134% jump from the previous year, according to a federal report that painted the state’s homelessness crisis in a harsher light than previous regional counts.  The rise put the state among four in the country, including Illinois, Wyoming and Hawaii, where the number of homeless families more than doubled. The results have advocates in Colorado calling for further investment in prevention programs to keep more families from slipping into homelessness.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Mayor claims Denver has ended street homelessness among veterans
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denvergazette.com, Local

Mayor claims Denver has ended street homelessness among veterans

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Brian Asbeck, a Navy veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003 to 2007, found himself living on the streets of Denver a little over a decade later. Asbeck said he moved to Denver three years ago, “hoping for a fresh start.”  “But (I) quickly found myself living out of my vehicle after a hardship,” he said. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Denver to activate emergency shelters for cold Thanksgiving weekend
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denvergazette.com, Local

Denver to activate emergency shelters for cold Thanksgiving weekend

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Denver is activating emergency shelters for five days starting Wednesday as cold weather is expected to blanket the region this Thanksgiving weekend. This week's emergency shelter operation is the longest so far this year. The city's cold weather plan provides additional shelter for people who are not in city shelters or third-party homeless units. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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In Grand Junction, scrutiny intensifies on Resource Center to address rising crime, other issues
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Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In Grand Junction, scrutiny intensifies on Resource Center to address rising crime, other issues

By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Once celebrated as one of the top 10 main streets in the U.S., Grand Junction’s downtown now faces turmoil. Business owners, frustrated with the nearby Resource Center, are cleaning up feces and needles and dealing with fires and property damage. Many are calling for the center to be relocated. The Resource Center opened on Dec. 11, 2023, providing food, shelter, hygiene and navigation services for the homeless. By October 2024, however, downtown business owners reported rising concerns about harassment, danger, property damage and filth. At the Nov. 20 meeting of City Council, business owners shared their frustrations.  “We've put in a new, almost $20,000 camera system since this Resource Center came in," business own...
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Douglas and Arapahoe counties open long-term care facility for homeless families
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denvergazette.com, Local

Douglas and Arapahoe counties open long-term care facility for homeless families

By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette Douglas and Arapahoe county officials on Wednesday celebrated the opening of a newly upgraded residential facility focused on helping homeless families. The care facility's mission includes serving families that entered through Douglas County’s homeless program. The long-term care facility is operated by Colorado nonprofit The Family Tree, an agency focused on working with domestic abuse, child abuse and family-related homeless cases. It's located in Aurora. The new residential care center for homeless families is called the GOALS facility, which stands for the "generational opportunities and achievement long-term success program." READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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In Grand Junction, City Council debates role in homeless solution, problem shelter
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Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

In Grand Junction, City Council debates role in homeless solution, problem shelter

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice After months of appealing to the Grand Junction City Council to do something about the criminal element that has worsened since the Homeless Day Center was located in their neighborhood, business owners and downtown residents are beginning to see progress. At the City Council workshop on Nov. 4,  Interim City manager Andrea Phillips told the Council that they had held meetings with the public as directed by Council two weeks ago, that there were approximately 45 people in attendance and all the people that came to the meeting wanted the Day Center closed immediately. She said their concerns were valid and that there were concerns generally related to the location of the Day Center. More specific concerns included safety for ...
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Denver changed the rules for homeless shelters this winter. This week is the debut
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Denverite, Local

Denver changed the rules for homeless shelters this winter. This week is the debut

By Paolo Zialcita | Denverite Subfreezing temperatures have reached Denver, prompting the city to activate three cold weather shelters on Monday. The National Weather Service is forecasting overnight lows in the mid-20s through the week. Denver saw its first snow of the season today, with chances for more on Wednesday and Thursday. In response, Denver will activate three emergency shelters across the city, offering round-the-clock services for people in need. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVERITE
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Business owners ask City Council for help with homeless activity, get no action in Grand Junction
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Local, Rocky Mountain Voice

Business owners ask City Council for help with homeless activity, get no action in Grand Junction

By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice Grand Junction businesses and residents in the downtown area have become fed up with the nefarious and criminal activity stemming from the Homeward Bound Day Center for the homeless, and they are directing their ire at elected officials on City Council. Ben Van Dyke, who owns the car wash next door to the center, says that although he understands, and has compassion for, the people who are homeless, the criminal and nuisance activities that are not being managed are unsafe and are driving away his business. “My revenue is down 30 percent because my customers tell me they feel unsafe," he said. "I used to go down and do maintenance on my building at night so I didn’t have to shut down operations during the day. I can’t do that a...
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Denver considers $1M contract with Denver Health for homeless response
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coloradopolitics.com, Local

Denver considers $1M contract with Denver Health for homeless response

By Noah Festenstein | Colorado Politics, via Denver Gazette The Denver City Council on Monday will consider a $1 million contract to better utilize the city’s hospital system for homeless response efforts. If approved on second reading Monday, Denver Health will receive $990,900 from the city to become more involved with homeless response efforts and Roads to Recovery until at least Sept. 30, 2026. The money is planned to “support and strengthen existing internal infrastructure focused on partnerships with Denver homelessness resolution partners and the Roads to Recovery project to better align housing and health supports for some of the most at-risk persons experiencing homelessness,” city officials said in the council’s resolution request. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLI...
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