Thoughts on Denver's Proposed Urban Camping Ban
A recent piece of proposed legislation in the city of Denver has proven controversial. BR12-0241 - commonly referred to as the “Urban Camping Ban." It would prohibit “any temporary habitation on public or private property accompanied by the use of any form of shelter from the elements” (read the Executive Summary here).
There have been many who have opposed this ordinance. It seems that this it is a case of "cart before the horse." Why put a law in place when there are no services to provide for the health and welfare of the homeless? Is it right to enforce a law that prohibits urban camping when there are not currently enough shelter beds in the city of Denver?
The City Council claims that homeless men and women will not be arrested, and therefore claim these are not valid concerns. Well, if no one is going to be arrested then why create the law?
Many who have voiced approval of the bill have done so for the sake of business and tourism. They argue that the presence of the homeless keeps visitors and business away. Their arguments are often myopic, in that their chief concern centers on economic growth and their own profit. Some of their arguments have even shown a flair for the dramatic.
The Lodo Neighborhood Association drafted a letter "imploring" the Denver City Council to do something before the city reaches a "tipping point where no one wants to live or work in downtown Denver." They concluded the letter by saying, "This community has worked too hard for too long to see it all disappear."
The logic in their letter strikes doom and fear suggesting that the the homeless could, in the end, make the community vanish. Overstatements such as these only create and us / them mentality, and causes the discussion to be either / or instead of pursuing any real solutions that can benefit everyone. Perhaps it's this kind of sensational talk that has some on the City Council claiming this is an emergency.
Since they feel it is an urgent matter, they have shown no intention of allowing the bill request to be slowed or delayed for any significant amount of time. Their eagerness to pass the bill, and continued refusal to accept any amendments to the bill create cause for concern.
The City Council claims that homeless men and women will not be arrested, and therefore claim these are not valid concerns. Well, if no one is going to be arrested then why create the law?
Many who have voiced approval of the bill have done so for the sake of business and tourism. They argue that the presence of the homeless keeps visitors and business away. Their arguments are often myopic, in that their chief concern centers on economic growth and their own profit. Some of their arguments have even shown a flair for the dramatic.
The Lodo Neighborhood Association drafted a letter "imploring" the Denver City Council to do something before the city reaches a "tipping point where no one wants to live or work in downtown Denver." They concluded the letter by saying, "This community has worked too hard for too long to see it all disappear."
The logic in their letter strikes doom and fear suggesting that the the homeless could, in the end, make the community vanish. Overstatements such as these only create and us / them mentality, and causes the discussion to be either / or instead of pursuing any real solutions that can benefit everyone. Perhaps it's this kind of sensational talk that has some on the City Council claiming this is an emergency.
Since they feel it is an urgent matter, they have shown no intention of allowing the bill request to be slowed or delayed for any significant amount of time. Their eagerness to pass the bill, and continued refusal to accept any amendments to the bill create cause for concern.
This concern is expressed well by John Parvensky, the president of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. He wrote an Op-Ed piece titled, “Homeless Aren’t Criminals” in which he points out why this ordinance is inhumane (read here).
However, not everyone holds Parvensky’s viewpoint. Denver’s Road Home has outlined a plan to address the needs of those who are homeless under the new camping ban. Using the acronym CAM they believe their plan would go hand-in-hand with the camping ban (see the full plan here).
Albus Brooks, the councilman who has sponsored the bill, believes this will further work to solve the problem of homelessness here in Denver. In a recent interview with Kelsey Whipple in Westword he shares why he believes this is a good idea for the city and why it will benefit everyone (read the interview here).
So what do we make of all of this? Should something be enforced? How do we even begin to address such a complex issue? What do you think? Below are a few thoughts. I’d love to hear more from you.
- What can you do? This is the first thing that all of us should ask. Complaining and objecting feel good for the one doing it, but rarely create any sustainable solutions. We must first seek to learn what we can do to assist and address the problem of homelessness.
- Are you sure about that? In the conversations surrounding this bill, many have made misleading statements about “the homeless” that are rooted in ignorance. They have made sweeping generalizations about linking the to crime. This causes fear to grow, and is why many feel “unsafe.” This is an unfair caricature of the homeless population. Let's not allow bigotry to guide our thoughts and language.
- Love is greater than fear. Instead of complaining about that person sleeping in front of your business, or being scared of those who sleep on concrete in our city, why not buy two cups of coffee tomorrow morning and share one with a person who is homeless? You may just come to see that they are people just like you. And when you show them love, you’ll find your fear is on the run.
- People or profit? Many have stated that the problem of homelessness hurts their bottom line. But this does not have to be about profit over people. If you are business owner take time to speak with other business owners, call your city councilman and find out what role the business community can play to contribute to a solution. You may just find out that in the end, it not only helps business, but it serves the marginalized too.
- Let's work together. This is not just a problem for government or churches or businesses or the social sector. Each of us have to work together to do our part to make this work. What networks are you a part of that can reach out to others? How can you serve as a catalyst to enable all of us to serve the most vulnerable in our city?
To learn more, and to get involved here is a short list of Denver based resources and organizations that are serving the homeless: