From the Street: Denver Camping Ban Survey
At the April Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation Zoning and Planning Committee meeting, Tony Robinson, PhD, presented the results of a study of the effects of the Denver Camping Ban on Denver’s homeless population. Dr. Robinson is the Chair of Political Science at the University of Colorado at Denver.
The report The Denver Camping Ban, A Report from the Street, was published in early April of this year. City Council passed Denver’s Unauthorized Camping Ordinance, known as the ‘camping ban’, on May 23, 2012. The ordinance was sponsored by Councilman Albus Brooks, District 8 (District 8 includes Park Hill). This study is the result of surveying over 500 homeless respondents in November and December of 2012.
The report was led by Dr. Robinson in collaboration with Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL).
DHOL’s stated mission is working to insure that Denver’s homeless residents have access to public space, adequate services and a political voice in the City of Denver.
In a statement from Mayor Hancock, released on May 15, 2012, the intention of the camping ban was to ‘connect the homeless to vital services and get them to self-sufficiency’. However, in the survey of 512 unique respondents, 75 percent had lived on the street in the last year.
‘Camping’ is defined by providing shelter for yourself beyond the clothing that you are wearing, weather that be an umbrella, piece of cardboard, sleeping bag, etc. The police protocol is to tell persons who are camping that they need to move along; failure to comply results in the issuance of a warning or ticket. To avoid being contacted by the police, some homeless slept outside in only the clothes on their back, so as not to be arrested, despite freezing temperatures. Only 5 to 10 percent of respondents were actually offered ‘service’ by the police, meaning that police directed them to or contacted a shelter for them.
According to the study, the camping ban has not resulted in decreased sleeping outside for Denver’s homeless population. They are avoiding downtown and have moved into outlying neighborhoods taking shelter in alleys, dumpster, bushes, etc. Some have moved to shelters, but the homeless often find that the shelter is overfilled or they are not eligible, such as couples without children. Of those surveyed, only 4 percent have found it easier to get into a shelter. The homeless need for shelters has far exceeded the growth of Denver’s shelter capacity.
Very few cities have a camping ban law such as Denver. Dr. Robinson indicated that the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness considers Denver’s camping ban to be counterproductive. The homeless need a central location that is a safe and well lit area where people can sleep. Dr. Robinson concluded his presentation stating that there needs to be a new revenue stream for homeless services and shelters, suggesting a tax on new developments be earmarked for these purposes.
Visit denverhomelessoutloud.org to learn more or to download and read the full report.