Denver Homeless Encampment Proposed, Should GJ Follow Suit?

We all know that things are different on the Front Range compared to the Western Slope. According to KDVR, the city of Denver has been working with a nonprofit organization called Colorado Village Collaborative to build and manage a 10,000 square foot campsite with port-a-potties, hand washing stations, and 24-hour staff on hand to help with any emergencies.

This would be the first city-sanctioned location for homeless campers, and the location being proposed is the Denver Coliseum parking lot. Back in April the Coliseum was turned into a temporary women's shelter.

Before this city-sanctioned homeless campsite can be implemented the organizers would need a permit from the Denver city council, at that point this facility would stay in place as long as the pandemic remains a public health risk.

One of the organizers says his hope is to open this location within the next three weeks and he is hopeful to open three more locations around Denver each hosting 50 tents with approximately 60 people in each.

As more details were released about this project there are some rules that any person wanting to stay at the camp would have to follow which include no weapons allowed, no fires are allowed, and campers wouldn't be able to store their belongings outside of their tent.

The homeless population in Grand Junction is much less than what you see in the more densely populated Denver area. But is this something you would like to see here? Would you support a city-sanctioned homeless camp in Grand Junction?

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