Vital information or homeless invasion of privacy? Denver HMIS explained
If you’re homeless or ever have been, you’ve probably heard of HMIS. But what is it? The acronym stands for Homeless Management Information System. Think of it as a file on your wellness. Except unlike most electronic health records, non-healthcare workers can access your information, too. That could include social workers, for example.
Read full storyOpinion: Love after homelessness: Overcoming stereotypes
The author used artificial intelligence in crafting this report. My guess is most people wouldn’t. Reasons abound for not dating a person without a home. The chief concern might be cozying up to someone who cannot take care of themselves, let alone be in a relationship with someone else. But some homeless people work, live in their cars, and yearn for companionship. Would you date a homeless person with a job and a car?
Read full storyDenver not meeting migrants’ demands, HAND says
The City and County of Denver is not meeting migrants’ demands despite saying they would do so, according to Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND, a homeless advocacy group.
Read full storyDenver considers helping minority owned businesses raise capital
The City of Denver may help minority owned businesses raise capital. The city received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to fund the Inclusive Impact Catalyst, or IIC program. A contractor selected by competitive process will provide investment support, technical assistance, and coaching “to prepare the business for outside investment capital.” The City and County of Denver will provide $750,000 in matching funds using American Rescue Plan Act money.
Read full storyColorado ranks fifth best state for law enforcement careers
The personal finance site WalletHub this week ranked Colorado fifth in the nation among best states to work as a law enforcement officer. Colorado actually ranks in the bottom half of states for the number of law enforcement officers per capita, according to the study. But it ranks ninth for median income for law enforcement officers, the study showed. The state ranks seventh for solving homicides, according to the study, and when it comes to spending on police protection, Colorado ranks 13th.
Read full storySorority heads to court in Denver over male membership
Members of the Kappa Kappa Gamma college sorority will head to court in Denver this week to determine whether it’s legal to allow men in the organization. “Kappa’s directors have a simple duty,” said May Mailman, Independent Women’s Law Center director and lead counsel in Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma, in a news release. “They must respect the clear terms of Kappa’s bylaws. They utterly failed to do so by ending the sorority’s women-only membership and threatening existing members to accept the unlawful change or else lose their own membership. If this fight were about any other common term, the violation would be obvious. Gender ideology is not a reason to upend simple legal principles, and we look forward to making our case to the Tenth Circuit.”
Read full storyMigrants at homeless encampment chant 'all united' in Spanish as Denver lengthens shelter stays
Migrant homeless encampment dwellers who have been swept from location to location by city crews finally won a reprieve Wednesday. On Wednesday, the city offered the encampment dwellers seven days of shelter instead of three, which was the original offer turned down by the campers. “It would hardly be a worthwhile respite before they would find themselves back on the streets with no support, scattered,” Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND, posted on Instagram.
Read full storyDenver shelters turn homeless people away in cold weather, report alleges
At least half of people experiencing homelessness in Denver during the winter months who seek cold weather shelter are turned away, according to a new report by Housekeys Action Network Denver, or HAND.
Read full storyMigrants selling cotton candy with babies on their backs, homelessness, speeding among teen concerns
Several young people spoke Monday during the public comment period of the Denver City Council. One young woman, Olivia Ewudziacquah, lamented that not enough is being done to help the migrants.
Read full storyAurora councilman: Don’t teach anti-Americanism in schools
Aurora City Council member Steve Sundberg told Aurora Public Schools Board Education President Anne Keke Monday that he hopes the schools are not teaching anti-American sentiment.
Read full storyDenver may buy church gymnasium for sheltering migrants
The Finance and Governance Committee of the Denver City Council agreed Tuesday to purchase Denver Community Church’s gymnasium and a vacant lot for $4 million. The full City Council must approve the purchase for it to become final.
Read full storyAurora nixes idea to give disabled veterans free rec center passes
The Aurora City Council voted Monday against advancing an ordinance by council member Ruben Medina that would have provided free city recreation center passes to disabled veterans.
Read full storyAurora’s ‘tough love’ approach to homelessness advances
The Aurora City Council forged ahead Monday on a new “tough love” approach to homelessness that sentences urban campers to addiction and mental health treatment. The council decided at its study session to advance to a regular meeting an ordinance creating a new court for homeless campers. Ordinance sponsor Steve Sundberg said the court is not meant to be punitive. Offenders who successfully complete a year’s probation and their treatment plan would have the violation removed from their record, he said.
Read full storyDenver delays helping homeless families with $8 million Salvation Army contract
The Denver City Council postponed Monday voting on an $8 million contract with the Salvation Army to operate the Tamarac Family Shelter. The former hotel, also known as The Connection Center, is a one-stop shop for families seeking shelter, according to a presentation by staff to the City Council. There is a waiting list of 99 families seeking shelter, according to the presentation. The contract would allow the shelter to fill the 200-room hotel to capacity, according to city staff. Currently, 136 rooms are full, they said. The contract would provide shelter for 64 of the waiting list families, according to staff.
Read full storyOpinion: Do Denver homeless hotel dwellers rent their rooms out for cash?
I recently had someone ask me if it’s true that residents of Fusion Studios, where I live, rent out their rooms for cash. I asked around the building about this, giving informants the safety of confidentiality. Only one said they had heard of someone renting out their room for the night, but several people said rooms get rented out by the hour.
Read full storyOpinion: Did homeless people move to Denver for a free hotel room?
It’s a fair question: Have people experiencing homelessness moved to Denver for a free hotel room?. At least one man did. The mother of a missing man messaged me the other day to tell me she is looking for her son. She said he moved back to Denver from Florida thinking he could get a free hotel room as part of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s House1000 plan. Of course, those rooms all are full now. Also, most people who received the rooms were in established encampments that the mayor swept. There never were any rooms for people who might move to Denver one week to be housed the next.
Read full storyHomeless outreach badly needed in Denver outskirts as campers pushed out of downtown, mayor told
Denver City Council member Kevin Flynn told Mayor Mike Johnston Tuesday that money needs to be redirected toward homeless outreach in outlying areas of the city. Flynn made his remarks during the mayor-council meeting, which centered around council members’ biggest concerns in their districts. Mayor Mike Johnston will use the information to help formulate the 2025 city budget.
Read full storyMigrants defend homeless encampment in Denver ahead of sweep
Migrants and their advocates hosted a press conference Friday at an undisclosed homeless encampment and railed against conditions in Denver. Migrants Willy Bastidas and a woman named Mandy shared stories of shelter conditions. They said migrants are being kicked out after three days with nowhere to go.
Read full story‘I water that way' croons 1990s knockoff 'Splashstreet Boys' about Denver water conservation
The Denver Water Department has used its department’s creative juices to produce a hilarious new music video aimed at giving Denverites water conversation tips. The department debuted the music video, “I water that way” during the Land Use, Transportation and Infrastructure meeting of the City Council Wednesday. Council members uttered, “Oh my God” and burst out with laughter during the screening.
Read full storyColorado has fifth biggest drug problem in U.S., report says
According to a report published this week by the personal finance site WalletHub, Colorado has the fifth largest drug problem in the U.S. The report showed how Colorado ranked nationwide across various metrics, including:
Read full story