Group Calls for Investigation into Human Rights Violations Against Denver’s Unhoused

By Robert Davis

From Allies to Abolitionists, a grassroots project from the Emancipation Theatre Co., released the second part of its Message to the Mayor report on Friday.

Entitled “The People’s Audit,” the report attempts to capture Denver’s “exorbitant and wasteful” spending on seven of Denver’s 30 large-scale sweeps of homeless encampments in 2020. Locations include encampments at 22nd and California St., Liberty Park, Morey Middle School, 25th Ave. and Arapahoe St., and 14th Ave. and Logan St. Two of the documented sweeps occurred at 22nd Ave. and California St. 

At a press conference on February 12, Jeff Campbell, an organizer with From Allies to Abolitionists, said the report details rampant human rights violations as Denver traumatically displaces its unhoused neighbors. Accompanying Campbell at the press conference were local business owners, activists, community leaders, and city officials.

Photo by giles clasen

The day before The People’s Audit was released, Denver swept a nearly 80-person encampment from 22nd Ave. and Stout St. Several people reported having their blankets and tents taken. That night, temperatures dropped to 4˚F. Many people were forced to sleep outside during the freeze, which Campbell lamented probably cost someone their life. 

He added that it’s hypocritical for the city to provide funding for businesses to survive the pandemic, but not its unhoused. 

“Of course, we want these businesses to survive. We just want the same thing for people living on the streets.” Campbell said.

District 9 provides a perfect example, Campbell continued. Businesses in the district have received more than $300,000 in COVID-19 relief grants. The district also has the highest concentration of homeless sweeps because many of the city’s service providers, low-income housing, and day work centers are located there. 

City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, who represents District 9, has been advocating for productive action from City Council. Proposals that have come before the body include signing master lease agreements and building public bathrooms or safe outdoor spaces, all of which have fallen on deaf ears.

“So many people in Denver who were not in the pipeline for homelessness before the pandemic, are now facing the threat of eviction. That is completely unacceptable,” CdeBaca said.

In all, the seven sweeps cost an estimated $148,001. Researchers said this is a very conservative estimate because the total does not include administration, contract negotiation, or legal costs. Additional unknown costs researchers mentioned include city vehicle costs, preventative landscaping, dumping fees, and medical costs. 

Difficulties researchers experienced include lengthy delays from city agencies to respond to open records requests and the high cost of document retrieval. The group filed more than 60 Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests and received more than 400 documents from Denver. City administrators charged researchers more than $8,000 for their requested documents. Researchers have paid just $1,150 for documents to-date.

Another issue the researchers ran into concerns the use of the word “sweep.” Mayor Michael Hancock’s office has repeatedly said it finds the word degrading and instead refers to the practice as a cleanup. This semantic divide hindered many document requests, the report revealed. 

“Acknowledging the difficulties in calculating the costs of ‘clean-ups,’ and in efforts for transparency, we ask that the City please start tracking the costs going forward for all employees, contractors, and equipment involved in such actions. This is a far easier approach and more accurate than looking backwards at spending,” the report concludes.

Local business owners are feeling the sting of Denver’s policies, too. Erika Righter, who owns Hope Tank, a charitable retail store in the Baker neighborhood, said she’s become semi-famous in the neighborhood because her shop is one of the few that offers public restrooms. 

“Not having public restrooms in a world-class city is embarrassing. It’s been made into a political issue when it’s a human rights issue,” she said. 

The People’s Audit makes three new demands of the Mayor’s Office: repeal the city’s urban camping ban, foster a culture where human life is valued over property, and work with City Council to conduct an audit of the homeless sweeps. 

FAA’s initial report – which was released in December 2020 –  described the city’s policies as counterproductive and asked the Mayor to immediately end the sweeps, create a safe outdoor space, and provide sanitation facilities for people experiencing homelessness. 

A month later, Campbell teamed up with local hip hop artists Chill, Sandman, Kingdom, and Kid Astronaut to release a song entitled “Message to the Mayor,” which was produced by Mic Coats. The song helped get the message out much further than the report itself, Campbell admitted.  

Mayor Hancock’s office responded to the criticism by releasing a statement to Westword saying the City’s highest priority remains connecting people with services. The statement also touted the Denver Street Outreach Collaborative’s efforts to place 334 people in stable housing.

“We remain committed to standing up more and better shelters and affordable housing, increasing mental health care and substance-abuse treatment, and delivering alternative options such as two tiny home villages and managed campsites,” the statement continues.

Since then, two temporary safe outdoor sites have opened. Last month, City Council signed a contract extending the service through the end of the year. However, Denver continues sweeping camps around the city, even when temperatures dip below freezing. 

Campbell said the group has met with city officials to discuss the path going forward. Denver Auditor Timothy O’Brien told the group he plans to conduct audits of city services and homeless shelters in 2021. 

While that doesn’t address the issue directly, Campbell said the information will help as the group continues its audit.