Low-income households and homeless populations are among those hit hardest by government-mandated shutdowns. Many shelters have had to close their doors because they simply cannot comply with social distancing regulations set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Local organizations such as Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and Denver Rescue Mission are at a stalemate trying to provide ongoing resources in the form of housing and health care for those in need.
In recent years, the influx of businesses, individuals, and families who have come to Denver in search of new opportunities has created a real estate market nightmare for vulnerable neighborhoods. Gentrification and displacement have become uphill battles for those who are fighting economic disparity amid increasing development across the metropolitan area. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, an even bigger crisis looms on the horizon, and the fear is that there are not adequate systems currently in place to deal with the aftermath.
Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, District 9, has tackled filling the gaps in housing mitigation and repealing the ban on urban camping since she was sworn into office last July. One of her biggest strides has been to halt the expansion of highway I-70, which would demolish Elyria-Swansea, a poor, Hispanic-dominated neighborhood north of downtown. Councilwoman CdeBaca grew up in that neighborhood, which is now part of her district oversight, and is dedicated to defending a community at risk of being uprooted from their homes, many of whom have lived in the area for generations.
Despite actions that are being taken to protect them, Councilwoman CdeBaca explained how Elyria-Swansea and similar neighborhoods now face an even greater threat. For those households who were already living paycheck-to-paycheck, a majority are now completely out of work. Even with unemployment benefits and the aid package from the federal government, a much broader group of people are expected to be on the cusp of homelessness. However, CdeBaca remains hopeful that the current crisis may translate to more support for policy changes.
The ugly truth surrounding homelessness on a wide scale is that disease and sickness have been rampant in shelters even before COVID-19 became an immediate calamity. This is due to the fact that shelters are set up to be community oriented living spaces, and it is next to impossible to enact social distancing. After the Denver Rescue Mission closed down several of its shelters, Denver City Council has been working to obtain 3,000 hotel rooms to temporarily provide accommodations for those with nowhere to go. So far, the city has only been able to secure roughly 500 rooms. To put that into perspective, Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed last week that California has secured 15,000 hotel rooms for homeless across the state.
This issue is multi-pronged, and resistance is being met by hotels who are worried about the implications that may arise if they agree to house the homeless. A significant portion of Denver’s homeless population have pre-existing illnesses and conditions which make them part of the at-risk population for catching COVID-19. Additionally, due to their living conditions and lifestyle choices, a large percentage of homeless people have aged more rapidly compared to others in their age group. Therefore, they are more susceptible to a disease that targets lower immune systems.
These causes for concern have created difficult decisions for management, who must consider the health of their employees and other potential guests. From a business standpoint, many hotels have opted to close their doors and collect recovery funds as they become available rather than operate at a loss.
There has been no official halt to the ban on urban camping amid shutdowns, yet the CDC has published guidance urging enforcers not to clear encampments. Regardless of the warning, fences have been popping up across downtown as property owners draw sanctions targeted at and blocking vagrants from pitching tents or staying overnight.
Furthermore, now that libraries, cafes, and other public places are no longer open to the public, it has become next to impossible for individuals or families without a settled home to escape the elements. While there clearly were no strategies in place to provide shelter space in the wake of an infectious disease outbreak, homeless advocates hope that COVID-19 will highlight the impertinence that led to these conditions.
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has worked in close partnership with the Denver Rescue Mission to provide alternative accommodations and healthcare in lieu of shelter and clinic closures. The National Western Complex set up 600 beds to house men facing homlessness during the pandemic, and the space is big enough to ensure the six feet distancing regulations.
However, just two days after doors became open to the public, the complex hit its capacity, and hundreds more were left outside. There is also a growing fear that if the virus infiltrates the complex, it will spread aggressively, and hospitalization will be required at high rates.
According to Councilwoman CdeBaca, “No one expected the National Western Complex to reach its capacity so quickly, and now we are left scrambling to figure out how to proceed. Although this was never structured to be a long-term solution, now, this temporary solution has been short lived.”
Nextdoor to the National Western Complex, the Denver Coliseum officially opened its doors on Monday, April 20 and is acting as a 24-hour shelter for women, children, and transgender individuals. The Coliseum only has enough room to hold 300 beds, which is half the amount as its neighboring facility and can be expected to fill up even more quickly.
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has set up clinics at the new shelter locations equipped with limited COVID-19 testing kits and volunteers to help assist and diagnose anyone in need of immediate, medical attention. Evaluations are based on risk factors or exposure, and all medical personnel are taking every necessary precaution, as well as utilizing public health guidelines.
Beyond just medical assistance programs, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless primarily works to connect families with supportive services and resources that will assist in stabilizing their housing conditions. Cathy Alderman, vice president of Communication for Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, explained that even though they had to close several clinic locations and have not yet received any funds from FEMA, there have been additional grants from philanthropic supporters. Those supporters are aiding in tailoring the financial hole that has accumulated due to the pandemic.
The coalition also recruited healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses from clinics and dental offices that are currently shutdown who are providing telehealth options The coalition is also avidly seeking volunteers across the city and state. Telehealth has been a technological benefit during the COVID-19 crisis, giving people access to health-related services via electronic communication. This has somewhat offset the lack of available COVID-19 tests as doctors can video chat patients, assess their symptoms and conditions, and impart their recommendations. One of the biggest advantages telehealth offers is counseling and therapy for individuals with any mental health-related concerns or illnesses.
Undoubtedly, it becomes a daunting task to safeguard a portion of our society that lacks the appropriate resources or funding even before a major catastrophe ensues. Councilwoman CdeBaca exemplified this by noting how the Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance Program (TRUA) has scrambled to process the hoard of applications that have been sent in since the unemployment surge.
“TRUA has an annual budget of $4 million a year, and that was not even good enough to begin with,” said CdeBaca.
The state of the economy and millions of American lives are currently up in the air, as state and federal governments deliberate how to move forward and when it will be safe to reopen businesses. Those who continue to work and potentially put their own health at risk are to be commended, even though it often feels like the glass is half empty.
The potential for exponentially larger homeless populations, met with doubling housing costs, weighs heavy on the horizon. Albeit, there has never been a better time to prompt the justification for new progressive implementations and policy measures.
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