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City sweeps homeless encampment

Denver crews are working to clear and cleanup homeless camps that they've deemed a public health risk.

DENVER — For the second day in a row, City of Denver crews are clearing and cleaning a camp occupied by those experiencing homelessness.

The efforts Wednesday morning are focused on the Pennsylvania Street between 13th and 14th Streets. On Tuesday, crews were one block over on Logan Street in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

RELATED: Denver crews conduct homeless camp sweep at 14th and Logan

The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) said Tuesday conditions at the camp, located one block from the Colorado State Capitol, had degraded, presenting hazards to the people living there.

"We definitely want everybody to know that our goal is not to displace people," said Danica Lee of DDPHE's Public Health Investigations Division on Tuesday. "We have worked extensively to connect people with services. We have folks out here this morning connecting people with services."

Denver Homeless Out Loud, an advocacy group for people experiencing homelessness, announced Monday it filed a class-action lawsuit challenging homeless sweeps as unconstitutional and in violation of a previous settlement agreement.

The group has previously called for the city to end the sweeps unless they offer housing or land for the camp residents to relocate.

RELATED: Denver Homeless Out Loud challenges sweeps as 'unconstitutional' in new lawsuit

The executive director for housing stability told 9NEWS the city of Denver has 1,500 homes under construction and the city is trying to help those on the streets, especially during the pandemic.

The city will focus clean up efforts one block over on Clarkson Street on Thursday.

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