x
Breaking News
More () »

City plans to sweep homeless encampment in northeast Denver due to health concerns

This effort is not a part of the mayor's House 1000 initiative, so the unhoused will not be offered a hotel room.

DENVER — Denver plans to cleanup a homeless encampment next week near 50th and Dahlia because of health concerns. But unlike the 83 people who were camping near the governor's mansion last week, the unhoused at this site won't be offered a hotel room. 

>The story above explored the previous sweep where people were offered hotel room stays.

On Tuesday, a seven-day notice was posted at 50th and Dahlia under DOTI's authority to remove obstructions from the public right of way. There are significant public health and safety hazards at this site, according to Derek Woodbury, the Communications Director for the Department of Housing Stability. 

Woodbury said the unhoused people living in this area have been provided access to shelters.

A congregate shelter though is not the option many living at the 50th and Dahlia encampment were hoping for. 

"I am grown. I don't need a curfew. I know what is right and wrong," said Kelly Scoville, who has lived on this block near the Denver Rescue Mission for three months. "I don’t drink. I don’t do drugs. I know what I am doing."

On Thursday, she pulled out a makeshift table and a grill to cook lunch. She hasn't had a kitchen in a year. 

Where home will be next week is not clear to her because of the notice the city posted at her camp. 

"Just passed it out. Moved onto the next one," she explained. "It was like get it, or get out."

She said when she moved to this street three months ago, there were only a couple people living in tents. There are now dozens of them. By Tuesday, Oct. 10, everyone living at the encampment will have to pack up. 

This is different than a cleanup last week near the governor's mansion at 8th and Logan. As part of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's housing plan, the city offered 83 people at that encampment a hotel room. Scoville and her neighbors won't get that option. 

Woodbury said the resources are not available right now. There's just no hotel room for them to go to.

"It's important to note that when feasible, the City and County of Denver will implement a relocation effort like the one launched last week at 8th and Logan," Woodbury said. "However, there unfortunately are still times when public health or public safety risks, or other reasons, require a cleanup even in cases when housing resources are not available in the same way as they were at 8th and Logan."

Johnston has set a goal to house 1,000 unsheltered individuals and permanently close encampments by the end of this year.

9NEWS asked why the encampment at 8th and Logan near the governor's mansion was a part of the House 1000 initiative instead of the site near 50th and Dahlia given the significant public health and safety hazards in the area. 

Woodbury said the 8th and Logan site also had problems including increasing amounts of trash, human waste and discarded needles, which made the cleanup there necessary. 

The city said it hopes to relocate more people to hotels and micro-communities in the coming weeks.

More on Denver's sweep policy:

SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Next with Kyle Clark

Before You Leave, Check This Out