Are Cities Having A Change of Heart or No Heart At All?
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston came into office promising an end to homelessness in the city by the end of his first term. He set a goal of housing 1000 people by the end of the year and pledged not to clear any more camps. Mayor Johnston quickly broke that promise when violence, shootings, and fires broke out in homeless encampments across the city. He ordered the removal of any camp that his administration deemed unsafe or unsanitary.
Many other cities in the country are following a similar strategy with encampments. They are enforcing stricter rules on encampments and trying to avoid “becoming the next San Francisco” as many Mayors like to say. City officials have abandoned the compassionate approach and have enacted new city ordinances that will eventually lead to the elimination of most homeless encampments.
Advocates for people experiencing homelessness disagree with the trend of politicians clearing homeless encampments. They argue that sweeps are not effective and that money spent on them could be used for housing instead.
