AURORA, Colo. — The City of Aurora is considering two companion proposals that use a “tough love” approach to address homelessness, according to Mayor Mike Coffman.
In a Facebook post, Coffman said encampments have " been a threat to public health and safety, and they cannot be tolerated any longer."
"What the unsheltered homeless can't get from panhandling they steal to survive, they start dangerous fires to stay warm, and their behaviors put their own lives at risk," the mayor wrote.
One of the proposals, put forward by Aurora City Councilmember Steve Sundberg, would ban camping along the Interstate 225 corridor. The proposal would place the entire corridor under a new trespass ordinance, meaning people caught camping would be ticketed and given a date to appear in court. Those who miss their court date would be subject to arrest for failure to appear.
Camping along the I-225 corridor is currently illegal. However, under the current ordinance, violators are given a 72-hour notice to move. As long as they vacate the premises, there are no penalties, according to Coffman.
The second proposal would create a specialized court — called the H.E.A.R.T. Court (Housing, Employment, Addiction, Recovery, and Teamwork) — that would handle low-level offenses by individuals who are experiencing homelessness. Offenses would include violating a trespass ordinance, illegal drug possession or retail theft.
Aurora Councilman Curtis Gardner is sponsoring the specialized court proposal. He said it would create a diversion program that better helps people experiencing homelessness compared to the traditional court system.
“When you're dealing with a high-risk population, like individuals experiencing homelessness, they need extra help. They need people advocating for them," Gardner said.
Those who enter the H.E.A.R.T. Court would be put on probation with court-ordered participation in an addiction recovery program, mental health treatment or job training. Unlike the traditional court system, Gardner said charges and court fees would be dropped if the participant successfully completes probation.
"To me, it is a much better way to deal with those charges because it avoids kind of that traditional criminal justice system, which we see can become a never-ending cycle," added Gardner.
Denver7 on Thursday spoke with Lee, who's lived at an encampment along I-225 for two years. He said he's felt criminalized in the past after being cited.
"Trespassing is one of them. And another one is infringing the sidewalk," said Lee.
Although he's skeptical about the changes, he's hoping it'll make a positive impact.
Both proposals were passed out of the Public Safety and Courts Policy Committee and will be heard in a study session on April 22. If they move forward, Gardner said they will be voted on at the May 6 city council meeting.
"We're committed to ensuring that we work with these individuals experiencing homelessness to make sure that we're successful, to make sure that they're successful," said Gardner.
