Chloe Walsh

Kathrine W. Hjortshoj
The 4-1-1 on homelessness in Durango
Have you ever felt ignored or misunderstood? Has someone misjudged you or failed to
see your true character? For Colorado's roughly 10,555 people experiencing homelessness
each year, this is a daily experience, and those living in Durango are no exception. Anti-
homeless ordinances are on the rise in Colorado, with the 76 largest cities having 351 anti-
homeless ordinances as of 2012 (University of Denver).
In the years 2010-2014 Durango issued 85 anti-homeless citations, costing $31,662.57
to enforce. Although panhandling is very popular in Durango, most anti-homeless laws, such as
sec 17-43(an ordinance for panhandling), treat the homeless as less than human. Many of the
homeless in Durango are forced far from town to camp in the woods, as they are unable to
camp anywhere in city limits. Many people in the homeless community are unsatisfied with this,
as suggested by one homeless man we interviewed recently who said, I dont wanna camp in
the woods. I wanna camp wherever I want.
Despite services such as Manna, Food not Bombs and the local homeless shelter, the
homeless still struggle to find meals. Panhandlers prefer to collect money and buy food for
themselves, while some homeless only have Manna. An anonymous homeless man in
downtown Durango said, I dont like to eat at Manna because one of two things happen; I end
up throwing up or getting the shits really bad.The food sucks sometimes, its not cooked right
and its gross. This is the tone among many of the homeless in Durango. Manna provides free
meals for the homeless in Durango, although they rely on donations to serve a meal a day.
But why should the citizens of Durango even care? Why should we want to help people
experiencing homelessness when many non-homeless people may feel that it is simply a matter
of choice, simply a matter of effort or hard work? That is, afterall, the nation of the American
Dream, whereith enough hard work, anyone can go from rags to riches. However, a recent
study done by Denver Universitys law school challenges this notion and suggests that there
might be less in our control than we assume and that without support and proper intervention,
some people really don't have a choice in how their adult lives turn out.
So what is the best way to intervene? Some people think they help homeless people
by donating to several organisations, but when you donate to them how do you know that your
money even ends up helping someone homeless. The homeless guy mentioned earlier whom
we met and interviewed told us how he thought that it would be better to give your money
personally to a homeless person, instead of a large organization. This helps individual homeless
people to get back on track with their life instead of having meals once a week.
However, there is a stigma against giving money directly to homeless people, especially
those who have a rough appearance. Many non-homeless citizens in Durango may feel afraid
or resentful of homeless people. For example, one home-owner in the newly-developed Ella
Vita expressed some concerns about the steady stream of homeless people walking by her
home and why it is making the house harder to sell as she states, I was so disgusted with our
city for letting this happen to those poor people in Ella Vita. Coincidentally, my husband was up
in test tracks biking today and he said he was shocked at how big the camp has grown and
what a mess it was. He said in particular because all the leaves are down it just looks like a
refugee camp. Now only is this hurting their values, but it's also feeling unsafe. My clients have
a one-year-old baby, and that's what the mom kept saying, it just doesn't feel safe. Opinions
are mixed in town, but regardless of how individuals feel about the causes and effects of
homelessness, it is clear that we all share the same desire for a some sort of solution. In fact,
our city and county councils have been frequently meeting and discussing solutions to the
problem of homelessness.
The city council is still trying to find the best solution to this huge problem. One of their
short term goals is to have a transitional housing solution for people experiencing
homelessness, so they could get away from the camping area, where there lately have been
some trouble. On december the 8th, at the city council meeting, one of the council members
said, Community safety is our most important goal and focus. The city council were discussing
about moving the camping area, so for people like in Ella Vita would feel safe, and wouldn't be
worried about their neighborhood.
As the local city government deals with the actual problem with homelessness, people
are in desperate need for help. Thats where the homeless shelter, Manna and even camp sites
can help, theyre where the solution lies. The independence and chance to get back on their feet
or recieve treatment for mental health is very oportun and when taken, make a difference. To
make these differences, we have to help fund the non profit organizations and donate, to any
local homeless relief centers or even directly to a homeless person. We cant turn a blind eye on
part of our community, help counts.

Work Cited
Adock, Rachel. Too High a Price. Denver University, Denver University ,
www.law.du.edu/documents/homeless-advocacy-policy-project/2-16-16-Final-Report.pdf.

Contreras, Russell. The Durango Herald Breaking News and Photos from Durango, Colorado.
Durango Herald, Durango Herald, 12 Dec. 2017, durangoherald.com/.