Week of March 10, 2022
$1.00
An edition of the Littleton Independent A publication of
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 16
Metro cities propose a ‘navigation center’ to address homelessness But what does that mean? BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With homelessness on the rise throughout the Denver metro area, a task force made up of the cities of Littleton, Englewood and Sheridan, along with local and regional nonprofits, are forging ahead on solutions outlined in a 2021 action plan to mitigate an ever-present crisis. Among the laundry list of items: the creation of a physical space to centralize services and resources for people who are unhoused, which the cities have dubbed a “navigation center.” “The navigation center would be kind of a one-stop shop that’s actually meeting people on the street and bridging some of the gaps, sending them off to the services that are going to be right for them and making their experience of homelessness as short as possible,” said Mike Sandgren, a task force leader who heads Change the Trend, a regional network of nonprofits, churches, schools and agencies working on homelessness solutions. By connecting those who are unhoused with a social safety net, task force leaders hope to address the root causes of homelessness while making it easier for people to exit that life. But fundraising efforts, while in the early stages, remain elusive and task force leaders have not disclosed how much they believe the center could cost to operate. And with some community tension around homelessness, the
Centennial continues to expand its boundaries City recently annexed more land into its jurisdiction BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
In a September 2020 file photo, a man dismantles a canopy during a sweep of a PHOTO BY DAVID GILBERT homeless camp along the South Platte River.
plan could face an uneven road to reality. What could it look like? According to the tri-cities’ action plan, the navigation center would provide “temporary room and board with limited barriers to entry, showers, restroom, and laundry services, while case managers work to connect homeless individuals and families to income, public
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 22
benefits, health services, permanent housing or other shelter.” For Sandgren, the center represents the social and physical infrastructure needed to address homelessness in a more holistic and multi-faceted way. By bringing together a host of providers for services that could include healthcare, job training, SEE HOMELESS, P5
When drivers roll through the south Denver metro area, it can be difficult for them to tell when they’re in Centennial and when they aren’t: Centennial’s boundaries twist and weave throughout much of the city, making for a complex map. On a trip across Arapahoe Road, residents might ask: Is this part of Greenwood Village? Is it Aurora? Is it Centennial? None of the above? Residents might be surprised to find that Centennial’s map used to have even more holes in it. The city government has acted to annex more land into its boundaries in numerous years since 2001, when Centennial was legally established as a city. In 2000, 77% of about 28,000 voters in what is now Centennial chose to create the city, forming a government that was more directly accountable to them. Before then, the residents had to rely on Arapahoe County’s government, since the area was unincorporated. Large areas of unincorporated land sit next to Centennial’s boundaries. As a city, Centennial has the power to annex that land in some cases, expanding the city’s borders. SEE BOUNDARIES, P10
BRUNCH IS BACK
Combining breakfast and lunch is back on the menu at several locations P14