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Week of March 3, 2022
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
EnglewoodHerald.net
VOLUME 102 | ISSUE 3
‘Homeless Action Plan’ moves forward in south Denver suburbs County to hire coordinator for Englewood, Littleton, Sheridan BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Homelessness isn’t just a financial problem — it can be a life-or-death matter, statistics from the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office show. From January 2020 to January 2021, 17 people experiencing homelessness in Arapahoe County died of natural causes on the street, 22 died by drug overdose, and four died by hypothermia — a condition caused by exposure to cold temperatures — possibly made worse by substance use. “Experiencing homelessness on the street exacerbates chronic medical and behavioral health conditions that are costly to local governments and create life-threatening results,” says the Tri-Cities Homeless Action Plan, a document that cited the county’s numbers on deaths. It’s one of the reasons why Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan are carrying out a plan to address homelessness in the three cities’ region. The early steps in the plan are unfolding as numbers continue to paint a picture of increasing homelessness in the Denver metro area, according to the most recent annual report by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. The rise in homelessness in metro Denver is a trend that predates the pandemic but was likely worsened by it. And for those who experience homelessness on the streets rather than temporarily staying with a friend or family or living in motels, finding help can be difficult. There are currently no short-term, emergency, overnight shelters in Arapahoe County, according to a county spokesperson. The plan to address homelessness
Blankets and a cushion drape the branches along the east banks of the South Platte River near Dartmouth Avenue in May 2018. A FILE PHOTOS BY ELLIS ARNOLD worn walkway led to the clearing.
in Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan identified a few broad goals: • Stop homelessness before it starts. • Identify individuals at risk and ensure they are safe. • Connect people with the support they need to quickly exit homelessness. One of the main steps the cities may take: creating a “central navigation center” where the unhoused can learn about available services and get help applying for benefits and programs, such as for available housing, the plan says. Another step could involve launching “outreach teams” to engage the outdoor homeless population and help people navigate enrollment into various assistance programs, the plan says. SEE HOMELESS, P8
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 16
Boo Crosby, then the restaurant manager at Cafe 180, right, stands in 2018 with a man who said he had been in and out of homelessness for years as of that point. The restaurant in Englewood provides meals to those who can’t pay in exchange for volunFILE PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD teer service.
RISE OF THE MONARCHS
Scientists hopeful butterflies making a comeback P12