PROVIDERS

(OSS), which is designed speci cally to help defendants who are experiencing homelessness. e defendants work with city prosecutors, probation o cers and homeless navigators in order to be connected with resources, treatment and housing during their trial.

Kurtz said that 733 OSS cases were led in 2022, compared to about 4,700 municipal court cases overall. However, of the 1,030 criminal violation cases led in 2022, 71% were OSS cases.

To date, three defendants have successfully completed OSS. ree OSS defendants are currently in a treatment program, and 15 OSS defendants have received housing.

“We have a couple more defendants who have successfully completed the program,” Kurtz said. “And what that looks like for me is that they’re not picking up new law violations. ey are relatively sober, they are in housing, and they’re on either disability that can help sustain them and pay for their housing or that they’re working so that they can support themselves.” e city has committed to taking a coordinating role in providing homeless services. Wick asserted that taking a leadership role in connecting service providers to those in need would be more bene cial than Arvada actually providing services itself.

Nevertheless, Kurtz said that the biggest struggle folks in the program have is completing treatment. Kurtz requires OSS defendants who are struggling with substance abuse to attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, but those programs don’t work for everyone, she said.

“I told (one defendant), ‘You go to treatment or you go to jail,’ because he had so many criminal violations that he was really escalating that behavior,” Kurtz said. “And he was really given every single access to resources and was unwilling to engage at all, in any respect. And so that was kind of the end of the line for him.

“He went to treatment for a day and then bombed out and so he did end up spending 190 days in jail,” Kurtz continued.

Brady said that a shortage of mental health resources keeps people cycling through the legal system without actually getting better.

“If there’s one thing I would ask you to take away from my portion, it is that there are not enough mental health resources for those people that are found guilty of crimes or are put on M1 holds,” Brady said.

“You’ve heard from our various experts here about how they’re trying to get people into the resources,” Wick said. “But it’s really di cult because we lack a coordinated system in order to get there.

“My recommendation is that we need to advocate for a strong governance system,” Wick continued, “like you see at the Tri Cities, what you see in Adams County and others, not to deliver the services not to be the service provider, but rather that we build the governance structure with policy aims that are clear across the county and provide consistency for what we can do, that we helped lead the e ort to develop the regional plan, execute that plan, manage and coordinate that be the catalyst for change.”

Wick also called on city council to lobby the state legislature for increased funding to accomplish this.

An exasperated Williams agreed with Wick’s recommendation but maintained that some people “don’t want to be helped.”

“Let’s certainly work on programs and how we can better coordinate and how it can work regionally on helping those who want to be helped,” Williams said. “But for those that don’t want to be helped, you know, do we just tell from, here’s a place you can go, and you can start your own little society and leave us alone? Or what?”

Byers says that if the city wants to partner with service providers, it will have to better its relationships with them — something he hasn’t seen yet.

“We need more coordination from the city, the city can coordinate and collaborate, but we need collaboration,” Byers said. “You have us, Community Table, Grace Church, the library; it would be nice if someone could just get everyone together and we’re working on who’s doing what. Possibly talk about speci c clients and what’s the best avenue to help them.

“It’s a holistic thing; a city cannot (provide services),” Byers continued. “Governments are not relational.”

“ at’s why there’s nonpro ts,” Cowling said. “We all need to work together to get people into housing.”

Despite the disorganization, lack of resources and myriad challenges facing homeless people in Arvada, there are some — though not many — success stories.

“We have about 15 dependents who have received housing, and those who have received housing are doing really well,” Kurtz said. “It’s really fun to see that while they’re not living that white picket fence life, necessarily, they’re in a much better place than they were previously, especially during the winter months.

“I think they feel really good about where they are,” Kurtz continued. “And they’re willing to meaningfully engage and work towards betterment.”

Thu 2/09

Larry & Joe: WORKSHOP: Venezuelan Strings @ 6pm Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Tue 2/14

Brody Danger: Dyketopia

Valentine's Day Spectacular @ 7pm The Bug Theatre, 3654 Navajo St, Denver emalkay @ 8:30pm

Cervantes' Master‐piece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Wel‐ton St, Denver

Fri 2/10

Peter John Stoltzman Music: Rajdulari Back 2 Love @ 6:30pm Dazzle Jazz, 930 Lincoln St, Denver

The Bird Dogs @ 8pm

Cervantes' Master‐piece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Wel‐ton St, Denver

Sat 2/11

The Callous Daoboys @ 6pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

156/Silence @ 6pm Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

"Cyrano de Bergerac" @ 7:30pm / $21

Wheat Ridge Theatre Company, 5445 W 38th Ave, Wheat Ridge

Flak @ 7pm

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Dive Bards, Interroband, and All Through the Night @ 7pm Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St, Denver

Tiny Humans @ 7pm

Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St, Denver

Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women @ 7:30pm Galleria Theatre, 1245 Champa St, Denver

Larry & Joe @ 8pm

Swallow Hill Music, 71 E Yale Ave, Denver

Excision @ 8pm Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St, Den‐ver

Whales @ 8pm Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St,, Den‐ver

Swavay @ 8pm

Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St,, Denver

The Fretliners @ 8pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Audion @ 9pm 1134 Broadway, 1134 N Broadway, Denver

N2N @ 9pm Nurture • A Wellcare Marketplace, 2949 Federal Blvd, Denver

Valentine's Day Hip Hop Show w/ Mr. Fredo @ 9pm Gaslamp, 1437 Market St, Denver

Sun 2/12

Colorado Symphony Orchestra @ 1pm Boettcher Hall, 1000 14th Street, Denver

CHRIS CART3R @ 7pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Mon 2/13

ARTS: Mini Picasso @ Hiawatha Davis Jr. @ 4:30pm Feb 13th - Mar 13th

Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center, 3334 Holly St., Denver. 720-913-0654

Visions of Atlantis @ 8pm The Oriental Theater, 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver

Ari LennoxAge/Sex/Location

Tour 2023 @ 7pm / $59.50

Summit, 1902 Blake St, Denver Midwife @ 8pm Hi-Dive, 7 S Broadway, Denver

Wed 2/15

Sematary @ 7pm Cervantes Other Side, 2637 Welton Street, Denver

TURNABOUT @ 7pm

Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom & Other Side, 2637 Welton St, Denver

Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets @ 7pm Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver